Basic Homestyle Aloo Paratha: Ghar Wale Maa ke Haath Jaise Aloo Paratha

To be honest I was surprised not to see Aloo Paratha recipe on my blog, but then it is such a staple meal in almost every Indian household that putting up a recipe of it on a blog would be useless-isn't it? But then with years of experience and trying so many variations from blogging world and various family members' advice I think I should now make a post on alu paratha too.

Okay, so I won't say that these are the most authentic way of making alu paratha (because, hey who knows where's the authentic ones are from). Neither will I say that these are the best Punjabi style aloo paratha (because I haven't eaten the one from Punjab so I dont know what it tastes like). All I can claim is that these are Simple Basic Homestyle Aloo Paratha.

Yes the ones that your mother would pack in your tiffin lunch boxes for schools hours. Or the ones that she would give for train journeys or hostel days.

If you google, on how to make the best aloo paratha you will get hundreds of recipes and they have their own style and method and ingredients, but here I am talking to you about very primary, ghar wale or maa ke haath vale Aloo Paratha.

Tricks to make a good Aloo Paratha?

The dough should be soft and must have rested for at least 15 minutes.

Potatoes should be mashed when it's cold. Not grated (I repeat), but mashed. The lumps of potatoes filling found in between is sooooo good.

Add the spices (massale) only when potatoes when become cold. Do not add in extra massalas like pav bhaji massala, garam massla-keep it simple.

Use ghee, please use ghee-can’t explain this point enough. Ghee is your best friend for good aloo paratha. If you are vegan, please use any oil instead.

Do not be afraid to add in extra filling, hey who doesn't like oozing out alu stuffing? Its okay if its not perfectly round.

Can you freeze Aloo Paratha?

Yes you can. Initially I used to buy Haldiram's, Ashoka's and Shana's stuffed paratha a lot but now I don't. I just freeze my own homemade ones. Fill the parathas and roll it out as you would normally do. When you cook it on the tava/pan donot cook it completely. Half cook it or under-cook it-which means when you see some brown bubbles on the paratha then take it off the tava and let it cool it completely. Put in clingfilm, parchment paper (baking paper), aluminium foil in between each paratha. Put the parathas in a container and freeze. They will be okay for a 2 months.

Whenever you want to eat them, just heat a tava and put the frozen paratha on it. Pour in some ghee and cook it completely. *Remember we left the parathas under-cooked before freezing because now is the time you cook it completely.

Ingredients:

For Stuffing

2 medium sized boiled potatoes (aloo)

1 green chilli (hari mirch)

1/4 teaspoon paratha cumin seeds (jeera)

1/4 teaspoon red chilli powder (lal mrichi) or adjust as per your tatse

1/4 teaspoon coriander powder (dhainya)

salt to taste

A pinch of turmeric (haldi)

1/4 teaspoon chaat massala (recipe here)

4 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves (dhaniya)

Ghee as needed.

For Dough:
1 and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (aatta)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)

1 teaspoon oil

water as needed

Method:

For Dough

Start by mixing salt, flour, ajwain and oil.

Mix in water slowly little by little and start forming a smooth soft dough.

Cover and let it sit for 15 minutes.

Divide the dough into 5 equal parts.

For Stuffing:

Mash the boiled potatoes with your hands.

Add in all the ingredients (expect ghee) and mix well.

Divide the mixture in 5 equal portions and give it a shape of a ball.

For Paratha:

Heat the pan on medium flame/heat.

Take one dough ball and with the rolling pin, roll into a medium sized circle.

Place the potatoes stuffing ball in the center. Bring all the extra edges and pinch in the center like you sealing the edges.

Flatten it a bit by using your palm. Now using your rolling pin, roll out the paratha.

Place the paratha on the pan. Cook one side till you see some bubbles. Flip the paratha and apply ghee on it. Flip again and apply around 1/4 teaspoon ghee on the other side as well.

Press with the spatula till both the sides are cooked and have golden crisp spots on them.

Repeat the same with the remaining dough.

Serving ideas:

Serve with chutney or ketchup.

You can also pair it up with pickle or just simple yogurt.

Urad Dal Kachori: UP Vali Kachori: Aloo Ki Subji And Kachori

Aloo Ki Subji will be one dish that is popular in every household of India. However every state has got its own way of cooking it and serving it with. It’s served humbly with paratha or roti; served as a side with rice and dal. It is also paired with puri and batura, but the most royal match is when it is dished up with Kachori.

Those of you dont know, Aloo Ki Subji and Kachori combination is very popular in UP (Uttar Pradesh). From Ganga ghats in Banaras to Krishna’s home in Mathura to temples in Rishikesh and Haridwar this meal has stolen many hearts. It is a wholesome vegetarian meal, mostly served as breakfast or brunch near the temples and pooja places as a street food.

The simplicity and filling attributes make this dish very popular. Spicy and yet modest aloo ki subji is served with Urad Daal Stuffed Kachori. What makes it filling and perfect for breakfast are two things. a)Urad daal is heavy to digest, so you feel full very quickly. b) The kachori is made with maida (all purpose flour) and is deep fried. These two features make it so perfect for brunch as well.

