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| Aloo ( potato) stuffed parathas with some spicy mango pickle and creamy yoghurt on side |
Another dish which makes me feel very satisfied when I can serve on the breakfast counter for family and friends. Used to be quite a frequent part of my childhood when Ma made these stuffed parathas and also brings back the nostalgic University days , being a paying guest with a Delhi punjabi family- sunday morning breakfast aloo ke parathe with a dollop of homemade creamy Safed Makkhan (white butter) drooping and melting on them. Believe me or not, I can still smell the freshness of butter- have to try to make it someday although these days try to rush away from such heavenly cravings.
Sometimes while making these parathas- rather while rolling them, the stuffing tries hard to peep out of the thin film of pastry- the tick is not to have watery boiled potatoes. I would generally cook the potatoes in the microwave after giving them some pricks on their body. This would help in avoiding extra moisture which makes the potato ooze out while rolling them. But trust me, even if a bit of the stuffing still behaves impatient and peeps out- its absolutely ok as while frying the parathas those bits get quite crispy and adds to the tastebuds quite positively.
Depending on the mood of the day and what's available - I add accessories to the main ingredient -potatoes. Some days it could be some boiled spinach( usually the frozen ones- just cook them in the micro for few mins), grated paneer, methi leaves or kastoori methi, Crushed peas. One can be as experimenting as you can think of to give that extra twist and nutrition too (need to be quite active about nutrition specially planning family meals)
What I used-
- Atta ( wholemeal flour) 2 cups
- Maida ( plain flour) 1 cup
- Potatoes- 3
- 1 finely chopped onion
- small piece of ginger chopped fine
- Some green chillis chopped fine
- Chopped coriander leaves
- Kastori Methi- 3 tbsp
- Roasted cumin powder - 1 tsp
- Paratha masala - 2 tbsp ( I use Shaan paratha masala- if not available, any mix of cumin, coriander, chilli powder, ajwain can be used)
- Ajwain- 1 tsp
- Seasoning- Rock salt and pepper
- Oil
Method
- Start the potatoes cooking in the mirror- prick them with knife on the body and put them in a bowl and cook for 5 mins covered. This could vary for different microwaves- you probably have to do it few times to get the right time. It should not get over soft- just the texture which can be held against a garter- after cooking I would grate the potatoes- to avoid any lumpy potatoes in your mouth
- Knead the flour- mix both- add some salt and a tsp of oil-with little amount of warm water - not pouring all at once but with intervals. knead to a soft dough. Spray some oil and keep the dough covered well most for half an hour atleast. This would guarantee soft parathas ( my theory to this the dough gets quite pliable with time and adjustment)
- Add the chopped onion, ginger, chillies, kasturi methi, all the spices to the potatoes and mix them with loose hands to keep some texture
- Make some balls from the dough. Roll 1 ball to about 3 cm radius and add 1 big tbsp of the stuffing and close the edges and press with your fingers to make it look like a dumpling and make sure the edges stick to each other.
- Roll with a soft hand again - trying not to squeeze out the stuffing .
- Now heat a tawa or thick bottom frying pan and put the paratha on it. Wait till you see some light brown spots and then turn for the other side to cook. Its cooking at its best if a there are pockets of swollen up paratha. Then add oil or ghee to the side facing you and turn it. Lower the heat and press hard on the paratha with a spatula. After a minute cooking on that side, add some more oil to the paratha and cook the opposite side by turning. Keep pressing hard to get the crisp.
- Sprinkle some rock salt and pepper and serve with condiments like pickle and raita.
ENJOY !!!
