RAG Demo

Tag: Flatbread

  • Aloo Paratha

    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

    RegionPunjab
    CuisinePunjabi
    DietVegetarian
    CourseBreakfast
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time55 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientswhole 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

    1. Knead atta, salt, oil and water into a soft, smooth dough. Cover and rest 20 minutes.
    2. 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.
    3. Divide the dough into 8 balls and the filling into 8 portions slightly larger than the dough balls.
    4. 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.
    5. Roll out evenly with light pressure to about 18 cm, turning often. If filling peeks through, patch with a pinch of dry flour.
    6. Place on a hot tawa over medium-high heat. When small bubbles appear, about 30 seconds, flip. Cook the second side 30 seconds.
    7. 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.
    8. 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.

  • Methi Thepla

    Every Gujarati family that travels carries theplas. These thin, spiced flatbreads made with whole wheat flour and fresh fenugreek stay soft for three to four days without refrigeration, so they fill tiffins on train journeys, foreign trips and pilgrimages. The curd and oil in the dough are what keep them supple long after cooking.

    Methi gives a pleasant bitterness that is balanced by a little jaggery or sugar, turmeric, chilli and sesame seeds. Some cooks add a spoon of besan for a nuttier taste. The thepla is rolled thinner than a paratha and cooked with a light brush of oil, so it is soft and flexible rather than flaky.

    At home it is a breakfast or dinner bread, eaten with chhundo (grated sweet mango pickle), plain curd or a dry potato shaak. Many families make theplas in bulk on Sunday and use them through the week. Dudhi, spinach or leftover dal can replace the methi, and each variation has its loyal fans within the same household.

    At a glance

    RegionGujarat
    CuisineGujarati
    DietVegetarian
    CourseBread
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time30 minutes
    Total time50 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientswhole wheat flour / fenugreek leaves / curd / sesame seeds

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups (240 g) whole wheat flour
    • 2 tbsp besan
    • 1 cup fresh methi leaves, washed and finely chopped (packed)
    • 1/3 cup curd
    • 1 tsp ginger-green chilli paste
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric
    • 1 tsp red chilli powder
    • 1 tsp coriander-cumin powder
    • 1 tsp white sesame seeds
    • 1/2 tsp ajwain
    • 1 tsp grated jaggery or sugar
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 2 tbsp oil, plus more for cooking
    • Water as needed

    Method

    1. Combine the flour, besan, methi, all spices, sesame, ajwain, jaggery and salt in a wide bowl. Rub in 2 tbsp oil.
    2. Add the curd and mix. Add water a tablespoon at a time and knead into a soft, smooth dough, a little softer than chapati dough. Methi releases moisture, so go slowly.
    3. Rub a few drops of oil over the dough, cover and rest for 15-20 minutes.
    4. Divide into 12 balls. Dust one with flour and roll into a thin circle about 7 inches across, turning to keep it round.
    5. Heat a tawa on medium-high. Place the thepla on it and cook for about 30 seconds until small bubbles appear, then flip.
    6. Brush 1/2 tsp oil on top, flip again and press gently with a spatula. Brush the other side and cook until golden-brown spots appear on both sides, about 1 minute total.
    7. Stack the cooked theplas on a plate lined with a cloth and keep covered so they stay soft. Cool completely before packing.

    Tips

    • Do not add salt to the chopped methi and leave it standing; it will turn watery and make the dough sticky.
    • For travel, cool theplas fully before stacking in a container lined with paper so condensation does not make them soggy.
    • Cook on medium-high; too low a flame dries them out and they turn stiff.

    Serve with

    Chhundo or sweet mango pickle, plain curd and masala chai.