Palak Alu Paratha | Spinach Potato Indian Bread

I am very fond of paratha varieties, be it stuffed or just flavoured. I look out for different combos that I can use as filling or flavouring agent for my parathas.

I had this bunch of spinach in the fridge and they looked so green and fresh, I just had to use them up. Spinach, just as is I felt wouldn't lend too much taste to my parathas, so I looked for something else that I could team it up with. Boiled potatoes! I had read somewhere, that adding boiled potatoes to chapathi dough, makes it real soft and gives it a different and delightful texture. I thought... why not?!

Spinach and potatoes got along really well in this recipe. I used a puree of spinach and boiled, mashed potatoes, which I added along with the dough. So basically this isn't a stuffed paratha, it is a Spinach and Potato flavoured paratha with a lovely olive green colour! :)

Try it out, am sure you would love it! :) 

Ingredients

Wheat Flour - 2 cups
Spinach - 1 bunch
Potatoes - 1, boiled
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/2 tsp
Green Chilli - 1
Cumin Powder - 2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Sesame Seeds - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Water - as needed

Method

• Roughly chop the spinach bunch.

• In a microwave-safe bowl, toss in the chopped spinach and the boiled potato pieces along with a little water (just to cover them) and then set the timer to 2 minutes.
• Once they are blanched, set them aside to cool.

• Once cooled, blend together spinach, potato, ginger garlic paste, green chilly and a dash of salt. Add in water little by little, to get a semi thick puree.

• In a mixing bowl, take wheat flour and pour in this blended puree in the middle.
• Add chili powder, sesame seeds, cumin powder, a drizzle of oil and a pinch of salt (remember there is already salt in the puree).

• Using water as needed, knead the mixture into a firm dough ball. 
• Keep aside for a few minutes, covered in order to avoid the dough from getting too dry.

• Make smaller lemon sized  dough balls of the big dough ball. 
• Dust the work flour with flour and roll out each of the dough balls into flat rounds. 
• Heat a griddle and roast these parathas with a bit of ghee.

Oh, those of you who make perfect round regular chapathis, if the first few of these parathas don't cooperate and refuse to turn out perfect rounds, don't give in... the addition of potatoes in the dough makes the it a little sticky and harder to roll them out. 

After about 2-3 bizarre shaped ones... you will get the hang of it - experience speaks! :D

• The addition of potatoes in the dough makes this super soft and the texture is delightful. 
• Yum them up while still warm! 
• Serve with pickle of your choice or a simple raita! :)