Colorful Parathas | Tricolor Parathas(Step by Step Pics) | Lunch Box Ideas

Its fall everywhere here and that's a lovely weather(which  I love the most after spring).We are blessed to have a beautiful nature all around us shading different colors on tress and plants.Every corner looks like a wall pic or a post card.Though this is the scene every year here but it doesn't create a monotony.I love the pretty shades of trees dressed in yellow,orange,red and green mostly.Today's recipe post is an inspiration from these shades.Sounds strange,right?? But this wasn't made to match the fall colors at all,believe me.However,when kids saw these parathas,their creative heads immediately coined it as 'fall parathas'.And in a way it was very true,it truly had all the prominent shades of fall season.

These parathas are made with natural colors from spinach,beetroot and carrots.I had my apprehensions about kids liking when I started making these parathas.But to my surprise,they were very much excited to have these colorful parathas not only by the colors but the taste too.The carrots and beets adds a sweet flavor to the parathas along with the spinach flavors,they complimented each other well.If the parathas were made with spinach alone or beets alone,am sure kids might have turned down.I was feeling bad as should have tried this earlier because my younger one who is a picky eater has demanded to make it more frequently.He totally loved it hot with ghee smeared on top.This can be made for kids lunch box and can be served with a simple raitha.Enjoy !!

Preparation time~ 20 mins
Cooking time~ 30 mins
Serves ~10 parathas
Ingredients
whole wheat flour 3 cups
chilly powder 3/4 tsp
garam masala 1/4 tsp
salt to taste

beetroot 1/2 of 1
carrot 2 medium sized
spinach 1/2 of a bunch
ghee/oil to smear

Watch on YouTube -

Method

• Wash,peel and cut the beets,carrots in small pieces.Keep them separately.Add the beets in a pan and add 1/4 cup water.Cook covered for 5 mins on medium flame.Switch off flame and leave to cool.Similarly boil the carrots in 1/4 cup water for 5 mins and then leave aside to cool(the water used for cooking must have used up by now).when it is cooled grind in a blender without adding any water to a smooth puree.Wash the spinach leaves and add to a pan of boiling water.Blanch the spinach leaves for 2 mins and then drain water,add the leaves to a blender without water and blend until smooth.Each cup of puree should be 1/2 cup.

• In a large bowl,take the wheat flour,add salt,chilly powder and garam masala powder.Mix well.Now separate each cup of flour in three separate bowls.To the first bowl,add beet puree little by little and knead to a smooth dough.To the second bowl,add the carrot puree and knead to a smooth dough.And to the third bowl,add the spinach puree and knead to a smooth dough(the puree may be used mostly,I had very little left overs).

• Leave the dough covered for 20 mins to rest.After 20 mins,divide all the three doughs in equal number of marble sized balls.Now take balls from each colored dough and then roll in a rope shape.Keep the three ropes close to each other and the swirl the dough(tuck the loose ends) to get a round shape(see pics).Dust with flour and then roll out using rolling pin until desired thickness(the prepared rounds are thicker than regular chapathis).An alternate method is to stick all the three balls together and then press down to form a very small discs.Dust with flour and roll out using rolling pin.I felt the second method was much easier and faster than first one(you may have to dust more flour than we usually do for making chapathis as the dough is a bit sticky with the puree)
• Now,heat a pan and transfer the prepared parathas when hot.Turn and fry all sides and drizzle oil /ghee over the top on both sides.Slide out to a plate and repeat this step till you finish making all parathas.
• Serve warm with pickle"(we had with garlic pickle) or a simple raitha !!

NOTES
*The cooked beets or carrots or spinach should be pureed without adding any water.
* The dough shouldn't be very stiff else it becomes very difficult to roll out.
* Don't make the parathas very thin and shouldn't be less than 1/8" thickness.
* These parathas can be made as three different parathas like spinach parathas,beet parathas or carrot parathas too but I have my doubts about kids tastes.
* These parathas are made by dipping in flour frequently so smearing with oil or ghee is a must other wise it becomes very dry.I smeared ghee for kids.

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