July 27, 2010: Aloo Parantha’s: Potato Stuffed Indian Bread

One of my favorite food’s is Aloo Parantha. As a kid I looked forward to the days my mom or grandmother would make it for me, even though I would sometimes get it for lunch which lead to numerous curious glances and questions from kids who didn’t understand why I didn’t get a PB & J like them.

I guess one of the reasons I really like the parantha is the crispy exterior and the soft, delicate but sometimes spicy mixture of potatoes that are gently mashed and folded into the dough and cooked accordingly.

Aloo Parantha’s are only as good as the person who makes them. If paranthas are made lovingly, from scratch and served hot then they are perfect, served with usually raita (a seasoned yogurt with vegetables in it) or plain yogurt (which we do in my house).

Here is a simple recipe for people trying to make parantha’s for the first time:

[Serves 2 people]

What you need:

1 cup of atta (whole wheat flour)

Water (enough to form a nice dough with the atta)

Salt

Ghee (refined butter, can be found in stores)

2 potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed

2 cloves garlic, minced finely

1 jalapeno, minced finely

1/2 red onion, minced

1/2 teaspoon Pepper

1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1 teaspoon Garam masala

How you do it:

1. Make the dough by combining the atta, water, salt and ghee. Kneed the dough and set aside.

2. Combine the potatoes and other ingredients together (garam masala, pepper, salt, cayenne pepper, onion, garlic, jalapenos).

3. Take dough and form into 4 small round balls. Take some extra atta and spread onto a cutting board/wooden board. Take a dough ball, create a little pocket with your finger and place a tablespoon of the potato mixture in it. Close the little dough ball and roll into an approximately 6 inch round.

4. Heat a tawa (an iron skillet) and place the parantha on it. Let cook evenly on each side, applying ghee to allow the paranthas to get crispy (this is my favorite part).

5. Cook until crispy. Serve with plain yogurt or raita and enjoy!