Aloo Paratha

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It is hard for me to pick one favorite  from my mom’s kitchen.I remember many and drool at the thought of it.If I am challenged to come up with one,I will say ‘Aloo – Paratha’  certainly tops the list.

My mom served at least 2-3 side dishes along with everyday staple regularly.One of the regular side dish was  aloo chokha. Simple mashed potatoes.It wasn’t often that there was any leftover.However, for the days when there was leftover,she would reuse aloo chokha as filling to make aloo paratha for dinner.Though it wasn’t always the result of leftover transformation.She knew that we all loved ‘aloo paratha’, so many night she treated us with this yummy goodness at dinner, along with tomato chutney/pickle.We always asked her to make enough,so there is leftover for breakfast next morning.It tastes just as good next morning too.Both of my kids would vouch for that.

So whats in the name?

‘Aloo’ is hindi for ‘Potatos’,so it is ‘Paratha’ stuffed with ‘potatos’.If you are cringing at the thought of putting two carbs together….hmmmm….what can I say, it is that good that I am willing to let that little detail slide under the table while I bite into this heavenly goodness with raita…

I don’t make it nearly as often as my mom did and when I do,it  never ever tastes and looks like my mom’s parathas but both of my kiddos are fan of it and my hubby don’t mind swapping it for regular tortilla time to time.When I prepared aloo-paratha last time, I tweaked up the filling little though Aloo chokha  or Aloo Chop filling  works perfect. 

Let me tell you what inspired my tweaked up filling.Hometown where I grew up,has a famous ‘Samosa’ joint.People wait in line there and make special trip to get hot out of oil samosa.We did too.We detoured many times to get the hands on that hot out from the oil, crazy good ‘samosa’.I have tasted many samosas at lot of different places but nothing comes even close to the ‘Samosa’ which is served at that joint along with sweet minty chutney.I will never know what went to the  filling but my guess is it has coriander with the hint of fennel and it was certainly not yellow, it lacked turmeric.Oh it was DELICIOUS.So I tried to adapt that filling for ‘Aloo – paratha’ based on how I remember it, when I had it last time more than a decade ago.

Yummy Notes:

• I often make filling in large amount and use it on sandwiches later (i know full fledged carb fest)or eat as breakfast taco.
• Paratha travels well.Oil helps to keep it from developing sour spoil taste,which happens to Roti with time.We packed it several times to eat during travel.
• Paratha is also school lunch/office lunch staple,more so among north Indians.
• You are limited only by your imagination what you fill it up with once you master the basic technique.
• You can use butter or oil of your choice. Grapeseed oil has high smoke point,so I use it for the dishes cooked at high temperature.
• I personally have not frozen the uncooked or cooked Parathas because there is not much left when I make it but I have seen it being frozen.I will give it a try some day.