Aloo Paratha/ Potato stuffed flat bread

I don't think there's anything more quintessentially punjabi than your Aloo ka Parantha or you may call it Flat bread stuffed with a potato filling. It is made in all north Indian homes and now everywhere where Pujabis live! Aloo paranthas are a breakfast staple and are usually served with butter on top and with fresh Yoghurt. It is the heart of every dhaba in the country. And I don't think that Indian cuisine would be complete without the Aloo parantha on the menu card. 

Indian flat bread comes in a wide variety namely roti, naan, parantha and many more. Parantha is almost always cooked on a girdle with some amount of oil/ clarified butter and then served. Also, they are made of whole wheat flour, so they are really healthy. 

Usually every home has their own individual style of making these and there's a unique stuffing for everyone. For me, I like to saute my potatoes jut to give it a different flavour. Instead of going on and on about it, let me just get on to the recipe of this absolutely deliciously yummy Paranthas. 

Time taken: 45 mins

Complexity: ***

You'll need

For the dough

3 cups wheat flour

Water around 300- 400 ml to bring together the flour in a firm dough.

Knead it till it becomes smooth on the surface. It should take around 5-7 minutes. And you don't have to work it like you do a pizza dough. Just bring it together and keep punching it. An excellent stress buster and also a good workout for your arms before you eat all that butter! :) 

For the stuffing 

4 Medium Potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed

1 large onion

salt to taste

1" ginger grated

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cumin 

1 tsp ground coriander powder

1-2 tsp raw mango powder / juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp Garam masala/ Indian curry powder

4 tbsp oil

Fresh green coriander
2 green chilies chopped finely
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
A pinch of love

Add oil in the pan on medium heat, add cumin seeds to it and let the seeds crackle.  

Add a pinch of asafoetida powder and hear the oil sizzle like there's no tomorrow

When the cumin turns golden brown in colour, add the onions and green chilies to it. Saute till the onions turn translucent. 

Once the onions turn translucent, add salt, coriander powder, red chili powder and turmeric powder to it. 

Give it a good ole stir....Let the spices cook for a minute, inhale. 

Grate the piece of ginger over it.

Then add your raw mango powder or if using lemon juice for tangy-ness, wait till the end. 

Coarsely cube your boiled and peeled potatoes 

Add to the pan. Sprinkle in your garam masala and give it all a good toss. 

Add the fresh green coriander leaves, taste and adjust seasoning. Sprinkle in your pinch of love. If you're using lemon juice, now is the time to add it. Combine well. 

Now you can serve this as it is. This is your basic Aloo ki sukhi sabzi or dry sauteed potato vegetable. Serve with flat bread/ roti or use this to stuff your sandwiches or you can even make tikkis out of this.  

For the Paranthas, mash the potatoes coarsely and let them cool for 30 minutes. If you use warm potatoes for stuffing the Paratha, the flatbread will tear. So be very careful.

You can prepare this and the dough simultaneously which is what I do. Doesn't take more than 20 minutes to bring this together. 

Now for the Paranthas 

Take the dough and divide in equal balls- the size of a golf ball. 

Take your rolling pin and flatten it out just bout 2-3 inches. Don't roll it out all the way. 

Place a scoop of the potato stuffing onto the flattened surface

Fold the sides of your dough onto the stuffing to cover it like this. 

Completely cover the stuffing like so

Sprinkle flour on the surface so that the dough doesn't stick to your rolling pin or the rolling surface. 

Gently roll it out till it is about 1/2 cm thick. It might be a little uneven in shape or there might be stuffing peaking through certain areas, but thats ok. Don't worry about that. 

Heat your girdle/Tawa or a broad pan and place this rolled out parantha on it.

Flip it very carefully after a minute. It should be golden on one side. 

Now drizzle about 1 tsp of oil or clarified butter on it or spray if with oil if you want and flip it over again. 

Press it down with a spatula. Do all this on a low flame. Repeat the same for the other side also. Remove when the parantha is reddish golden on both sides. The more oil you add the crispier it will become. Now when it is piping hot, put a spoonful of butter on it and dig in!  

I serve my parantha with fresh creamy yoghurt garnished with coriander leaves. Delicious hearty Aloo Paranthas are served, Ki style! Indulge! :)