The regular aloo paratha is turned into a spicy and flavorful dish by adding achari to it. It’s basically a delicious flatbread made with whole wheat flour and filled with boiled potatoes that taste like pickles. With curd, any raita, or any dal of your choice, achari aloo paratha makes a filling breakfast or lunch. It’s good food to take on a trip, and it’s also good for lunch. I flavored this paratha with the pickle masala from my homemade mango pickle. This achari aloo paratha is vegan, has no onions or garlic, and is one of the best things to make when you don’t have any fresh fruits or vegetables but still want to make something delicious and filling.
My family loves having aloo paratha for breakfast, especially in the winter. It’s heaven to eat hot parathas with a spicy potato filling, a lot of homemade ghee or butter, and some sweetened yogurt or raita. When you add achari flavors to it, it tastes even better. Even my little one likes to pack this flavorful paratha in his lunch box. We don’t eat a lot of spicy food, but every once in a while, it’s nice to treat our taste buds to something hot.
The best thing about this paratha is that it only needs a few simple ingredients that almost every kitchen has on hand. In fact, when I don’t have enough fresh fruits and vegetables, the first thing I think of is making this aloo paratha. Aside from that, dried pulses and rice can be used to make different kinds of idlis, chillas, and crepes. I also keep on hand different kinds of sprouted beans and soaked chickpeas that can be used in stir-fries and curries. Aside from this, my family’s favorite meals are Punjabi kadhi pakora and rajma masala. I served achari aloo paratha with Boondi Raita, Rajma Pulao, and spicy raw mango pickle that I made myself. This whole spread is filling and healthy and doesn’t need any fresh vegetables or fruit.
Renu asked us to make a dish that is filling and can be made with rice, dried pulses, and legumes or other ingredients that don’t need fresh fruits and vegetables. Often, we don’t know what to cook that is healthy, tasty, and filling when we get back from vacation, have unexpected guests, or can’t stock our fridge with vegetables and fruits for some reason. Through this thoughtful theme, Renu wanted us to give our readers some ideas for healthy meals they could make even when their fridge was empty. So, let’s get started making some tasty achari aloo paratha right away.
15 minutes to get ready.
Cooking time: 15 minutes
4 people.
For the outer layer of paratha, you need:
• 1 cup of whole wheat flour • 1 teaspoon of oil • 1/4 teaspoon of salt • 1/4 teaspoon of carom seeds/ajwain (optional)
For the stuffing, you need:
• 1 cup of grated boiled potatoes (about 2 large potatoes) • 1 teaspoon of crushed fennel seeds • 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder
• One teaspoon of red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon of pickle masala (use the masala from any pickle you like) • 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh mint leaves (optional)
• Salt to taste
Method:
1. Use a pressure cooker to boil two large potatoes. In the meantime, put whole wheat flour in a mixing bowl. Depending on how you like it, add oil, carom seeds, and salt. Mix it up. Now add a little water at a time and knead the flour into a soft dough. Put a little bit of oil on the dough and cover it for 10 minutes.
2. Put the grated potato in a different bowl. Add some crushed fennel seeds, mint leaves, turmeric powder, chilli powder, pickle masala, and salt to taste. Blend things well. The filling for our paratha is now ready.
3. Now, divide the dough and potato filling into equal parts. Take one piece of dough and use a rolling pin to flatten it into a small disc. Keep one portion of achari potato stuffing on top of it, and then bring all the edges of the disc together and seal it in the middle.
4. Sprinkle a little whole wheat flour on the surface you will be working on. Keep the side that is sealed down and gently roll out the stuffed dough ball to make a round paratha. You can make the paratha thick or thin, depending on your taste. My family likes it a little bit thinner, so that’s how I made it.
5. Carefully place the rolled-out paratha on a hot tawa or skillet and cook it on medium heat until it has spots of golden brown color. Turn it over and cook the other side.
6. We’re ready to eat our delicious achari aloo paratha. Make the rest of the parathas in the same way. You can put ghee or butter on a cooked paratha or put it under the broiler to make it richer and more delicious.
7. Serve the achari aloo paratha hot with the curd or raita of your choice. I served it with boondi raita, rajma pulao, and spicy raw mango pickle.
