Aloo Paratha
Aloo paratha can also be referred to as potato paratha. If you are familiar with the pierogi, they are very similar in composition, and if you are unfamiliar with pierogi, you should probably get those into your diet immediately because you’re really missing out. These can be eaten with anything. Tomato and garlic sauce, olive oil, or even that dream of a condiment, ranch dressing. I would even wager that the spiciness of the potato filling could even be nicely balanced by some chunky blue cheese.
This is a common dish. Some foods are limited to one area of India, but potato paratha is found all over the place. The secret to making these perfect is ensuring the potato doesn’t squeeze out of the sides when you are rolling them. Secure the edges tightly and flatten them slowly. Take your time, it’s not a race. Another tip is to make sure that you don’t add too much oil, but to add more as you go. A good reference point is when the parathas are halfway done, you should need a little bit more oil. They only fry for a few minutes, so it’s easy to overdo the oil if you aren’t paying attention. When you are adding the chiles and spices to your mashed potato filling, you can edit these as you go. If you prefer food less spicy, omit some chiles. For something a little spicier, add more.
- 4-5 medium potatoes
- 4 Tablespoons cilantro, chopped
- 4 green chiles, chopped fine
- 1 teaspoon Organic Anaheim Chile Powder
- 1 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt (for filling)
- 1 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt (for dough)
- Vegetable or Canola oil for frying
- Cut potatoes into quarters and boil until tender.
- Mash potatoes, add spices and cilantro, mix well and set aside.
- Make paratha dough by combining flour, water, and salt. Knead until dough is semi soft, but not sticky.
- Divide dough into 8 equal pieces and roll them into balls.
- One by one, take dough ball, roll it flat (about 1/8 inch) and then add 3 Tablespoons of filling in the middle. Wrap the dough around the filling and secure. Roll the dough and filling as flat as possible without the filling squeezing out the sides. You’ll need to do this slowly and carefully.
- In a medium skillet heated to medium, add oil. Cook the parathas on each side, about 2 minutes or until browned. You may need to add more oil to pan before you flip them.
- Drain on a plate lined with a paper towel.
