Also known as Aloo Paratha.
Okay, so if there is koraishutir kochuri, machher kochuri, hing-er kochuri or even the humble daalpuri, the chance that I'd notice the aloo porota in the corner is narrow, very narrow. Of all the stuffed and deep-fried flatbreads I love, I probably cherish aloo porota just that bit less because, and may I be struck down by proletariet lightning, potatoes are just so common. Give me the sweet winter green peas anyday. Or the freshwater white fish. Or even the lentil paste flavoured with asafoetida. Compared to that... potatoes? Nah.
Still, when it's summer and you can't get decent green peas (yeah yeah frozen blah. You like frozen peas, YOU eat them), and fresh-caught freshwater fish is too expensive to stuff kochuris with, and getting that lentil paste to taste of asfoetida just the right way is too much work, potatoes it has to be. And quite frankly, I'll take aloo porota over most other non-flatbread food anyway. Fried stuffed flatbread? Always for the win.
Okay, here are the very simple steps. Recipe in photo-captions. Pretty cool, isn't it?
Try it NOW! Or just make them now, and pop them in the microwave and eat later :-) Pickles are a good accompaniment, or raita. You know how to make raita, right? Just chop some cucumber, tomatoes and onions. Beat them into yogurt (and a little whey) with some salt and your flavouring of choice (like, dry-ground cumin seeds).
Okay, so if there is koraishutir kochuri, machher kochuri, hing-er kochuri or even the humble daalpuri, the chance that I'd notice the aloo porota in the corner is narrow, very narrow. Of all the stuffed and deep-fried flatbreads I love, I probably cherish aloo porota just that bit less because, and may I be struck down by proletariet lightning, potatoes are just so common. Give me the sweet winter green peas anyday. Or the freshwater white fish. Or even the lentil paste flavoured with asafoetida. Compared to that... potatoes? Nah.
Still, when it's summer and you can't get decent green peas (yeah yeah frozen blah. You like frozen peas, YOU eat them), and fresh-caught freshwater fish is too expensive to stuff kochuris with, and getting that lentil paste to taste of asfoetida just the right way is too much work, potatoes it has to be. And quite frankly, I'll take aloo porota over most other non-flatbread food anyway. Fried stuffed flatbread? Always for the win.
Okay, here are the very simple steps. Recipe in photo-captions. Pretty cool, isn't it?
Mash mushy-boiled potatoes with salt, ground black pepper, sugar and slit green chilies.
Add chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
Gratuitous "look at the pretty green stuff!" shot.
Mix them in (with a spatula in this case)
That's the dough, mixed with oil, salt, sugar and warm water and divided into small flattened balls.
Push in each flattened dough-ball to make a cup, and fill it with some mashed potato.
Twist the edges together to seal the filling in.
Press the little twisted-together crown back onto the dough-ball and flatten it again.
Roll it out gently. GENTLY. I mean it.
Slide in onto a hot griddle, tawa or skillet. Toast till it acquires lovely golden spots.
Like this. When you get here, pour oil or butter or ghee around the edge of the porota. Fry both sides. Please don't stint on the butter/oil/ghee. Your heart will not know the difference, and your tastebuds will never forgive you.
This is what it looks like at the final stage. The golden spots are now golden-brown. Mmm! It is so. incredibly. good.
Try it NOW! Or just make them now, and pop them in the microwave and eat later :-) Pickles are a good accompaniment, or raita. You know how to make raita, right? Just chop some cucumber, tomatoes and onions. Beat them into yogurt (and a little whey) with some salt and your flavouring of choice (like, dry-ground cumin seeds).
4 comments:
This looks beyond scrumptious. I am so cooking it this weekend. Thanks!!!!!
Tui janish, alur porota was the only oasis of my year-long tenure in Delhi? The kabab joints were too far off, and I clung on to alur porota for a life amidst gargoyles disguised as paneer (or as they say in Delhi, pneer) dishes.
Clarissa--you're most welcome! Let me know how it went :-)
Abhishek--I believe you. In the US, we had an Indian place close by that made excellent rootis, horrible biryani, and mediocre everything else. They were Delhi folks and they did not make aloo porota. Hard to believe, eh? So then I used to make these and freeze them, and thaw them for lunch every now and then.
Dear Klimt, unlike most spammers, your blog is actually pretty, but it is also in Japanese, so I'm afraid I won't get anything out of it. Thank your for visiting.
Try Aloo Paratha with the following filling; you might just elevate it to rank above Daalpuri:
Aloo sheddho (but, naturally), aada (preferably baata, since it blends well, but grated will do just fine), chopped onions, chopped green chilli. Coriander leaves, if you ...like the flavour. Salt to taste. *If* you want a slight tangy flavour, you can add a shot of lebu, but I personally do not like that. Mix them well, then pack into the dough bowl before rolling it out and toasting and frying as before.
Oh, and I also make the parathas with Atta as opposed to Maida. Now, atta poses a problem with the rolling out, since it invariably breaks, so 70:30 of atta:maida does the trick just fine, without taking away the taste of atta.
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