Indian Potato Bread (Aloo Paratha)

How to prepare indian potato bread (aloo paratha)

1. Put the flour in a bowl and make a well in the center. Add the salt and water there. Gradually pull the flour over the water, mixing with your fingers until the dough comes together. Add the oil.
2. Knead the dough by hand until smooth. I kneaded it for about 2-3 minutes by hand and then in a bread machine on the 13-minute kneading program. If kneading exclusively by hand, knead for at least 10 minutes.
3. Place the dough on a floured work surface and cover with a bowl. Let it rest for 1 to 5 hours (the longer, the better; I left mine for 2.5 hours).
4. For the filling, peel the potatoes, cut into cubes, and boil in salted water until done.
5. While the potatoes are boiling, finely chop the onion and saute in oil for 10-15 minutes (until very soft). Add the spices (cumin, coriander, chili, turmeric, pepper). Stir well for another 30 seconds on the heat.
6. Drain the potatoes (reserve 2-3 tablespoons water) and mash like for puree. Add the sauteed onion with spices, the 2-3 tablespoons of reserved water, and mix until smooth. Add salt to taste and the finely chopped herbs.
8. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces.
9. Flatten each piece a bit with your hand (a disc slightly larger than your palm) on a floured work surface.
10. Place 1 tablespoon of filling in the center. Lift the edges of the dough over the filling and seal. Turn over with the sealed side down.
11. Flatten the resulting bun with your hands until you get a thick disc. Then continue to roll with a rolling pin until the greens from the filling are clearly visible (the sheet will be about 3mm thick).
12. Heat a cast iron or non-stick pan very well (5 minutes over high heat). When hot, dab the pan with a paper towel dipped in oil. You will dab the pan with oil before cooking each bread.
14. Cook each bread in the pan for 3 minutes on the first side and 2-3 minutes on the second side (check underneath to ensure it has golden spots all over the surface). After removing the bread from the pan, you can dab it with a little oil or rub a cube of butter over it (outside fasting periods).
15. Stack the cooked breads on a plate and cover with foil until you finish them all.
16. Cut each bread into eight, like pizza. Serve warm with pickles or yogurt (outside fasting periods).

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