Shepu Paratha

Shepu, or fresh dill, has a flavour that doesn't believe in staying in the background. Here it is kneaded directly into atta with coriander, green chillies, ginger, sesame and a handful of everyday spices, then rolled into layered triangular parathas and cooked with ghee until crisp at the edges and soft within.

Ingredients

For the dough

• 2 cups (about 250 g) whole-wheat atta

• 1½ packed cups fresh shepu (dill leaves), finely chopped

• ½ cup fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped

• 2–3 green chillies, finely chopped or crushed

• 1 tsp grated ginger

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• ½ tsp ajwain, lightly crushed

• 1 tbsp sesame seeds

• ¼ tsp turmeric powder

• ½ tsp red chilli powder, optional

• 1 tsp salt, or to taste

• 1 tbsp oil

• ½–¾ cup water, approximately

For rolling and cooking

• A little atta, for dusting

• Ghee, for layering and cooking

Method

Prepare the greens
Pick the dill leaves along with the tender stems, discarding any thick or woody stalks.
Wash the dill and coriander thoroughly, dry well and chop them fairly finely.
Don't be tempted to reduce the quantity of dill too much. You want the shepu to be unmistakably present rather than appearing as a few apologetic green flecks in the dough.

Make the dough
Add the chopped dill and coriander to a large mixing bowl.
Add the green chillies, ginger, cumin, ajwain, sesame seeds, turmeric, red chilli powder and salt.
Massage everything together briefly with your fingers. This helps bruise the herbs slightly and begins drawing out their moisture.
Add the atta and 1 tbsp oil. Mix everything together.
Start adding water a little at a time, kneading as you go. The salted dill will continue releasing moisture, so resist the urge to pour in all the water at once.
Knead for 4–5 minutes, until you have a smooth, medium-soft dough. It should be slightly softer than regular roti dough without being sticky.
Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
After resting, knead briefly again. If the greens have released enough moisture to make the dough sticky, knead in 1–2 tbsp additional atta.

Shape the parathas
Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and roll each into a smooth ball.
Take one ball and roll it into a small circle on a lightly floured surface.
Smear the surface with a very thin layer of ghee and sprinkle lightly with atta.
Fold it into a triangle, then gently roll it out again into a thin triangular paratha.
Repeat with the remaining dough.

Cook
Heat a tawa over medium-high heat.
Place one paratha on the hot, dry tawa and cook for 30–45 seconds, or until small bubbles begin appearing on the surface.
Flip and cook the second side for about 30 seconds.
Spread ½–1 tsp ghee over the paratha and around its edges. Flip again, then apply a little more ghee to the other side.
Continue cooking, flipping as required and gently pressing the edges with a spatula, until both sides develop deep golden-brown spots and lightly crisp edges.
Repeat with the remaining parathas.

Serve
Eat the shepu parathas straight off the tawa with plain curd and mango or lime pickle.
And if breakfast has already reached the point where you're frying parathas in ghee, there is very little reason to suddenly develop restraint. A knob of butter on top is highly recommended.