Aloo Paratha
-Makes 10
Growing up in India, parathas were the norm at breakfast every day; if not at home then packed in my little snack box for morning break at school. Although originally a North-Indian breakfast staple, parathas are now loved and eaten all over India, at any time of the day. One of my favorite places to eat at during my college years was a tiny street-side restaurant, that opened after mid-night and served the best ghee-laden parathas all night.
As an agricultural nation, India produces a lot of wheat, and most Indians consume fresh homemade flatbreads at every single meal - whether they are in the form of chapatis, kulchas, naan, or the many varieties of stuffed parathas. Most of these flatbreads are made using very finely milled Indian whole-wheat flour called “Atta”, which is stickier and sweeter than regular whole-wheat flour. The stone-milling process alters the taste and texture of the flour, making it perfect for Indian flatbreads.
My recipe below is that of Aloo Paratha (spiced potato flatbread) but the potatoes here can easily be replaced with a number of different fillings, like grated cheddar, minced paneer, lentils, moong beans and even spiced minced lamb. Here are a few quick tips before we get started,
To make your stuffing, bake your potatoes instead of boiling them. This is to ensure that your filling doesn’t turn out to be too mushy, making the rolling process much easier later on.
Don’t try to replace Atta flour with regular whole-wheat flour - it will not yield the same results. Using regular whole-wheat flour will result in drier, chewier parathas.
Be very gentle once you get to the rolling part. Move your hands very gently on the rolling pin to ensure even thickness throughout. If necessary, dust more flour during the rolling process, and rotate the paratha after every roll (as shown in the video)
Don’t give up - making parathas may be intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s very rewarding - both the making and the eating parts ?
Finally, make more if you can. Parathas can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days, and can frozen in a Ziplock bag for a few months. To freeze parathas, simply separate cooled parathas using squares of parchment paper, place them in a Ziplock bag, seal and freeze. To heat frozen parathas, place a frozen paratha on a hot griddle or frying pan and cook for 1-2 minutes until hot and crispy on both sides. YUMMMM!
I really hope you try making this recipe at home, along with my Cheese Parathas which by the way are the bomb! Both my children who are now at Uni still talk about their favorite lunch at school - cheese paratha and chorizo sausage rolls ?. Happy Cooking!
As always, leave any questions you may have in comments.
Ingredients
Dough
2 cups Indian whole wheat flour (labelled Atta on packets)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon ajwain or carom seeds
1 tablespoon coconut or olive oil
About 1 cup water
Filling
800g potatoes
1 teaspoon salt
2-3 fresh bird’s eye chilies - finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
Also needed
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour, for dusting
2 tablespoons oil/butter/ghee, for brushing
Recipes
Making filling
1. Cover the potatoes individually in foil, and bake in a pre-heated oven at 375ºF (190ºC) for 60-75 minutes until soft. Once done, discard foil and set them aside to cool.
2. After the potatoes are cold enough to handle, peel the skin off, place in a large bowl, and mash them well.
3. Add fresh chilies, coriander leaves and salt to mashed potatoes, and mix well - set aside.
Making dough
1. In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, chili powder, carom seeds and oil.
2. Next, add a little less than 1 cup water into the flour mix and bring it together to form a soft ball of dough. The texture of the dough should be like fresh playdough - add the rest of the water, if needed. Knead it for a few minutes to make the dough smooth and pliable.
3. Cover and set it aside to rest for about an hour.
Making parathas
1. Divide the dough and filling mixture into 10 equal options. Make sure your potato balls are about the same quantity as the dough balls.
2. Take a ball of dough, make it flat between your palms, cover it in flour on both sides and place it on a flat surface.
3. Roll the dough into a 4-5” inch diameter circle, thinning our the edges. Brush a few drops of oil in the center. Place a portion of filling mixture in the center. Bring the edges of the dough over the potato filling, and seal.
4. Make the ball flat between your palms and cover in wheat flour again on both sides. Place the dough ball seam-side down on the counter.
5. Heat a skillet or heavy base frying pan on medium flame, for about 5 minutes.
6. Using a rolling pin, roll the ball lightly into a thin uniform circle, dusting it with more flour if necessary.
7. When the pan starts smoking, put paratha on it. Cook until the underside has brown spots, about 20 seconds, then flip and cook the other side for another 15-20 seconds. Brush each side sparingly with oil/butter/ghee and fry for 10-15 seconds on each side, until crispy golden. Continue with remaining dough and filling. Serve hot parathas with yogurt or fried eggs.