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Allu Paratha (Potato Stuffed Flatbread – Indian Style)

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We are returning from our trip to Chandigarh to see my mother-in-law. The bus is crowded as usual, but my husband manages to get me a window seat, and then sits down next to me. My mother-in-law has packed us parathas, despite my polite protests. “No, no,” she admonishes. “You must always carry something with you, as you never can tell when you will get hungry.” I am a newlywed and dare not argue with her. She wraps the parathas in foil and adds some pickle in each. I add a bunch of napkins to the plastic bag she hands me. I am not sure how I am going to manage eating that on the ride home, but you don’t say no to your Indian mother-in-law!

Two hours into the ride, I am very grateful for her insistence. The bus driver has stopped at the next town, and the wayside vendors’ foods look seriously dubious. Quickly, I open the packed goodies, and we feast on the parathas. My husband brings hot chai and I happily sip on this delicious beverage as I munch on my parathas.

Parathas are similar to a sautéed tortilla, either plain or filled with spicy potato (allu), or you can make it out of cauliflower (phool gobi), or Diakon-Japanese radish (Moolee). The spices in the stuffing vary. They make a good brunch and vegan meal and are very filling.

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Allu Paratha: Indian Potato Stuffed Bread

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Resting Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours
Servings 8 servings
Calories 180
This is a delicious spiced potato-stuffed Indian whole wheat bread that can be a meal in itself, but it also makes a delicious side for dinner or breakfast.

Ingredients

Filling

  • Oil for sautéing the parathas (peanut oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil)
  • 5-6 medium boiled potatoes (peeled and mashed)
  • ½ tsp Amchoor powder (mango powder, available at any Indian grocery store)
  • ½ tsp roasted Zeera powder (cumin powder) (optional)
  • 1-2 green chilies, finely chopped (depending on how spicy you want your parathas to be!)
  • ¼ tsp chili powder (optional, to taste)
  • 1 small onion ( chopped very fine)
  • 1 tbsp cilantro (finely chopped)
  • salt to taste

Dough

  • 3 cups Durham flour
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 cup water to knead dough (you may need a bit more than 1 cup)

Instructions 

  • Sift flour and salt. Make a well in the center of sifted flour, then pour half the water in and mix. Continue to add water till the flour is moist and knead dough for about 10 minutes until it is soft and pliant and no longer sticky. You can knead dough in an electric mixer.
  • Let rest for about half an hour to one hour.
  • Roll out two golf-sized balls into 4" rounds. Place about 2 tbsp of mixture on one of the round flatbreads and spread evenly. Place the other rolled flatbread over it and pat down lightly making sure edges are sealed. Gently roll out to about 6" in diameter.
  • Sprinkle a little dry flour on top in case it starts to stick while rolling.

Alternate Filling Method

  • Take a slightly larger piece of dough and roll it into a ball. Now flatten it with your palms. Add a tablespoon or two of the potato mixture on the top center of the dough. Cover the mixture by pulling on the sides of the dough and press the dough together on the top so that you have a ball of dough with the potato in the center. Flatten this and roll it out like a tortilla.

To Cook

  • Heat flat frying pan or Indian tava on medium heat. Place the rolled-out paratha on it, and cook until you start to see little bubbles on the top side. If the pan is hot enough, this takes about two minutes.
  • Carefully flip the paratha over with a spatula, and cook the other side.
  • Now pour about a teaspoon or more of oil on the top half of the paratha and spread it evenly.
  • Flip the paratha over again and oil the other side the same way. Cook till golden brown on both sides.
  • Serve warm with a dollop of butter on the paratha, and plain yogurt and pickle on the side.
Calories: 180kcal
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: bread

Chandigarh Bus Photo via Chandigarh Transport Undertaking

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In Appetizers

Coconut Chutney

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We are staying at our maternal grandparents’ home. My twin and I, barely 5 years old, are imitating the tight rope walkers we saw at the circus a few days ago. We are walking along the top of the short ledge that runs along the back patio, barely a foot off the ground. But Grandpa yells for us to get down. I am almost at the end of my tight rope walk and pretend not to hear him. He yells once more, I make it to the end and hop off. He is probably concerned about our safety, but at that age, I don’t see it!

