Stovetop: Avocado Parantha – Spiced Flatbread
Makes 13 – 15 pieces
3 cups chapati flour*
3 very ripe avocado, scooped from shell
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds), optional
NO water!
1. In a food processor add the flour, the meat of the avocado, the salt, and the ajwain. Feel free to spice it any way you would like. I prefer it very simple. I just scoop out the avocado and dump it in. No need to mash it unless you are making this in a bowl and kneading it by hand. You can also use a stand mixer.
2. Process until everything comes together in a nice ball of dough. No need for water or oil. The avocado has enough of both. If it seems dry to you, just add water a tablespoon at a time - you don't want too much. This can fluctuate depending on the flour you are using.
3. Transfer the dough to a bowl and knead it by hand until beautifully smooth.
4. Roll the parantha out one by one and cook them up. Tips coming soon. For now, watch me as I make one!
* One of the biggest challenges to newer cooks to Indian food is where to find the flour we use? Chapati flour is a specialized whole durum wheat flour stone ground and easily found in Indian grocers. If you don't have one near you, just look for whole white wheat pastry/baking flour. The reason we don't use typical whole wheat flour found in most mainstream American grocers is that it comes from a harder red wheat, which is a little bitter and not as soft. You can use standard whole wheat flour and mix it with all-purpose flour (use a 3/4 whole wheat to 1/4 all purpose ratio). Keep in mind that white all-purpose flour has minimal nutritional value and is not our go-to for roti, chapati, or parantha. Again, it can be used but you want to gravitate towards whole grain soft white wheat. (Says this former agricultural reporter for Bloomberg News who has covered the wheat industry believe it or not! There is a big difference in flour and the source grain.)
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Pinky
April 13, 2023
I can’t wait to make this! Your note at the bottom about the types of flour and what to substitute chappati flour with from mainstream grocery stores is game changer! Thank you!