This spin on the South Asian flatbread is delicious and loaded with nutrients
Aloo paratha is a delightful flatbread stuffed with a spicy mashed potato filling, popular across South Asia. With many variations for stuffings, from vegetables to meat, parathas are an anytime meal, from breakfast to brunch to dinner!
This is one of my favorite parathas, although it is not an ‘authentic’ recipe. I picked up the basics for this one from my mom and turned this into my own over the years. Palak (spinach) is not typically used in parathas.
But my goal with most dishes I cook is to make them more nutritious, and yet not compromise on taste. I have added cilantro, lime, chili peppers and garam masala to the filling. This takes the spice and flavor up by several notches and makes this paratha a delicious meal or a snack between meals!
Recipe For Aloo Palak Paratha
Ingredients For The Dough
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp flax seeds, ground or milled
1/4 tsp sea salt, or to taste
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup filtered water, or as needed
Ingredients For The Stuffing
1 potato, medium-sized
1 cup spinach, finely chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1 green chili pepper, tender and finely chopped
1/2 tsp lime juice
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp sea salt, or to taste
Steps For Making Aloo Palak Paratha
Add whole wheat flour, flax seeds, salt, and half tsp of oil to a mixing bowl. Keep adding filtered water in small quantities and mix the flour with your fingers until the flour stops sticking to the sides or your fingers. Roll the dough into a ball and set aside.
Pressure-cook potatoes and mash them with the back of a fork. You can also cook the potatoes in a covered saucepan till tender.
In a bowl, add the mashed potatoes, followed by spinach, cilantro, chili pepper, lime juice, salt, and garam masala. Mix well.
Divide the wheat dough into four small balls. Using a rolling pin, flatten each one out into a circle of 1/16th of an inch in thickness and about five inches in width. Keep sprinkling a little bit of wheat flour to prevent sticking. Place a quarter of the stuffing in the middle and fold from all sides. Ensure the stuffing is fully enclosed and flatten carefully with your palm.
Use the rolling pin to flatten the stuffed dough gently into a paratha. The stuffing will try to escape from some spots but don’t worry about that. The potato cooks well and adds to the overall taste of the paratha.
Heat a griddle and place a raw paratha on it. Cook one side for about a minute. Smear oil lightly all over the surface and flip the paratha. Oil this surface lightly as well, and allow to cook for a minute.
Cook the paratha till it turns crispy with brown spots on both sides. Use your spatula to briskly rotate the paratha on the griddle so all the edges are well-cooked.
Serve hot with cucumber salad and tomato chutney. Or enjoy with a daikon radish raita.
