Aloo Paratha | Potato Flatbread

Aah !! Alas… I have been trying to sit down to do this post for a very long time.. Every time I have a little sit with my laptop, there is soo much happening around me. Either my lil bumblebee wakes up from her power nap and calls for her feed or my elder one buzzes with his issue in his cup of chocolate milk. V cannot stand the sight of chocolate granules in his cup of milk… Are your kiddo’s like that? Fuzz makers .. :)) But they are a pleasure….I have been fussy with my food habits . Ask my mom and she will tell you tales. Why then ? I am still quite particular about many things that goes in the making and in my mouth. Though I blog about food, I only post things that my friends, family or self would love to nose around it.
Paratha’s are a comfort meal in my house. Lil V being picky, anything can go inside his paratha blended with potatoes  and he loves it !! Slurp !! This paratha has been like a meal savier for us when lil V was little . I am extremely glad to have introduced this to him since he was little.

I remember an instance from our trip to jaipur when V was 3 years old. We were travelling from Delhi and had taken a stop over for a brunch by a highway restaurant . We ordered Aloo paratha for each one of us and a big pot of curd . Paratha is always served with pickle . In some choicest places they are also served with chole. V picked the menu and said one aloo paratha please. We asked the chef to customise it without any seasoning , chilli powder and even green garnishing.  Chef brought it as we ordered and the little boy took pride in what he ordered and enjoyed his meal with a dollop of butter on it,
The green coriander leaves used to look like crocodile to V.. Can you imagine ??  lol :))

Throughout that trip , until we travelled back to Delhi , V just had Aloo Paratha in the same combination and it was customised !!!

Even now, today, if I mention I am making Aloo Paratha , V would say Yay !! My favourite !! But it just gets better for me now because the stuffing is loaded with grated carrot or mashed peas or grated cauliflower or paneer and offcourse the crocodile like coriander leaves with a tiny portion of potato and I claim it all to be Aloo Paratha .

In this post of mine today , I am sharing a classic Aloo Paratha recipe that I make usually. But as I wrote before there are a dozen of alterations that can be done to it. I like to keep the paratha simple and enjoy it with a pickle, butter,raitha and tomato ketchup.

Aloo Paratha is an essential important part of North Indian Breakfast. It is normally cooked with ghee but oil is also used. The Paratha is served with a dollop of Butter, pickle, yogurt. In many places , Aloo Paratha is served with Chole or a curry too.

There are more recipes for Paratha in my space.
Aloo Methi Paratha
Cauliflower Paratha
Methi Thepla

 

DIRECTIONS:

Paratha Dough:

2 Cups of Whole Wheat Flour
1 Cup Water + a little more as needed
1/2 tsp Salt
2 Tbsp Oil
1/2  Cup Flour for dusting

• In a large dry mixing bowl, add the wheat flour also known as Aata and salt. Make a large deep dip in the middle of the flour and now add the water little by little.
•  Knead the dough for atleast 2 minutes until all the flour and water has combined. Add the oil on your palm and let it drip over the dough too. Doing this helps to remove the sticky dough off your hand ,as you knead the dough for another 5 minutes. Set it aside for atleast 30 minutes .
• To make a perfect pliable dough , proportion of water to be added in flour is approximately 55% . I use Sunflower oil or Til oil based on the availability while making.
• I have used an Ikea Cup for measurement. This dough yields me 10 paratha’s.  Make small equal portions of the dough in the size of a ping pong ball. I would portion the dough in a size that fits inside my palm. A little larger than the size of chapathi dough.

 For the Stuffing:

3 Large sized Potatoes
3-4 Tblspn of Coriander leaves
3/4 Tsp of Salt  . Please adjust the salt according to your taste
3/4 Tsp of Chilli powder
1/2 tsp Pepper powder
1/2 Tsp Ajwain
1/2 tsp Jeera Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric ( Optional)

• Pressure cook the potatoes and peel the skin when its hot.
• Mash it with a fork or with a large masher. Add all the seaoning ingredients one by one and mix them well together.

If you are planning to make it for kids , use a plain flavourable stuffing.

1 Small Potato
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/4 tsp of pepper.
A pinch of turmeric
1 Tsp grated Carrot
1 tsp of grated coriander leaves

 How to make the Paratha ?

• Roll out one portion of the dough into a small circle, roughly 3 ” using the
  whole wheat flour for dusting. Using the back of a spoon , apply oil all
  around the spread dough.  Place one ball of the potato filling mixture in
  the centre of the circle. Seal tightly by bring sides together so that
  the mixture doesnt come out.
• Flatten these balls again with palm, dust with whole wheat flour and
  roll like any other paratha. Cook on a tava, using oil/ghee until both
  the sides are golden brown.Repeat the process with the rest of the dough
  portions.
• Serve hot with Amul Butter, Yogurt ,Mixed Pickle and some Tomato Ketchup. If you like a side dish serve it with some chole too.

 Notes: 

My mum always used Ghee for Paratha  when she made for us. Also we used to enjoy it one by one straight from the pan ,rather than eating them from a casserole stacked.. Most of the times , we still follow the same culture here at home..