Aloo Paratha

Ingredients

• 300 g whole wheat flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1¾ dl water, lukewarm
• 1½ tsp salt
• 5 tbsp ghee
• 500 g potato, floury
• 1 fresh chilli, finely chopped
• 15 g fresh ginger, finely grated
• 3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 200 g plain yogurt, to serve

Method

1. 1.

   Knead and rest the dough — Mix the flour with 0.5 tsp of the salt and 1 tbsp of the ghee, then work in the water a little at a time until you have a soft, slightly sticky dough. Knead for 5 minutes until smooth, cover with a damp cloth and rest for 30 minutes.

2. 2.

   Boil the potatoes — Meanwhile, boil the potatoes whole in salted water for about 20 minutes, until a knife slides through without resistance. Drain them and leave in the dry pan for a minute so the surface steam evaporates.

3. 3.

   Make the spiced filling — Peel the potatoes while still warm and mash them completely smooth with the chilli, ginger, cilantro, cumin, garam masala and remaining salt. Spread the filling out and let it cool for 10 minutes — any lump or hot spot will tear the dough.

4. 4.

   Stuff and seal the dough — Divide the dough and the filling into 8 pieces each. Roll a piece of dough into a 10 cm disc, sit a ball of filling in the middle, gather the edges up over it and pinch firmly to seal, then flatten gently with your palm.

5. 5.

   Roll out the parathas — Dust with flour and roll each stuffed ball out to a round of about 18 cm, pressing evenly from the centre so the filling does not push through. Roll them all before you start cooking.

6. 6.

   Griddle with ghee — Cook the parathas one at a time in a dry heavy pan over medium-high heat for 1 minute a side, then brush both sides with ghee and cook a further minute a side, pressing the edges down, until brown blisters bloom across the surface. Serve hot with the yogurt.