I run into the kitchen to escape any more yelling. Bodi-amma, the cook and general housekeeper, is squatting in front of the large silbatta (grind stone) grinding all the ingredients to fix the coconut chutney for our dosa lunch. I sit cross-legged across from her and watch as she moves the round pestle forward and backward across the rectangular stone, pausing now and then to scoop the chutney to the center of the grindstone. She continues the process until she has a nice, smooth chutney. I can’t wait to eat it with dosas!

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Coconut Chutney

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6
A delicious South Indian dish that goes well with dosas, idlis, parathas, or on crackers!

Ingredients

  • 12 oz fresh grated coconut (frozen packets are available at the Indian grocery store)
  • 1 green Serrano chili (more or less, according to taste)
  • 4 flakes garlic (medium, peeled and washed or 1 tbsp garlic paste)
  • 1 tbsp ginger, peeled and washed, or 1 tbsp ginger paste
  • 2 cups fresh cilantro leaves (cleaned and washed)
  • 1 tsp tamarind paste (Add more for tartness)
  • ¾ tsp salt (or to taste)
  • ¾ cup water (add more or less water, depending on the consistency you prefer)

For Tadka / Tempering

  • ½ tsp black mustard seeds
  • ½ tsp urd dal
  • ½ tsp channa dal
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 6-8 fresh curry leaves
  • 1 dry red chili (optional)

Instructions 

  • Grind or blend all the ingredients (except the coconut) into a smooth paste.
  • To the smooth paste, add the shredded coconut and grind or blend until smooth, but still a little textured.
  • Pour into a serving bowl and add the tempering.  

Tadka / Tempering

  • Rinse and drain the dals in a small strainer. Blot dry with a paper towel.
  • Heat oil in a sauté pan on medium heat. When hot, add the red chili. As soon as it starts to darken, add the mustard seeds. As they start to splutter in about less than 15 seconds, add the curry leaves and the dals.
  • Shake or stir until the dals start to darken in color, approximately 15-20 seconds. Pour over the coconut chutney and gently stir to mix the tadka into the chutney.    
  • Enjoy it with dosas, idlis, parathas, or dal and rice. It is also good with Allu Bonda.
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian, South Indian
Keyword: chutney, coconut

Silbatta photo by Aditya Gupta on Unsplash

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In Recipes

Tamatar Chawal (Tomato Rice )

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Today being Sunday, my husband and I have been binge-watching taped shows all afternoon. Evening tea is over, and I start thinking about dinner. The fridge yields a large bowl of cooked rice. Always looking for ways to turn over leftovers into a new dish, I decide to fix Tomato Rice. I normally serve it with masala fish, fish curry, or a curried dal.

I decide to take the easy way out and serve it with some frozen marinated fish I picked up while grocery shopping. This dish can also be used as a side for meals prepared with a western flavor. It pairs well with most cooking styles of meat, fish, or poultry. You can omit the curry leaves.

With the fish and tomato rice, I fix a garden salad to complete the meal, and Voila! dinner is served!

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Tomato Rice (Tamatar Chawal)

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4
A savory rice tossed with tomatoes and spices that goes well as a side dish to complement any meal.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups cooked long-grained white rice (like Basmati or Jasmine )
  • 4 medium tomatoes (diced )
  • 1 medium yellow onion (or shallots, diced)
  • ½ tsp black mustard seeds
  • 10 fresh curry leaves (optional, available at an Indian grocery store)
  • 1-2 medium green chilies, diced (to your taste)
  • 1 tsp salt (to your taste)
  • 1 tbsp fresh green cilantro (chopped finely)
  • 2 tbsp cooking oil

Instructions 

  • In a 10-12" frying pan or wok, heat the oil on medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds, watch out for the splutter! About 30 seconds.
  • Add the curry leaves and green chilies. Stir for 30 seconds.
  • Add the onions. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until translucent.
  • Add the tomatoes. Continue to sauté stirring occasionally for 5-6 minutes, then add the rice.
  • Sauté for another 10 minutes until the rice is nice and hot and the onions and tomato mixture are well incorporated into the rice. The juice from the tomatoes should leave the rice moist but not soggy.
  • Spoon into dish and garnish with cilantro.

