Spusht: Recipe: Aloo Paratha/Potato-Stuffed Flatbread

After trying several different recipes of Aloo Paratha, I had to settle with this one from Shobha Indani’s book ‘Swad Sugandh’, and here’s why.

Most of the Aloo Paratha recipes I came across and made earlier had mashed potato mixed with herbs & spices and stuffed inside the dough, very easy & simple. But when I tasted the below recipe of Aloo Paratha which required cooking the potato mixture prior to stuffing in paratha, it reminded me of the yummy & addictive Aloo Parathas found in Indian Dhaba!

Give it a try.

Very popular Aloo ka Paratha - Potato stuffed Indian flatbread

What you need for Aloo ka Paratha:

*For stuffing:*	*For tempering:*
1 Tbsp Oil	¼ tsp Mustard Seeds (rai)
½ cup Chopped Onion	¼ tsp Cumin Seeds (jeera)
6-7 Curry Leaves (kari patta)	a pinch Asafoetida (hing)
1 Tbsp Green Chili Paste*
1 tsp Ginger Paste	*For dough:*
¼ tsp Turmeric Powder (haldi)	2 cup Wheat Flour
1 ½ cup Parboiled & Grated Potato	½ cup All-Purpose Flour (optional)
¼ tsp Garam Masala	½ tsp Salt
2 tsp Lemon Juice	½ tsp Sugar
2 Tbsp chopped Cilantro	2 Tbsp Oil
Salt & Sugar to your taste	Water
Oil for shallow frying
	Makes 8 – 10 Parathas

ingredients for aloo paratha

Let’s Begin!

Make the potato stuffing:

1. Heat oil in pan, add mustard seeds, let pop, add cumin seeds, let sizzle, add asafoetida + curry leaves + green chilly paste + ginger paste + turmeric powder, fry few seconds. Add grated potatoes + garam masala + lemon juice + cilantro + salt + sugar & mix all very well. Allow to cool.

Make the paratha dough:

2. Mix all ingredients in that order; add water gradually in small amounts until a little firm dough [if it is too soft, it will not hold the stuffing well…] Knead well until smooth. Keep covered with damp cloth or in cling wrap for 15 minutes. [It took me just a little more than 1 cup water…]

Make the potato stuffed paratha:

3. By this time, the dough should have been resting & the stuffing should have cooled. Divide dough & stuffing in equal amounts.

4. Take one portion of the dough ball, roll it out a bit, place the stuffing ball in it & seal it properly. Then roll out an evenly slightly thick paratha (stop just before the stuffing starts oozing) and place on a hot pan. When bubbles appear, flip it. Apply oil with gentle pressure, then flip, apply oil on another side, and flip until both sides turn golden-brown.

how to make aloo ka paratha

Serve:

5. Sprinkle some chat masala on hot aloo paratha, top it with a small lob of butter or drizzle ghee, and serve with Curd/Raita, along with ketchup, chutney, or pickle.

I love eating spicy Aloo Paratha with sweet curd!

Aloo Paratha served with pickle, some onion slices, and yogurt

Notes:

* It is this amount of green chili that adds great flavor and spice; you may reduce if you wish.

- If you roll out a thin paratha (no good!), or apply too much pressure on both sides of paratha, and if you flip it very often; the aloo ka paratha will be crispier. Some prefer it that way too, but aloo paratha is best when it is soft and thick, not crunchy and thin.

- All-purpose flour in paratha dough helps maintain a circular paratha. It is possible to make this paratha with wheat flour alone too, but it usually gets shapeless if your wheat flour dough is not soft-yet-firm enough. You may skip the all purpose flour and replace with ½ cup whole wheat flour.

Enjoy.