What is kachori? Kachori is like puri but stuffed. The kachori we are talking here is different from Rajasthani Kachori also called as club kachori. Kachori in rajasthan are smaller and puffed up-served with chutney or as a chaat with dahi (yogurt) and meethi chutney. However these UP vali kachori are flat kachoris and are stuffed with urad dal instead of moong dal.

Aloo ki subji is also called as Mathura Ke Dubki Vale Aloo, Haridwar Ke Rassewale Aloo, Banerasi/Benarsi Aloo. Same way the kachori is called as Khasta Kachori, Kasta Bedvi Kachori.

Ingredients:

For Dough

1 cup all purpose flour/maida

2 tablespoons semolina/suji

Salt to taste

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

4 tablespoons oil

Water as needed

More oil for frying

For Stuffing

1 tablespoon oil

Pinch asafoetida/heeng

1/2 cup white lenthils/urad daal

1 green chilli chopped

1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds/jeera

1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds/saunf

1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds/sabut dhaniya

1 teaspoon grated ginger/adrak

1 tablespoons coriander leaves chopped

1/4 teaspoon garam massala powder

1/2 teaspoon coriander powder/dhaniya powder

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder/haldi

1/4 teaspoon red chilli powder/lal mirchi

Salt to taste

1/4 teaspoon black salt/kala namak

Method:

For dough-

Mix all the ingredients listed under dough category. Mix slowly water and start to form smooth dough. Let it rest for 30 minutes.

For stuffing-

Soak the dal for atleast 3 hours in the water. Then drain the water, wash the dal and keep aside.

Grind the dal coarsely with saunf and coriander seeds.

Heat oil in a pan. Add in it jeera, heeng. Let it crackle. Mix in turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder, green chilli, adrak, garam massala and coriander powder. Mix for 10 seconds.

Mix this above massala mix in grinded dal. Mix well.

Mix in salt, black salt and coriander leaves.

Assembly-

Take a lemon sized ball of the dough, roll it out a bit. In the centre add in 2 teaspoon of stuffing. Take the edges of the rolled out dough and seal the edges.

With the roller pin (belan) flatten the stuffed ball.

Heat oil in wok, when hot, throw one kachori at a time. With the help of a spatula apply bit pressure and try to puff it. Flip and cook on the other side as well.

When you see it has become red. Serve.

Notes:

Feel free to use whole wheat flour/atta as well.

You can make moong (yellow mung) dal kachoris same way. Moong daal is bit lighter to digest.

Fry the kachori on mdeuim heat.

Bombay Aloo, Baby Potatoes Cooked With Spicy Sauce

Yeah yeah yeah I have been busy. Busy with a new full time marketing job and settling in the new apartment-oh these two things are keeping me on my toes. When I took a job I promised myself that I would at least post a recipe once a week but it just couldnt happen. Now I know how much time blogging needs and it is no less then having a full time job. But better late then never, isn’t it? So here I am sitting with my laptop and working on this post.

Bombay Aloo, is my recent loving recipe. Recent because,  back in India I never heard about a dish called Bombay aloo-not even when I was in Mumbai. When I came to the UK I saw this dish sitting quietly in the vegetarian sides menu in every curry house. Until one day we decided to order it. Small baby potatoes cooked in rich spicy sauce, ummm very much like dum aloo in appearance. Taste and method is quite different though; dum aloo (Punjabi style) is cooked in royal way where potatoes are fried and lots of whole spices are used, Bombay aloo however is a lighter version where boiled potatoes are used  and then are coated with basic everyday Indian spices.

So when you are bored of simple aloo ki subji like the one cooked in pressure cooker or one that is served with  puri or kachori, give Bombay Aloo a try. Throw in it ginger, garlic, onion and tomato puree; mix in Indian spices and let it simmer on slow heat. To have authentic taste make sure you cook it longer on slow heat as it helps the spices to penetrate in the  potatoes and that is what brings the best flavor.

Consistency is again very important. It cant be runny like rassewale aloo neither should it be dry like sukha aloo- the trick is to have semi thick gravy where you can see the glaze of sauce and spices on the potatoes. You can serve it as a side with rice, naan or any Indian bread.

Ingredients:

10 baby potatoes, boiled and peeled

1 onion chopped

4 cloves garlic chopped
1 teaspoon ginger julienne or garted

4 medium size tomatoes chopped

2 dry whole red chillies

2 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon butter

salt to taste

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/2 to 1/4 teaspoon red chilli powder (adjust as per taste)

1/2 teaspoon coriander powder

1/4 teaspoon garam massala

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 tablespoon coriander leaves chopped

Method:

1. With the help of toothpick or fork prick holes on boiled potatoes and set it aside.
2. Heat oil in pan. When hot, add cumin seeds. Let it splutter.
3. Add garlic, ginger and onion. Stir and let it cook till onions become soft.
4. Add tomatoes, salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and garam massala. Cover and let it cook for 10 minutes on a slow flame/heat.
5. Blend this above tomato spice sauce with half cup of water in the blender.
6. Heat the pan again and heat butter. When butter gets hot add whole red chilli.
7. Throw in boiled potatoes and blended sauce. Cover and cook for 10 minutes on slow heat.
8. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Notes:

You can use any potatoes, just chop them into bite size.

I used kashmiri red chilli powder, it gives nice dark red colour.
Pricking holes in boiled potatoes helps the salt and spices to penetrate in potatoes. Do this step carefully else you will end with broken potatoes.