Notes

If you're using cold rice from the refrigerator, break up any lumps. I prefer to do this with my fingers beforehand or while adding the rice as I am able to make sure all the rice is separated well.
Variations:
1. Add 1 cup of cooked peas and carrots after tomatoes are done. Stir for a minute and then the rice in. You can also use any canned drained bean of your choice instead of the peas and carrots
2. In a separate bowl, whisk 4 eggs. After the tomatoes are cooked, add the beaten eggs. Scramble the eggs in the tomato mixture, and then add the rice. I also add the peas and carrots, which makes it an easy, one-dish meal.
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Indian, Mediterranean, Mexican
Keyword: rice, tomato
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In Dessert

Rice Kheer (Rice Pudding)

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The evening air is a little chilly as we head into the early days of winter. Our son is busy playing outside with the neighbor’s kids. My cook walks in from her quarters at the back of the house, ready to fix evening tea. My husband is a little late, so I tell her not to worry, I will take care of it, and she can come to fix the rotis (phulkas and chappatis) for dinner. I open the refrigerator to take out the milk for chai and notice a cup of cooked basmati sitting in the back of the refrigerator from two days ago. Ever one to recycle food before it gets bad, I decide to fix kheer for dessert. I have enough milk, and there is a cup of clotted cream that I have been gathering these past few days.

The milk is delivered from the local doodhwala (milkman), who rides in on his bike with two huge milk cans of fresh milk tethered to either side of the metal back seat. It always amazes me how he manages to balance those heavy-laden cans that are strapped to his bicycle. He arrives diligently twice a day, morning and evening, ringing his bicycle bell loud and clear to announce his arrival. He dips a measured ladle with a large handle into the can and pours the milk into the dekchi (a flat-bottomed cooking pot) held out to him. Since it is not pasteurized, the milk has to be boiled.

After I pasteurize the milk, and once it has cooled completely, I gather the thick layer of cream that forms on top (clotted cream). I use the cream in desserts, churn it into homemade butter, or convert the butter into desi ghee (clarified butter). One of my favorite ways to have the cream is to whip it until it is smooth and then add a large dollop to my cup of coffee (with milk and sugar, of course!). I also like to mix it with jam and slather it over a slice of bread. We can buy the “machine milk,” as the factory-pasteurized, store-bought milk is called, but there is nothing like fresh milk!

Rice Kheer is a very easy-to-make rice pudding, but it is tedious as you have to stay around the stove and stir the kheer often. Since it is my day off, I have nothing else to occupy my time, so I move into the kitchen and start on the rice kheer. With luck, it should be ready before my husband arrives!

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Rice Kheer (Rice Pudding)

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4 people
A creamy, easy-to-make rice pudding with cardamom, raisins, and almonds.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cooked rice
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • ½ cup clotted cream (or ¾ cup half & half)
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ tsp crushed cardamom
  • 1 tbsp golden raisins (optional)
  • 2 tbsp sliced or slivered blanched almonds (or cashew nuts if you prefer)
  • 1 tsp rose water (optional)
  • 10 blanched whole almonds or pistachios (for garnish)

Instructions 

  • In a large, heavy-bottomed pan, pour in the milk, sugar, and cooked rice. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often. Make sure the milk and rice are not sticking to the bottom of the pan.
  • Now add the cardamom, raisins, almonds, and clotted cream.
  • Continue cooking on low, stirring frequently, until the kheer thickens and the rice is creamy.
  • Do a taste test – if you want to add more cardamom or sugar, you can do so.
  • Pour into a serving bowl, stir in rose water if you would like, and garnish with nuts. Serve warm or chilled.

Notes

If you are lactose intolerant or vegan, you can use almond or oat milk. To get a creamier texture, grind some blanched almonds into a paste and add it to the kheer while cooking.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: almonds, cream, dessert, pudding, rice pudding

Milkman Photo by Phil DuFrene on Unsplash

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In Breakfast

Spicy Smashed Masala Potatoes

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I have a bunch of small white potatoes that have been sitting in the bin for a while. I decide to use them before they start to sprout! I recall my mother-in-law used to make a dish out of taro root (arbi), a root vegetable. The ones she used were similar in size to the potatoes. I decided to try the recipe out on these potatoes. They are tangy and spicy.

