I love stuffed parathas of all kinds especially during the winter season. Aloo methi is one of my favorite sabji to make all through winter. I remember often mom used to stuff the leftovers inside the dough and make parathas. That warm paratha paired with a cold bowl of yogurt and achar is one of my most comforting food memory. Leftovers or not, these aloo methi parathas are a regular in my home throughout the cold season. Parathas are a thing of beauty! These unleavened flatbreads are a crowd favorite and in our homes, usually made with atta (wholewheat flour). If you are a fan of stuffed parathas, here are other similar recipes like stuffed paneer paratha and palak paneer paratha.
About Recipe
Aloo methi paratha are soft to eat and the best part is that they taste great at room temperature so they travel well too. Whenever I am cooking with methi leaves, I like to keep the flavorings very simple so that the true taste of methi shines. Here I begin preparing the stuffing by sautéing boiled potatoes and fresh methi leaves together with garlic, chili flakes and few powdered spices. Go light handed on spices! You can skip the garlic in the stuffing if you wish, however methi & garlic is very lovely paired together. If you dont want to saute the stuffing, thats perfectly fine too, however I feel that this extra step makes the parathas taste really delicious. Once the stuffing is cooled, simply place a small ball in dough and roll to a 6 or 7 inch circle. The dough is my plain paratha dough recipe. The pictures included later in this post will help you understand better. Also, dont forget to read the tips section.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need for making these parathas.
Methi or Fresh fenugreek leaves are easily available in indian grocery stores during cold months. You could also use frozen methi that is available year round. If you want, you can also use 1- 2 tablespoon of kasuri methi if you cannot find fresh or frozen. Kasuri methi isn’t a substitute for fresh methi, however in this particular recipe it works!
Please go through my aloo methi sabji and methi dal posts on how to clean store and prepare fresh methi leaves.
How To Make Aloo Methi Paratha (Step By Step)
Make The Dough Make a soft and pliable paratha dough (see instructions here). Let the dough rest while you make the stuffing. You could make the dough in a bowl or in a food processor (I do the same). Make The Stuffing Mash the potatoes with your hands or a masher. Dont grate the potatoes. We want some texture, it’s okay to have small pieces. Chop the methi using a sharp knife. In a pan, heat up the oil and temper with garlic & chilli flakes. Add chopped methi and saute for 1-2 minutes till wilted. Add the potato along with spices and salt and saute for about 1-2 minutes. Let stuffing cool down. Stuff & Roll the Paratha On a floured surface or a chakla, place a small dough ball and flatten slightly. Sprinkle dry flour and roll it into a 3 or 4 inch circle. Place the stuffing in the center and bring the sides of the dough together to make a small parcel. While dusting with flour as needed, roll the stuffed dough parcel into a 6 or 7 inch circle. Pro tip - Stuffed parathas taste better when they are rolled not too thick or thin. While rolling don’t apply a a lot of pressure else the dough will tear and the stuffing will come out. Cook the paratha on wawa Place the stuffed paratha on the hot tawa. When you see small bubbles on the top flip, brush oil and then flip again to let cook on the oil side. Brush oil on the second side, flip and cook till both the sides are golden. Pro Tip - Personally, I dont press the stuffed parathas while cooking them because then the layers start sticking together. For a flaky and crispy parathas, allow to cook low and slow flipping and browning on both sides as needed on a constant heat.
How To Make Aloo Methi Paratha Without Stuffing
If you want to make aloo methi parathas in a hurry, you can skip the stuffing part! Simply add all the ingredients for the stuffing to atta (whole wheat flour) and knead adding water slowly to make a soft & pliable dough. You cannot rest the dough for long else the methi will start releasing water. Rest for 10-15 minutes and then make the parathas. Roll the parathas into any kind of shape- round, triangle or square and fry on a tawa similar to plain parathas(detailed recipe in this post).
Tips for Success
Dough
Always make a fresh dough. Avoid using dough lying around in the fridge. Do not add a too much salt to the dough else as the dough rests, it starts getting sticky and you will have a difficulty rolling it. Rolling takes practice to come naturally. The thing with flatbreads is that you get better the more you make them. Dont be frustrated if you cannot get a perfect shape. If you ask me, taste should be good 🙂 Always rest the dough for 10-15 minutes, this rests the gluten in the atta.
Stuffing & Rolling
Make sure that there are no big pieces of potatoes else the parathas will tear when you roll. Do not over fill the stuffing. It will start to come out when you roll. If you roll the parathas too thin, they will not be soft or if you roll thick(they will remain uncooked). Dont use a lot of dry flour while rolling the parathas, it will burn when you cook the parathas and there will be black specks on the paratha(that look quite unappetizing).
Cooking The Parathas
The texture of paratha is dependent on the material of skillet. Personally, I use a heavy tawa or cast iron griddle for cooking the paratha, however non stick or aluminum pans work too (I feel that the parathas aren’t that khasta(crispy flaky) when cooked on those). For a flaky and crisp parathas that are soft on the inside, allow to cook on a constant heat, flipping and browning as needed.
Serving & Storing
Serve aloo methi parathas with a bowl of yogurt and achar. I like to add a few onion slices on top along with a dollop of butter. To store, cool down the parathas on a cookie rack or similar. Stack them with a wax paper in between and store refrigerated for 3-4 days. Warm on a heated tawa or in a microwave(for 5-7 seconds) and serve. You can freeze these parathas too. Thaw overnight and warm as mentioned above.
