Papaya Paratha

The first time I recall having Papaya was when Ma had made Papaya Kheer. From then I was hooked. K had never eaten raw papaya and that was enough reason for me to introduce him to this awesome vegetable. I was lucky I found some at the nearby grocery store.

The papaya fruit is a rich source of antioxidants and an enzyme that aids in digestion. Doctors also say that eating papaya helps in the prevention of diabetic heart disease and the oxidation of cholestrol. They are also a excellent source of Vitamin A, B, C. Eough reason to adopt this fruit / vegetable in your daily diet wouldn't you say ??

1 medium raw papaya ( available at your local grocery store)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2" ginger, grated fine
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp amchoor (dried mango powder)
6 handfuls of whole wheat flour, plus extra 1 fistful.
Salt to taste

Wash and peel the Papaya. Cut into two and remove the seeds. Grate the papaya, add some salt and keep aside for 20 minutes.
In the meantime knead the 6 handful of wheat flour with warm water and 1/4 tsp salt. Don't make a very soft dough. After you knead the dough, cover and keep aside.

Squeeze all the water from the grated papaya. Add the rest of the ingredients : salt, cumin, coriander, chilli, amchoor, turmeric, ginger - and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning if required.

Make 6 equal sized balls from the dough. Take one ball, dust it with some dry flour and using the rolling pin roll it out the size of a teacup plate. take about 2 tbsp of the filling and place it in the centre of the dough. Roll the sides of the dough so that filling is covered and the dough is now the shape of a ball. Dust some flour on it and using the rolling pin, gently flatten it. Roll out the rest of the dough in a similar manner and keep aside.

Heat a flat bottomed pan. Place the stuffed flattened dough on the pan. When the side turns light brown, flip and cook the other side till it is brown. Spray a little cooking spray on both sides, cook each side for a minute.

Serve the Paratha hot with Raita of your choice and enjoy !