Aloo Paratha (Indian Wheat Bread with Stuffed Mashed Potatoes)

Aloo Parathas are Whole Wheat Flat Breads made with a Mashed Potato Filling. It is made in almost every North Indian household. These soft parathas are typically served with Plain Curd or Raitha and a Pickle. Parathas have become popular throughout India and many South Indians make Parathas for breakfast. For the Potato Stuffing, you can use any number of ingredients like onions, green chillies, cilantro, garam masala, ginger, garlic and so on.

These Aloo Parathas were made by my mother-in-law. The recipe is very simple and uses minimal ingredients. Onions are not used in this recipe but you may saute onions and mashed potatoes to make the stuffing.

Ingredients

For the Dough

1. Wheat Flour – 2 cups
2. Water – 3/4 cup
3. Salt – to taste
4. Vegetable Oil – 3 tsp
5. Wheat Flour for dusting & rolling – as needed

For the Potato Stuffing

1. Potatoes – 2 medium sized ones
2. Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
3. Red Chilly Powder – 1 tsp (Alter according to your spice tolerance)
4. Cumin Powder – 1/2 tsp
5. Finally Chopped Cilantro – 2 to 3 tbsp (Optional)
6. Salt – to taste

Making the dough

1. Take wheat flour in a big bowl. Add little salt and 1 tsp oil to the flour.
2. Add water little by little and start kneading to form a nice and smooth dough which is not sticky.
3. Drizzle a few drops of oil so as to coat the final dough.
4. Cover with a wet cloth or paper towel and keep it aside for 15-30 minutes so that the dough sets.
5. After 30 minutes, take the dough and knead it one more time for a few seconds.

Making the Potato filling

1. Pressure cook the potatoes along with salt until they are thoroughly cooked. You can also boil the potatoes for 15-20 minutes until tender.
2. Remove skin and mash the potatoes thoroughly using your hands until there are no lumps.
3. Add salt, cilantro, turmeric, chilly and cumin powders to the mashed potato and mix everything well.

Rolling out Parathas

1. Using your palms, make big lemon sized balls from the dough.
2. Flatten each ball and start rolling it on a rolling board to form a thick disc of 3-4″ diameter.
3. Place 2 to 3 tbsp of the potato filling at the centre of the rolled out roti. Lift the edges of the Paratha and bring it towards the center and seal it to make a ball.
4. Flatten the potato filled balls and dust it lightly in flour. Roll it out carefully to make a flat paratha. Dust it in flour as you roll out the parathas. Make sure that the filling doesn’t come out when you roll the parathas.
5. Heat a tava or non stick pan and place the rolled out paratha on it. Cook on medium heat until small brown spots start appearing on the underside.
6. Flip and cook the other side until it is golden brown and starts puffing. Apply a dab of oil on both sides of the paratha to make it soft.
7. Serve these hot Alu Parathas with Curd/Raitha and Pickle.

Note

1. To retain the softness of the Parathas, cover them in a cloth and place it in a Casserole so that it remains fresh.
2. Do not use grinder/mixie for mashing potatoes since the potatoes will stick to the blades and you will have a tough time cleaning the sticky mess.