AlooParaatha (Indian Bread with Potato Filling)
By GM for The Planet Food
Ask my mum what her choice for breakfast would be (and I’m talking anywherein the world), and prompt comes the answer- Aloo paraathas! The funny thing is, that this staple dish of the Punjabis finds such an eminent place in my mother’s menu even though she is not a Punjabi. But, I hardly recall a weekend at home when I walked down to the dining area and didn’t find a big stack of aloo paraathas on the table. So much so, that after a point I would jump if anyone suggestedthis bread for any meal outside the house. However, once I shifted out of myparents’ home, I developed a great respect and longing for this quintessential north Indian bread. I mean, just as North Indian eat outs cannot get the vadapao right, the Mumbai eateries just do not understand the simplicity of gettingthe aloo paraatha right.
I’ve noticed that the more spices and ingredients you add to vegetariandishes, the more odd their taste becomes. One such ingredient I often find myself cringing at is turmeric when added in an aloo paraatha. I not only find it disturbing to eat the paraatha with this added spice, but also find it very odd to look at the colour it adds to the otherwise beautiful beige/ brown paraatha.I have to say as a kid if I were offered a yellow aloo paraatha I would have strongly doubted that it was in fact the right paraathaJ But, having said that, I do understand and don’t mind that some ingredients like theanar dana (dried pomegranate seeds) are altered with amchoor (dried mango powder) as they do not principally alter the look or feel of this yummylicious dish.
Today, I’m making the aloo paraatha just the way it was made in my house only with a tad more fresh coriander. I wonder if I can still compete against my brothers to eat these. My record at one point was upto 10 paraathas (ofcourse I was pretty round shaped those days).
Recipe:
Prep Time: 10 – 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 15- 20 minutes for entire Dough and Stuffing content
Ingredients:
Vegetable Oil/Ghee (saturated oil): half cup for dabbing with a spoon while cooking
For the Dough:
Atta / Wheatflour: 2 cups
Water: Half cup room temperature
Vegetable oil: 1Tsp
For the stuffing:
4 Medium sized Potatoes (Try to keep all potatoes around same size, as that will help them all cook around same time and same intensity)
Jeera (cumin)powder: 2 tsp
Anaar daana(dried pomegranate seeds): ½ tsp
Ginger: ½ inchpiece peeled and diced very small
Fresh corianderleaves half cup, chopped
Onion (red): 1medium sized diced
Green chilli: 1diced
Garam masala(roasted spice mix): 1 tsp
Kaala Namak(Rock Salt): 1 Tsp (or as per taste)
Process:
1. Knead the dough/ Atta (wheat flour) with water and oil and set thisdough aside covered with cling sheet for half hour
2. Boil thepotatoes with their peels on and once they cool down, peel them and mash them(Try not to make it too pasty, but keep semi solid pieces)
3. Mix allingredients for the Stuffing together (including the rock salt)
4. Make samesized, small round cakes of the Atta and roll them with a rolling Pin keepingthem round shaped, and dust with dry Atta to make Chapattis
5. Put small portions of the stuffing into the rolled out Chapatti likea stuffed pie, close the ends and slowly roll again dusting with dry Atta tohelp rolling them into round Paraathas (Don’t press too hard in the centre asthe stuffing will come out and break the bread
6. Now gentlyplace the Paraatha on a flat Tawa (open flat pan) rubbing little Ghee/ vegetableoil with your flat spatula on each side till the paraatha is cooked (shouldhave a few brown patches each side)
7. remove fromthe gas and serve hot
Tip: Serve the Paraathas withbutter or a bowl of yoghurt and chutney
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