Aloo Methi Paratha
Just thinking about this dish makes my mouth water, this distinctive and enjoyable stuffed bread is a staple in the Indian kitchen and household. The pieces of flatbread are prepared mainly for breakfast, and are absolutely satisfying and filling. Like any dish, the recipe changes from home to home and region to region, but one thing they all have in common is the endless options for stuffing.
The expert paratha maker stands out by how much filling can be put in without breaking the surface, but again these are the people who roll these delectable breads day in and day out. I don't mind the stuffing breaking the surface as I really like it loaded.
Go ahead and have fun experimenting and creating your own paratha.
Servings: 7
Yield: 7
Preparation Time: 12 minutes
Start to finish: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
2 2/3 cups whole-grain wheat flour (atta flour)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil
1 1/4 warm water
Method:
· Make the aloo methi stuffing following the instructions and set aside. This can be prepared a day ahead.
· In a glass bowl place, the flour and add the vegetable oil, salt and most of the water, hold some back as the quantity of water can differ depending on the gluten in the flour. If the dough is hard, adding the rest of the water slowly will help.
· Mix by hand then tip on a floured surface and knead it with the palm of the hands for about ten minutes until the dough is soft and elastic. Cover and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
· On a floured surface form seven balls of dough and with a rolling pin roll one out to a thickness of 2 or 3 mm.
· Spread a thin layer of the aloo methi stuffing on the surface leaving 1 m on the sides clear. Now you have 3 options, you can either fold in half then in a quarter and roll it to a thickness of 1/2 cm as in the video, or you can follow the technique in my stuffed flatbread video, or you can just fold in half for ease and roll it to the required thickness.
· Don't worry if some of the fillings has broken to the surface, only the experts can create a perfect paratha.
· Heat the tava or a skillet then turn to medium heat. Oil both sides of the paratha with your hands and place on the tava. (some deep fry the paratha, but this is lighter)
· Once the bottom has brown marks as seen in the video, turn it over and repeat the process until cooked.
· Enjoy with spiced yoghurt or Indian pickles.
Notes:
· As mentioned, before you can choose one of several ways to prepare the paratha.
· You can use any stuffing you fancy such as cheese, zaatar, spinach, lentils, fried onions the options are limitless, just make sure the filling is not wet.
· Make sure to cool the stuffing before using it.
· Make sure you control the heat of the tava or skillet, if you find it burns before cooking then the temperature is too high.
Per Serving excluding potato methi stuffing: 189 Calories; 5g Fat (21.3% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 33g Carbohydrate; 6g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 156mg Sodium.