Parathas are an all time favorite with my family but Aloo paratha tops the list. I make various types of parathas depending on my mood & availability of ingredients in my fridge. The novelty of parathas is, it can be fixed in a jiffy with hardly any planning & with minimum effort. It is a wholesome meal which can be relished at any time of the day. It is an excellent alternative for working people & bachelors who prefer fresh wholesome food which can be enjoyed piping hot with minimum time spent in the kitchen after a hard day at work. Here we go … preparing these delicious parathas which are soft inside & crisp outside. J
Ingredients for the Stuffing :
4 med. Potatoes
2 med.Onions (finely chopped)
4 tbsps. Ginger (grated)
1 tbsp. Kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
1 tbsp. roasted Cumin pwd. (Jeera)
½ tsp. Turmeric pwd.
1 tbsp. Garam Masala pwd.
¼ tsp. Red Chilli pwd.
2 fresh Green chillies (slit, deseeded, chopped finely)
1 tsp. Chaat Masala pwd.
1/2 cup fresh Coriander (chopped)
Few drops of fresh lime juice (optional)
A pinch of Sugar (optional)
Salt to taste
Preparation of the Aloo Filling :
Wash the potatoes well & boil the potatoes in their jackets in sufficient water till they are soft but not mashed. (I use the pressure cooker). Cool the cooker & drain the excess water if any & transfer the potatoes to a bowl to cool. Peel the potatoes off their jackets. Either mash the potatoes with your hand coarsely; tiny lumps of potato are fine or alternatively grate the potatoes. To this add & combine lightly, finely chopped onions, ginger, kasuri methi, cumin pwd., turmeric pwd., garam masala pwd., red chilli pwd., chaat masala, lime juice, sugar & salt to taste. Fry green chillies lightly in a few drops of oil & add to the above & mix well gently. Make sufficient balls of the stuffing equivalent to the number of dough balls. Make sure the stuffing is just enough or it may spill out while rolling out the paratha dough discs.Your aloo stuffing is ready..
For the Dough :
3 cups Whole Wheat flour (Atta)
¼ cup Soya Bean flour (optional)
1 tsp. Cumin seeds (dry roasted)
1 tsp. Ajwain seeds (dry roasted)
¼ tsp. Turmeric pwd.
2 tbsps. Curds thinned with some water(optional)
Salt to taste
Sufficient water for binding the dough
Vegetable Oil/ Home made Ghee/Butter
Preparation of the dough :
Combine all the dry ingredients mentioned above; bring together to form a mound & then make a small well in the centre of it. Add the curds & sufficient water & gradually mix in the dry ingredients. Knead to form a soft, pliable dough. Keep it covered with a damp tea towel for about 45 mins. This will be used to prepare the outer covering of the paratha.
To assemble & roast the Paratha:
Roll out the dough slightly using some dry wheat flour a rolling pin on the chapatti board or cutting board also will do into small disc or just stretch the dough & make a pocket with your hands. Place a potato ball in the dough disc, wrap it around, bring together the ends of the disc & pinch together to form a ball. Make sure that the filling is encased properly. Prepare all the balls of dough in this way. Using dry flour roll out discs depending on thickness required preferably of medium thickness. Pre-heat the griddle or tawa till very hot. Reduce heat to med. & dry roast each paratha on both sides by flipping gently in between till lightly brown. Brush lightly with vegetable oil/ghee or butter on both sides & roast till light golden & crisp. Serve hot with a bowl of plain or spiced curd, green chutney, tomato sauce or ketchup, mixed pickles or pickle of your choice. If using no oil or minimum oil while roasting then you may serve with a dollop or spoonful of butter or desi ghee if desired.
Tips & Variations :
For Cheese/Paneer (Cottage Cheese) Parathas : Add grated cheese to the potato filling or garnish on top of the cooked paratha or for the love of cheese do both!!
For those who love their parathas low on spice please deseed the green chillies & fry lightly before adding to the filling mix. Those who are very light on spices then eliminate either red chilli pwd. or green chillies.
Adding of green chilli enhances the flavors & tastes better than red chilli pwd.
You can shape parathas as you wish i.e. square, reactangle or triangle etc.
Shaping parathas using your hand & less use of the rolling pin helps to retain the filling & enhances the stuffed finish.
You can serve them whole or cut the parathas & serve. Cut parathas look pretty(you can see the lovely filling & easy to handle while eating.
You can roll parathas fairly thick so that the stuffing is nice & chunky while eating.
I love to make mini parathas as they look dainty & presentable…ideal for kids parties or kitty parties.
Parathas are very filling, so mini ones help to control serving portions if you are on a diet spree.
You can bake in an electric oven, electric tandoor, clay tandoor, grill, grill pan…whichever you have or choose especially if you are calorie conscious.
Lightly spraying, brushing & gentle drizzling of oil, butter & ghee helps in controlling the use of fats.
Grilled, roasted & tandoori parathas without ghee, butter, oil taste very yummy but must be eaten freshly made straight from the tawa or griddle etc. or it may not retain its softness & crispness.
