Aloo Paranthas!

Whenever I make Aloo Paranthas, I always remember the first time I made them. The first year at University of Florida, Aloo Paranthas were a treat and two of my roommates had invited friends over after bragging about our parantha making skills. The catch was ofcourse that we had parantha eating skills and not making skills. Yet kneading the dough and making the filling went well. Debate was how to stuff the paranthas. I claimed previous knowledge of observation and attempted to make a few fish shaped ones. As you read the post, you will know what I mean. But they were a hit and here comes the recipe. Different from the first time and all the more tastier. A word about the ingredients - I use a paste of chili and ginger. For 10-12 chilies, a large root of ginger about 3 inches by 1 inch. You can change proportion according to the spice level you like. 

Ingredients:

For the filling

2 pounds / 1 kilo potatoes

1 cup peas, semi mashed

1 large onion, finely diced 

3-4 cloves garlic, very finely chopped

1 1/2 tablespoon chili-ginger paste

1/4 cup finely chopped coriander

1 heaping teaspoon dhania-jeera powder (cumin-coriander) 

1 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala

1/4 teaspoon citric acid

1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)

Salt

For dough

2 1/2 cups flour

2-3 tablespoons oil 

Water

Oil / Ghee for cooking

Take the flour and make a well in the center. Add water and start combining. Keep adding water to flour till it forms a soft dough, like for roti's. Add the oil and knead well for 3-4 minutes. This makes the roti's very soft. 

For the filling, boil the potatoes. Try to use small potatoes with skin intact. This lessens seepage of water in the potatoes and keeps them firmer. Peel and mash. A few uneven pieces are fine. Do not over mash, else it will become sticky. You can also grate the potatoes for an even mash. Add all the spices and mix thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasoning. Put all the seasonings at the same time to avoid overworking the filling. 

To assemble:

Take dough and roll out a 5 inch diameter and 2 mm thick roti. Place about 2-3 heaping tablespoons of the filling on one half as shown in the picture. Fold the other half over it and pinch seal it. With the help of some flour, start rolling out the paratha. The first few ones may be fish shaped but eventually they will be round. 

Heat a tava and when hot, spread about half teaspoon of oil. Put the parantha on the tava and apply a few drops of oil along the edges. Apply a little oil on the surface and flip. Cook till golden brown on both sides.

Serve with side of fresh curds, chutney and pickle! A dollop of fresh butter or Amul butter on top tastes great too.

PS: I am doing a guest post for Nithu @ http://www.nithubala.com/2011/02/guest-post-52-todays-guest-cooking.html  The post is out on today. Be sure to check it out!