ALOO PARATHA

Aloo paratha hails from Punjab and is relished as a good breakfast. Aloo paratha which has a stuffing of potatoes, is traditionally eaten with a dollop of butter / curd. Nowadays people enjoy it with ketchup / green chutney too.

Makes 5-6 parathas

Ingredients

1. Wheat flour – 1 1/2 cups
2. Oil – 2 tsps
3. Salt – ¼ tsp

For the stuffing 

1. Potato – 3 medium sized
2. Ginger – ½” piece – finely chopped
3. Green chilli – 2 -3 finely chopped
4. Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
5. Red chilli powder – ½ tsp
6. Cumin powder – ½ tsp
7. Coriander powder – 1 ½ -2 tsp
8. Garam masala powder – ½ - 1 tsp
9. Amchur (dry mango) powder – 1 tsp
10. Salt to taste
11. Coriander leaves (finely chopped) – 2 tbsp

Method

1. Mix the wheat flour with oil and salt. 
2. Add water little by little and make a smooth tight dough and set aside for at least 30 minutes.

Stuffing

1. Wash the potatoes, cut them in halves.
2. Boil the potatoes with turmeric powder and salt till they are cooked.
3. Cool and then peel the potatoes.
4. Mash them.
5. Sprinkle red chilli, coriander, cumin, garam masala and amchur powders.
6. Add chopped ginger, green chilli and coriander leaves and mix well.
7. Make 4 equal lime-sized balls.

Parathas 

1. Divide the dough also into equal parts – the size of a big lemon.
2. Roll one dough ball into a small thick circle of about 3”.
3. Place a ball of the potato stuffing in the center and fold in from all the sides so that the stuffing is fully covered.
4. Dust it with flour and roll it into a paratha carefully so that the stuffing does not spill out.
5. Heat a tava / pan and put the stuffed paratha on it.
6. Flip it after a minute.
7. Flip it again after a minute and add ghee (or oil) all over the paratha.
8. Turn it again and spread ghee on this side too.
9. Remove from tava when both sides are golden brown.
10. Serve hot.

Tips

1. Make sure the stuffing is dry – it is better to prepare the stuffing in the morning and store it in the fridge.
2. To prevent the potatoes from turning sticky, try this simple tip. Drain off the water after boiling the potatoes. Place them on a plate with the cut side up and poke each one a couple of times with a knife. This helps the water content in the potatoes to evaporate. After a few minutes, peel the potatoes and mash them.

© Copyright 2011. Brinda Balasubramonian.