Aloo Paratha

So I started my day by googling "who invented aloo parathas" but unfortunately couldn't find an answer. :-) Nevertheless, by giving credit to that imaginary person who invented, I started off making masala for our beloved "Aloo ka Paratha"

Many of us like to have our parathas with curd or sauce, but when it comes to aloo paratha, drop a dollop of ghee or butter, roll it and finish it off in few bites. Oh so yummy and filling..

With lot of people becoming health conscious, it becomes difficult to enjoy aloo paratha guilt free. Normally, one can not imagine them with out ghee but this time I got lucky and ran out of ghee. Still determined to have aloo parathas, I went ahead and made them with olive oil and trust me the taste was spell bounding!! Not just me, but my friends also thought the same. 

So now I am thinking what could have done the trick. Ghee has its own distinct flavour and it tends to blend in with your food and the end result is delicate tasting food. Miss out the ghee part and bang! you get spicy and strong flavour of each of the ingredients that went into the masala and thats what happened when I made aloo parathas with olive oil. Besides, it is possible that olive oil has some flavour that makes the parathas yummy.

To better understand what I am talking about, go ahead and make two aloo parathas, one with ghee and another with olive oil. Eager to hear the difference you found. If you find no difference, even better! always use olive oil :-)

Ingredients for masala

4 Boiled and mashed potatoes

2 medium sized onions finely chopped [preferably, using an electric chopper]

1 levelled tsp Jeera

1 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp amchur powder

1 cup chopped coriander

2 green chillies finely chopped

Pinch of turmeric

Pinch of garam masala [Optional]

Salt to taste

Trick is to use less or no masala.

Mix all the ingredients, check salt and add if necessary.

Making parathas can be very cumbersome and frustrating if the dough is not soft and the moment you start rolling, the masala comes out from corners. So annoying!! :(

Most important part is when you knead the dough.  It should be super soft, only then the masala wont ooze out while making parathas. Paratha should stretch and expand easily for an even spread of masala. End result is a tidy job! 

The quantity of masala for stuffing should be one and a half times the size of dough ball. 

Flatten the ball leaving them thick enough to roll with masala. Put the masala in between and fold and join the ends on top. Dab some dry atta on both ends, turn it around and roll them gently.

Heat the tawa on high flame, when it is smoking hot, reduce to medium flame and put the paratha on it. Only turn when brown spots appear on bottom side. When both the sides are equally cooked. Add olive oil on top and around the corners. Increase flame, spread the oil and press the paratha on all corners on both sides. 

Glossy and roasted aloo parathas in olive oil for a guilt free indulgence are ready! Happy weekend :-)