Aloo Paratha Recipe (Stuffed Potato Paratha)

Ingredients

For Potato Stuffing

• 3 to 4 medium potatoes – boiled and mashed
• 1 to 2 green chilies – chopped finely
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon kashmiri chilli powder or cayenne pepper or paprika, optional
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon garam masala
• ½ to 1 teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur powder)
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander leaves – optional
• salt as required
• oil or ghee, as required for roasting paratha

For Paratha Dough

• 2 cups whole wheat flour (atta)
• ½ teaspoon salt or add as required
• 1 tablespoon oil or ghee (clarified butter)
• water as required for kneading

For Serving

• white butter or yogurt to serve with the aloo paratha
• mango pickle or lemon pickle – as required

Steps

Making Potato Stuffing

1. Boil the potatoes first and peel them. Boiling or steaming may be done in a pressure cooker, steamer or electric cooker.
2. Chop, then mash with a potato masher.
3. Mash thoroughly so no lumps or small pieces remain.
4. Add the chopped green chilies along with garam masala powder, red chili powder, dry mango powder and salt.
5. Combine the spice powders and chilies with the mashed potatoes thoroughly. Taste and add more salt, red chili powder or dry mango powder to your preference.

Kneading Dough

1. In another bowl or pan, put the whole wheat flour (atta).
2. Make a central well and put in the salt, oil and about half the water.
3. Bring together and knead to a smooth, soft dough.
4. Cover the dough for a rest of 20 to 30 minutes.

Method 1

1. Pinch off two small dough balls, flatten and dust with whole wheat flour.
2. Roll the dough with a rolling pin into rounds about 4 to 5 inches in diameter, aiming for both to be the same size.
3. Center the potato filling on one round, leaving about 1 inch clear around the sides.
4. Set the second round on top gently.
5. Use your fingertips to press and seal the edges.
6. Dust the stuffed paratha with flour and roll to about 7 to 8 inches across, or normal roti/chapati size.

Method 2

1. Pinch a medium dough ball, roll and flatten it, then dust with flour and roll a circle about 5 to 5.5 inches across.
2. Put filling in the center, leaving about 2 to 2.5 inches clear at the sides.
3. From the edge, start pleating and bring the pleats toward the center.
4. Join the pleats well. Otherwise gaps will form while rolling and the filling will come out.
5. If filling is visible, cover the gap with a small piece of dough and roll to smooth that patch.
6. Starting at the center, press the pleats.
7. Sprinkle flour and roll this version to the same approximate size as a chapati or roti.

Roasting & Making Aloo Paratha

1. Put the rolled paratha on a hot tava (tawa, skillet or griddle).
2. The pan must be hot, not at a low temperature: low-flame cooking hardens parathas. Ideally they are both crisp and soft.
3. When the base is partly cooked, flip with a spatula or tongs.
4. Spread ghee on the partly cooked side.
5. Flip again, cooking this side more than the previous side. Brown spots will appear.
6. Spread ghee on this side too; a properly made, well-roasted paratha will puff up.
7. Flip once or twice more until both sides are properly cooked. You should see crisp brown spots.
8. You can press the edges with a spatula or spoon so they fry well, since the edges sometimes remain undercooked.
9. Make all the parathas this way and stack in a roti basket or casserole.
10. Alternatively, serve straight from the tawa (skillet) to a serving plate. Offer extra butter on the side with mango, lemon or garlic pickle, or some yogurt.
11. For an evening snack, a cup of hot chai or lassi can accompany the paratha.