Hello all! Thank you to those who joined us for our latest Culture Kitchen event in September. Jaweria was kind enough to volunteer with us this month to show us how to make Aloo Paratha, an easy-to-make flatbread that is often eaten as a breakfast meal. The dish comes together quickly, and the ingredients are flavorful and inexpensive. You can even customize the filling to your preference and get creative with the flavors used. The full recipe can be found below.
This stuffed flatbread is typically served as a breakfast meal and can be paired with coffee or tea. This dish can also be customized to your liking - if you want more of an ingredient or spice, or want to add additional ingredients, feel free to make it to your liking!
Jaweria's mother showed her how to make this dish, and we are so grateful that she extended this recipe to us. Along with the recipe, we also learned that there are 79 different languages spoken in Pakistan, as well as the difference between roti (flatbread) and paratha (flatbread cooked with oil).
Thank you again to Jaweria for volunteering to cook with us this month!
If you are interested in learning a dish from another culture, make sure to tune in for our next Culture Kitchen event in October!
Ingredients
Wheat flour (about 2 cups)
Boiled Potatoes, skin removed (about 2)
Oil
Spices
Red chilli powder
Garam masala
Chat masala seasoning
Fresh green chili peppers
Fresh Coriander/Cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Steps
Combine wheat flour (about 2 cups) and salt (about 1/2 teaspoon) in a large bowl. Slowly add water to mix, gradually kneading until a dough is formed. The dough should be a little flaky, kind of like bread dough.
Use water to smooth the dough into one smooth, homogenous ball. Set aside.
Mash the boiled, skinless potatoes in a separate medium-sized bowl.
Add the chopped coriander/cilantro and chopped green chiles to the potatoes and mix.
Add a pinch of the garam masala, a bit of black pepper, salt, red chili powder (about 1/2 teaspoon), and the chaat masala to the mixture. The measurements of each of these spices can be modified according to preference. Mix to combine. Set aside.
Going back to the dough, once again, smooth the dough with a touch of water and knead it gently.
Add flour to a clean surface.
Grab a small amount of dough and knead using your palm, covering all sides of the dough in flour. Push the edges of the dough out using your fingers to flatten the dough as flat as possible. The dough should not be too thick or thin. To help flatten, flip the dough and toss it from hand to hand. The final thickness of the flattened dough should be about two palms wide.
Repeat the process in step 8 to make another dough layer. You will have two layers in total.
Taking one of the layers, spread the potato mix on the dough, using as much potato filling as you would like.
Put the other layer on top and close the edges with your fingers, forming a seal between the layers.
Add the aloo paratha to a pre-heated pan on medium heat without oil. Make sure your pan is not too hot as this will burn the outside without cooking the inside.
After a few minutes, add a small amount of oil around the edge of the flatbread using a spoon to regulate the amount.
Turn the flatbread over and add another small amount of oil around the edges.
Cook until both sides are brown.
Once fully cooked, transfer the Aloo Paratha to a plate and enjoy! This dish can be enjoyed alone or with ketchup, and/or accompanied by Chai tea.
Enjoy!