When bathua or wild spinach hits the vegetable markets, after the cold season begins in India, the Mehrotras immediately make plans to cook their favourite meal -- Bathua-Stuffed Parathas. The joy is multiplied when you add a tiny bit of mustard oil while frying these sumptuous parathas.

Have a go at making Deepa Mehrotra's recipe for this unusual stuffed flatbread.

Count yourself lucky if you ever get to dine at Deepa's table and sample her range of cooking. Meanwhile try a few of her other recipes.

Bathua-Stuffed Parathas

Servings 7-8

Ingredients

• 2 bundles bathua or wild spinach/pigsweed/goosefoot/Chenopodium album
• 4-5 pods garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp oil for the bathua tadka + oil for frying the parathas
• Mustard oil for frying the parathas
• 1 tsp jeera or cumin seeds
• ½ tsp hing or asafetida
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped

For the aata dough

• 3 cups sifted aata or wheat flour
• Water
• Pinch salt
• 1 tbsp oil

For serving

• Yoghurt

Method

For the bathua stuffing

• Remove the stems from the bathua and finely chop the leaves.
• In a frying pan, heat the tadka oil over medium heat and add the jeera seeds and the hing and fry for a few minutes.
• Add the garlic and fry for a minute or 2 more.
• Add the bathua and green chillies and fry for 4-5 minutes to dry up excess moisture of the bathua leaves.
• Take off heat and cool.

For the aata dough

• In a bowl, mix the aata, oil, salt and enough water to make a soft dough.
• Cover and rest 15-20 minutes

Paratha assembly

• Make 7-8 balls of the aata.
  Roll each ball into a round circle of 3-inch diameter.
  Place 2 tbsp bathua stuffing in the centre and bring the edges together like a money bag and roll into 7-inch diameter parathas.
• On a tava, over medium heat lightly roast each paratha without oil, flipping, till light red dots speckle the paratha.
  Smear 1 tsp oil and 1 tsp mustard oil and fry for a few minutes more on both sides.
  Repeat for the balance parathas.
• Serve hot with yoghurt.

Deepa Mehrotra hails from Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh, but has been living in Mumbai for over two decades. In the family, she is famous for her recipe repertoire, especially a unique carrots and beans paneer dish. And her Chole Bhatura and a super Jackfruit Pulau.

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