Paneer Ragi Bread Recipe by Sheetal Rabindran

Cooking Time: 45 Minutes
Preparation Time: 45 Minutes
Resting time: 8 hours
Total Serves: 4-6

The Ingredient List

• MAGGI Paneer-e-Magic- Shahi Paneer, 1 sachet
• MAGGI Tomato Ketchup - 2 tablespoons
• Whole-wheat Flour (atta) - 3 cups
• Ragi Flour -  ½ cup
• Sugar - 2 tablespoons
• Salt - 2 ½ teaspoons
• Ginger-garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
• Garlic, chopped or paste (optional) - ¼ teaspoon
• Active dry yeast - ½ tablespoon
• Milk powder - 2 tablespoons
• Milk - ½ cup
• Water - 1 ½ cups
• Butter - 3 tablespoons
• Crumbled paneer - 2 cups
• Chopped onions - 1 cup
• Pureed tomatoes - ¾ cup
• Chopped spring onions - 3 nos
• Sweet corn - 1 cup
• Chopped capsicum - ¼ cup
• Chopped coriander leaves - ¼ cup
• Grated cheese - 1 cup

The Easy Steps

For Preparation & Resting:

1. Take 1 cup of atta in a bowl, add ½ cup of water and mix well. Keep covered overnight.

For Cooking:

1. Mix ½ cup of ragi flour with 1 cup of water. Cook on low heat till thick.
2. In large plate, add the ingredients mentioned below and knead into a soft dough with ½ cup milk. Dough will be slightly sticky initially. It will become manageable and pliable in 10 minutes. Oil your fingers if needed. No need to knead it too much. Cover with damp cloth and let it rest for an hour.

          - Overnight soaked dough
          - Cooked ragi,
          - 2 remaining cups of atta
          - 2 tablespoons milk powder
          - 2 tablespoons butter
          - ½ tablespoon active dry yeast
          - 1 ½ teaspoons salt
          - 1 ½ tablespoons sugar
          - ¼ teaspoon garlic paste

1. You can use your hands or a food processor. While dough is resting, start making the filling.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in pan. Fry onions with ginger-garlic paste till raw smell goes away.
3. Add tomato puree and the MAGGI Paneer-e-Magic Shahi Paneer sachet. Fry till thick and aromatic.
4. Add paneer, sweetcorn, capsicum, spring onions, 2 tablespoons coriander leaves, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ tablespoon sugar. Mix and let it cook.
5. Let it cool. Add remaining coriander leaves
6. Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Roll into smooth balls. Coat each ball with oil.
7. Flatten the dough into a circle on a clean surface. You can use your hands or the rolling pin.
8. Spread ½ tablespoon MAGGI Tomato Ketchup on one half. Now coat with a layer of paneer filling. Finally sprinkle cheese. Repeat for each ball.
9. Dab some milk along the edges and fold over to seal as one big semicircle. Create a pretty pattern with your hands or a fork.
10. Now make slits on the top with a knife or use the fork to poke a pattern of holes. Brush top with milk.
11. Spray with water lightly. Keep covered in a warm place for one hour or till it rises and looks puffy.
12. Bake at 140°C for 12 minutes, covered with parchment paper or foil. Refer to tips for better texture. Remove paper and further bake at 150°C till the top is golden.
13. Take it out of the oven and coat with a layer of butter. Store covered, in a basket till ready to serve.

For Tips:

1. During winter season, form a “chamber” by placing a bowl of boiling hot water near the dough and covering them with a thick towel to help it to rise.
2. You can use the same dough to make 4 medium sized pizzas. Or 8 mini stuffed breads.
3. Spraying the bread surface lightly with water, twice, while baking in the oven, will get you a better bread texture.
4. If you do not have an oven, you can make the stuffed bread or the pizza on a cast iron grill pan or even in the base of a large cooker. Grease the base well. If you do not have a thick pan, or grill pan, fill any pan with an inch of sand. Heat it. Bake the bread on a plate on the heated sand, covered.
5. If you do not have ragi flour, you can make it with whole wheat flour alone.
6. Once you get used to the texture, you can use other millet flours too. They are much healthier (and also gluten free).
7. You can make the same dish with cooked chicken or eggs also.
8. Coating the bread with beaten egg will get you a glossy and golden brown appearance.