Recipe: Keema Ke Paratha (Whole Wheat Flatbreads Stuffed with Lamb, Chiles, and Cilantro) (India)

KEEMA KE PARATHA (WHOLE WHEAT FLATBREADS STUFFED WITH LAMB, CHILES, AND CILANTRO)

"When they're hot from the pan, it's hard not fill up on paratha alone, though they're usually served in the context of a larger Indian meal. I learned this spicy, delicious lamb filling from Suvir Saran, an Indian chef and friend who lives and works in New York and whose book, written with Stephanie Lyness-Indian Home Cooking: A Fresh Introduction to Indian Food-is one of the best on the topic written for the American audience."

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1 tablespoon for the filling and more for rolling out the dough
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil, or as needed
1 pound ground lamb or bee
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1 small hot fresh green chile, minced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon Ajwain, dried thyme, or ground cumin
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala
Juice of 1/2 lime
Melted butter, optional

1. Combine the flours with the salt in a food processor. Turn the machine on and add 2 tablespoons of the oil and 3/4 cup water. Process for about 30 seconds, adding more water, a little at a time, until the mixture forms a ball and is slightly sticky to the touch. If dry, add another tablespoon or two of water and process for another 10 seconds. (If the mixture is too sticky, add flour, a tablespoon at a time.) Remove the dough and, using flour as necessary, shape into a ball; wrap in plastic and let rest while you make the meat filling. (Or refrigerate for up to a day or freeze for up to a week.)

2. Preheat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat for a minute or two, then add the meat to the pan. Saut the meat in its own fat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it's lost its raw red color, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, chile, garlic, cayenne, fennel, and Ajwain; cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is browned, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to a bowl, stir in the cilantro, Garam Masala, lime juice, a tablespoon of flour, and salt to taste; cool completely. (The meat filling can be made 2 or 3 days in advance and kept in the refrigerator; bring to room temperature before using.)

3. Set out a bowl of flour and a small bowl of canola oil, with a spoon or brush, on your work surface. Lightly flour your work surface and your rolling pin. Break off a piece of dough about the size of a golf ball. Toss it in the bowl of flour and then roll it in your hands to make a ball. Flatten it into a 2-inch disk, then use a floured rolling pin to roll it into a thin round, about 5 inches in diameter, dusting with flour as necessary.

4. Mound about 2 tablespoons of the filling into the center of one of the rounds of dough. Bring the edges of the round up over the top of the filling and press them together to make a pouch. Press down on the "neck" of the pouch with the palm of one hand to make a slightly rounded disk. Turn the disk in the bowl of flour and roll it out again into a round about 5 to 6 inches in diameter. Pat it between your hands to brush off the excess flour. Put the paratha on a plate and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap. Continue to roll all of the remaining dough into paratha and stack them on the plate with a sheet of plastic wrap between them. You can keep the paratha stacked like this for an hour or two in the refrigerator before cooking them if necessary.

5. Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-high heat for a minute or two, then put a paratha (or two, if they'll fit) on it and cook until it darkens slightly, usually less than a minute. Flip the paratha with a spatula and cook for another 30 seconds on the second side. Use the back of a spoon or a brush to coat the top of the paratha with oil. Flip and coat the other side with oil. Continue cooking the paratha until the bottom of the bread has browned, flip, and repeat. Do this a few times until both sides of the paratha are golden brown and very crisp, 2 to 3 minutes total for each paratha. As the paratha finish, remove them from the pan and brush with melted butter if you're going to serve hot, otherwise wait until you've reheated them. (You can reheat them in a 300 degree F oven; or by recooking them in a dry pan.)

Makes 8 to 12 stuffed flatbreads, enough for 4 to 6
Excerpted from The Best Recipes In The World by Mark Bittman
Copyright 2005 by Mark Bittman. Excerpted by permission of Broadway, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.