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Spicy Smashed Masala Potatoes

Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Spicy, tangy potatoes! Good as a side for a meal, a snack at teatime, or while having cocktails!

Ingredients

  • 1 lb small red or white potatoes (about 14-16, depending on size)
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • ½ tsp chili powder (or to your taste)
  • 1 tsp amchur (mango) powder (you can find this at your local Indian grocery store)
  • ¼ tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp salt (or to your taste)
  • 3 tbsp oil (for frying)
  • 1 pinch chaat masala or red chili (or Tajin Mexican spice)

Instructions 

  • Scrub the potatoes and put them in a medium-sized pot. Cover with about 2 inches of water and bring to a boil on medium heat.
  • Cook until tender but firm. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle. Do not peel the potatoes. Pat dry and drizzle a teaspoon of oil over the potatoes. Gently coat each potato with the oil.
  • Place each potato on a clean flat surface and gently press down on the potato until they flatten out. They will split a bit, but if you do it gently, they will not split apart.
  • Mix the powdered spices together. Coat each potato with the spice powder.
  • Heat oil in a skillet or frying pan on medium heat. Add the potatoes one by one but do not crowd them into the pan.
  • Fry the potatoes for 2-3 minutes on each side until lightly brown and crisp.
  • Drain on paper towels.
  • Transfer to a serving platter and squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the potatoes.
  • Follow it up with a sprinkling of chaat masala or red chili powder. Alternatively, you can sprinkle some Mexican Tajin chili and lemon powder.
  • Good as a side for a meal or a snack at teatime or having cocktails!

Notes

You can substitute small red potatoes for white ones. They have thinner skins and are less starchy. Keep a careful watch while boiling them to ensure they do not over boil and split.
Course: Breakfast, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: potatoes, spicy
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In Appetizers

Corn Chip Papdi Chaat – Indian-Mexican Street Food Snack

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Living in California and getting to taste Mexican cuisine, it struck me how similar some of their spices were to Indian cuisine. Their tortillas are similar to our roti (chapati, phulka). The wheat tortillas are my favorite go-to when I don’t feel like making rotis—which is pretty often!

The taco chips are almost like papads and papdi. It didn’t take me long to start a fusion of the two cuisines. One such creation is papdi chaat made with corn chips. Papdis are little round deep fried discs of flour that are topped with several ingredients. Chaat is a North Indian street food snack, but it is substantial enough to be a meal.

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Corn Chip Papdi Chaat

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 4
An Indian-Mexican fusion food snack! Corn chips are heaped with delicious toppings of seasoned potatoes, chickpeas, yogurt, and sauce!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups potatoes boiled, peeled, and chopped (The cook time to boil the potatoes is approximately 30 minutes. )
  • 2 cups chickpeas, boiled (45 mins to boil chickpeas (if soaked overnight or boil with salt until cooked). )
  • 2 cups restaurant-style corn chips (yellow or white)
  • 1 cup tamarind chutney
  • 1 cup chunky salsa or salsa verde
  • 2 tbsps roasted cumin powder
  • 2 tbsps chaat masala
  • 1 tbsp chili powder ((optional))
  • 2 tbsps black salt
  • 2 tbsps fresh cilantro (chopped)

Instructions 

  • In four individual bowls, divide the corn chips.
  • Now top the corn chips with boiled potatoes, chickpeas, and sour cream, as desired.
  • Add two tablespoons of tamarind chutney and salsa over the sour cream.
  • Sprinkle with black salt, roasted cumin, chili powder, and chaat masala to your taste. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro. Your chaat is now ready to eat!

Notes

You can use fresh chopped salsa or store-bought salsa and tamarind chutney. If you like the taste of fresh onions and jalapeño chilies, add some fresh chopped onion and jalapeño chilies to the mix.
This papdi is gluten-free.
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Indian, Mexican

 

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