In Punjab, a winter morning often starts with the sound of parathas being slapped onto a hot tawa. Aloo paratha is the best known of the stuffed breads, the kind of breakfast that fuels a day in the fields, and the dhabas along the Grand Trunk Road built their reputation on huge, butter-soaked versions served to truck drivers.
The filling is simple: boiled potatoes mashed with green chilli, ginger, coriander, ajwain, amchur and a little garam masala. The trick is a dry filling and a soft dough, so the paratha rolls thin without tearing. Cooked properly, it is crisp and flaky outside, soft inside, with the potato spread evenly to the edges.
It is eaten hot off the tawa with a cube of white butter melting on top, a bowl of thick curd, and mango or mixed pickle. Leftover parathas travel well in tiffins, and many families make them for train journeys. Dhabas on the highway still fold a thick slab of homemade butter into the dough, which is why their parathas taste so rich.
At a glance
| Region | Punjab |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Punjabi |
| Diet | Vegetarian |
| Course | Breakfast |
| Prep time | 30 minutes |
| Cook time | 25 minutes |
| Total time | 55 minutes |
| Serves | 4 |
| Spice level | Medium |
| Difficulty | Medium |
| Gluten-free | No |
| Key ingredients | whole wheat flour / potato / green chilli / ghee |
Ingredients
For the dough
- 2 cups whole wheat atta
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp oil
- About 3/4 cup water
For the filling
- 4 medium potatoes (about 500 g), boiled and peeled
- 2 green chillies, finely chopped
- 1 inch ginger, grated
- 3 tbsp finely chopped coriander
- 1/2 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
- 1 tsp amchur
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 small onion, finely chopped (optional)
For cooking
- Ghee or butter for roasting
- Dry atta for dusting
Method
- Knead atta, salt, oil and water into a soft, smooth dough. Cover and rest 20 minutes.
- Grate the boiled potatoes while still slightly warm, so there are no lumps. Mix in all the filling ingredients by hand. Taste; the filling should be well seasoned and dry enough not to stick to your fingers.
- Divide the dough into 8 balls and the filling into 8 portions slightly larger than the dough balls.
- Roll a dough ball into a 10 cm disc, place filling in the centre, bring the edges up and pinch to seal. Flatten gently and dust with flour.
- Roll out evenly with light pressure to about 18 cm, turning often. If filling peeks through, patch with a pinch of dry flour.
- Place on a hot tawa over medium-high heat. When small bubbles appear, about 30 seconds, flip. Cook the second side 30 seconds.
- Spread 1/2 tsp ghee on the top, flip, and press the edges with a spatula so they cook. Ghee the other side and flip again. Roast until both sides have golden-brown spots and the paratha is crisp, about 1 minute more.
- Serve immediately, or stack in a cloth-lined box to keep warm.
Tips
- Boil potatoes whole in their skins and let them steam dry; waterlogged potatoes make a sticky filling that tears the dough.
- Do not add the onion until you are ready to stuff – salt draws water out of it.
- Medium-high heat is key: too low and the paratha turns hard, too high and it burns before cooking through.
Serve with
White butter, thick curd and mango or mixed vegetable pickle.