If you have been following this blog for a while then you will know that we(in this house) love Indian food. I make an Indian meal at least once a fortnight. The actual methods in Indian cooking are not complicated but you need to plan your day ahead, most dishes take time. Save for the spices, the ingredients used are easy to find. It is the combination of spices and herbs that make Indian food so delicious. My favourite being the bread.
I have a slight obsession with bread, all kinds of bread. It was one of those things that I grew up thinking it was hard to make. Like you needed special skills and technology. Everyone I knew only knew how to make chimodho, which is kind of difficult to mess up and even if you do mess it up, people would still eat it. In high school we only did the theory of bread making, I think you would only do the practical in A Level. Making bread has been a self-taught adventure which makes it special when I am victorious.
I can not remember if we have ever ordered aloo paratha before for takeout. We have ordered stuffed naan. I always wondered how they managed to stuff such thin bread until I saw a youtube video of stuffed chapati. Basically to stuff any flat bread you roll the dough flat and place your stuffing in the middle and then sealing the dough before rolling it out flat again. This way the flat bread will be stuffed.
Most flat breads are made with flour, salt and water. There are usually no raising agents used. The dough is kneaded slightly and left to rest.
This bread is stuffed with herbed mashed potatoes.
The pictures below show the process in stuffing the flat bread
Place stuffing on top of rolled dough.
Seal the dough
Fry the dough, sealed side down first.
How to make aloo paratha( Indian flat bread)
Ingredients
For paratha:
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- ¾ cup water
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Salt
For stuffing:
- 2 large potatoes
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves chopped
- 2 green jalapenos +1/2 inch ginger crushed together
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
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Boil 2 large potatoes until they are tender.
Paratha
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Put the wheat flour it in a mixing bowl. Add salt and oil. Mix. Make a well in the center and add ¾ cup water. Mix and knead to a smooth dough. The dough should be soft, supple but not sticky.
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Set the dough aside for 10-15 minutes.
Potato stuffing
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Peel off the skin. Mash the potatoes until smooth, any large chunks will tear the paratha while rolling. Add onion, cilantro leaves, salt, cumin powder,garam masala powder, crushed ginger-jalapenos and lemon juice. Mix until combined
Assembling the parathas
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Divide the dough into 4-5 equal portions, do the same for the potato stuffing.
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Roll each dough ball into a circle about 6 inches in diameter. Put one potion of the stuffing on to prepared dough. Seal in the center and press slightly. Roll into thick circle of about 6 inches.
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Warm a heavy bottom frying pan. Add one tablespoon butter.
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Place the flatbread with the sealed side on the bottom of the pan first.
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Cook until golden brown and crispy on one side - about 2-3 minutes then flip over and cook on the other side.
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Serve hot.
I served this bread with a chicken curry.
