Aloo Ka Paratha

When it comes to Indian food, Aloo Ka Paratha is one of the simpler dishes, though it is tasty and filling as well. Aloo means potato in Hindi, the stuffing for this unleavened whole wheat paratha, which is shallow-fried.

There are a few ingredients required for the aloo paratha recipe. A piece of ajwain (carom seeds) is optional. You need potatoes, whole wheat flour (which is called atta in Hindi) and spices. A grater can be used to grate potatoes or they can be mashed so that they have uniform consistency.

Potatoes

Aloo Ka Paratha is known as the Puri Paratha in most parts of India due to its texture. It can be found in many homes and dhabas (roadside eateries) throughout the country as well with a few altering spices. They can be consumed easily for breakfast or lunch as it has high protein content from potatoes and fibre content from the wheat flour used in it.

The stuffing consists of mashed or grated boiled potatoes mixed with a few spices along with some vegetables. And this stuffing is filled in the dough, and the dough is rolled round in shape for the preparation of the Paratha. To this, Ghee or oil is added for frying that gives it a flaky texture and smoky taste. To make an aloo paratha even healthier and tastier, you can add some yogurt or curd in the mix.

In a pancake or in any other dish, the stuffing at its center is the most enticing part and in aloo parathas, it is the potato stuffing. In aloo parathas, the stuffing is made with mashed potatoes but how this topping is made is where the real aloo paratha recipe lies. Roll the potato stuffed aloo parathas in a robust and cracked coating and you shall figure you are missing on the bread of the outer layer. If the dough is too dry, chances are it will crack apart and then if it does so while rolling, part of the stuffing will be lost while doing so. There is a challenge here which pulls the potato stuffing up – Should you have dough that is on the moist side, the dough will tear and lose its ability to bind the mixture together.

One tip to make it healthier is to make use of finely chopped fresh methi leaves, rotted carrot or even cabbage along with the mashed aloo car ful helices. To amp the flavor a bit, a sprinkling of Chaat masala or some dried mango powder and tamarind powdered spice can be really effective.

Dough

In order to create the perfect aloo stuffed patty, it is of prior importance to create the dough itself first ensuring that the powered aloo topping is placed inside the mashed portion flawlessly. To achieve that I suggest using real soft dough, this will mean kneading your bread when creating the aloo partha cover, taking this approach will ensure satisfaction for your taste buds. If the dough hinge is overstretched when making the cover, the aloo stuffing is bound to leaks while cooking meaning that the end result will not be the optimum thing to consume.

For the preparation of the dough, take 2 cups of whole wheat flour, add salt in it, and then with slow addition of warm water, knead the dough well until the dough is soft but firm enough to be easily workable. After the dough has been prepared, let it rest for fifteen minutes at ambient temperature.

The potatoes for the stuffing would be needed to be cooked and then mashed into a very smooth paste with only a few lumps remaining in it. Paddy and hardly ground green chillies as well as coriander leaves are inserted with the mashed potatoes as well.

A combination of spices and powders such as chili powder, roasted cumin powder, and chaat masala are mixed and put into the stuffing. The blend of such spices and masalas enhances the taste of the parathas and also aids in binding the stuffing ingredients.

The last procedure is to sprinkle the stuffed paratha with flour and flatten it into a slightly convex disc of 3 – 4 inches in diameter. ThIs will aid in closing the paratha properly and ensure even cooking. Next, heat a griddle or tawa and once it is hot, place the paratha on it and let it cook on medium high flame until it bubbles up. As it browns, pour a few drops of ghee over it, and once some golden spots appear flip the paratha and brown the other side.

Stuffing

To be able to perfect an Aloo Ka Paratha, you must first take care of the stuffing properly. The potatoes must basically be boiled and mashed to avoid big chunks from staying in. This will also help in preventing the paratha from ripping apart when being rolled out. Adding some grated cheese is also advisable since it makes it really tasty. Chaat masala, ginger and coriander can then be added to this mixture. Once all the ingredients are blended in properly, the aloo ka paratha stuffing will be ready to fill the parathas.

It is advisable to test out the spices before creating the stuffing in order to change them to your liking. Also, adding a little bit of ghee enhances the taste and texture of the aloo paratha considerably.

Now that, the stuffing is done let us begin by making the rotis. First, the roll 2 rotis of about six inches diameter and then apply the aloo paratha stuffing on one of the rotis. Put the other roti on top of the filled roti and press them together very gently. Dribble some water or milk on the edges to help them stick together.

After everything is stuck, sprinkle some flour on the plate and pull out the rolling pin, and start rolling the roti until it gets to about three to four inches. Try to distribute the pressure while rolling it as that will determine how the final stuffed paratha will turn out to be.

Cooking

The first and foremost thing for aloo paratha is whether it has been well cooked. The potatoes have to be cooked properly, and the spices, herbs, and coriander leaves have to be evenly mixed with the stuffing. Doing so makes sure the taste is well complemented and the aloo parantha is fluffy and flavorful.

Knead the dough thoroughly until a soft pliable mass is achieved. A stand mixer fitted with a dough hook can be used to save effort. After mixing dough prepare for a rest of at least 1 hour. This results in the dough becoming malleable and easy to roll. The composition of the paratha should have filling and herbs, however the herbs should be limited in quantity to maintain the fresh taste of parathas.

Now when the dough has been placed, take a ball of the size of 6 inches roughly and roll it out to a 6-inch disc. This will equip the roti with an even distribution of the filling after rolling. The outer side of the roti after being rolled should be slightly thinner than the central part. Start rolling it slowly till it reaches the desired thickness.

Griddle, the tawa in this case, should be heated before the aloo partha is placed. The tawa which is already hot aids in cooking till there are dark spots are visible on the surface of the roti. Beat an egg in a separate bowl then turn the roti over until another set of brownie spots are visible on the other side. A cloud of oil or ghee should then be sprinkled on the top, then it is ready to serve.