Butternut Squash Paratha

With Halloween season in full swing one tends to find a lot of pumpkins and butternut squashes everywhere.It was a couple of weeks ago when I was out shopping with my daughter. Butternut Squash is not the kind of vegetable that I usually add to my cart when I shop at Trader Joe's. It was on her suggestion that I must try  cooking with it that we did buy it. It has been sitting on my counter for over 3 weeks now. I must confess that I have not cooked with butternut squash until now. I have seen soups, chutney, pasta etc made with them.  I was very nervous about cooking with it. It was not about the taste that I was worried about, but rather the texture. I wanted to create something mushy less.This evening I made butternut squash stuffed paratha, butternut squash halwa and coconut raita. I really enjoyed the combination because, though butternut squash is kind of sweet, the paratha was spicy, the halwa was sweet and the raita balanced the two dominant tastes. It will not be a one time paratha, but will be prepared often in my kitchen.

Gadgets:
Bowls
Food Processor / Grater
Spatula
Measuring Cups and Spoons
Griddle/ tava
Board and Rolling Pin
Wok/ heavy bottom pan

Ingredients:
For Butternut Squash Filling:
Grated Butter Nut Squash - 4 cups
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - a few shakes
Kasturi Methi - 2 tbsps
Cumin Powder - 1 1/2 tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1 tsp ( mine was very spicy)
Ginger - 1/2 tsp grated
Salt
Oil - 1 tbsp plus extra for spreading on the paratha
For Roti:
Whole Wheat Flour - 3 cups plus extra for dabbing
Salt
Oil - 1 tbsp
Water

Preparation:

1. Grate the butternut squash in a food processor (or grater) after removing the outer skin.

2. Heat the Wok and add the oil. Once that heats up add asafoetida and mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds starts to pop. Then add kasturi methi, turmeric and chili powder and give it a quick mix.

3. Add the grated butternut squash , salt and mix well. Allow it to cook for 5 minutes or until the butternut squash is cooked well. Remove from heat.

4. Meanwhile, mix the whole wheat flour salt and oil well before adding enough water to make a soft dough. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before making parata's.

5. Take a lemon size ball of dough and roll out a small circle. Spread a tbsp of the filling on one half of the circle and cover the filling with the other half to form a semi circle. Fold again to form a triangle.

6. Roll out the triangle evenly making sure to dab some whole wheat flour on and off to avoid sticking. Once the parata has been rolled into a triangle cook it on the iron griddle on medium heat on both sides until they are cooked well . Apply some oil on both sides. Serve them hot with coconut raita and butternut squash halwa.