Aloo Paratha (Paratha Bread Stuffed with Spiced Potato)

Serves: serves 4

Prep Time: 30 Minutes + waiting

Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Ready In: 45 mins
+ waiting

FOR THE DOUGH:

4 oz - wheat flour

- water

- flour (for dusting)

1 tablespoon - vegetable oil

3 tablespoons - melted ghee (clarified butter or drawn butter)

FOR THE POTATO STUFFING:

5 medium-sized - potatoes

2 - green chillies

2 teaspoons - black pepper

1 teaspoon - coriander seeds

5-6 - coriander leaves

- salt

1 pinch - turmeric powder

½ teaspoon - cumin seeds

Place 4oz (150g) of wheat flour in a mixing bowl, add a couple of pinches of salt and mix thoroughly. Slowly add about 2 fl oz (50 ml) of water and mix well into the flour. Continue to add water, a little at a time, mixing all the time, then knead the dough for 5 minutes until you have a medium soft dough.
Place a few drops of oil on your palms and smear the oil over the dough then let it rest for 10 minutes. Knead again till the dough is completely smooth then cover the dough with a moist cloth to help it soften (this is an old secret of Punjabi grannies to help keep the parathas soft and aid digestion).
Peel and boil the potatoes until they are soft then mash them well (see our recipe for Creamed Potatoes). While the potatoes are cooking, finely chop and pound the green chilies combined with a pinch of salt until they are pulpy. Add freshly-ground black pepper, cumin seeds and coriander seeds and pound them further till they are all mixed (make sure the pepper and coriander seeds are coarse), then add these to the mashed potatoes. Finely chop the coriander leaves, add to the potatoes with salt to taste and a pinch of turmeric. Mix well and make a ball out of the potato mix and keep it aside.
Pinch off lumps of dough and roll into balls about 1" (2.5cm) in diameter. Dust with a little flour, flatten, and roll into a 3½"-4" (9cm-10cm) discs. Place potato stuffing (about twice the size of the ball of dough we took for the disk) onto the centre of each disc of dough, then fold over to envelope the potato. Seal the dough-potato ball, remove any surplus dough and reshape. Flatten and roll out, as thin as possible, dusting with flour to prevent it from sticking to the work surface. Rotate as you roll to get an even thickness throughout. Be generous with your dusting flour otherwise the parathas will tear.
Place a cast iron or non-stick frying pan (skillet) on a medium-high heat. Brush off any excess flour from the surface of the paratha then flop it into the hot pan using your outspread hand for support. Cook on medium-hot on one side only until the colour changes and the paratha has just firmed up enough to be flipped over. Carefully pour a few drops of melted butter onto the paratha and, using the back of a spoon, spread evenly over the bread, brush it all over and repeat the same procedure to the other side. Cook until it is golden brown, Served with a dollop of butter and yoghurt, this breakfast is perfect to last till evening.