Potato And Lambsquarter Leaves Stuffed Paratha (Bread) - Free From Onion and Garlic
Aloo Bathua Paratha
Bathua or Lamb's-quarters/pig-weed (Chenopodium album) is a summer weed in UK. I have seen it growing abundantly in the wild, along the footpaths. It grows even in the cities In UK, I have seen it along the pavements in London, probably nourished courtesy our many dogs!
it is a popular leaf vegetables India during the winter months. It is cooked like spinach. It can be mixed with Chicken and meat curries, to make a Saag dish, or with new potatoes to make a lovely vegetable dish, with yoghurt to make a delicious Raita and to dough to give a distinctive taste to Roti poori/puri or Paratha. Bathua has medicinal uses in some skin conditions and its oil is used to treat hook worms. It is said to be high in vitamin A, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, trace minerals, B-complex vitamins, vitamin C, iron, and fibre. Do not use it from beds where insecticides or leaf fertilisers have been used.
Makes-10.
Edited January 2024
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups (approximately 500 gm.)chapatti flour (keep a little aside on a plate, to use for dusting)
- 300 ml. water approximately. Add a little more or a little less until you get a soft dough
- 1 bunch of bathua (100-150 gm.)
- 2-3 medium potatoes
- 1 tsp. chilli powder
- A pinch of hing or asafoetida powder
- 1 tsp. Garam Masala powder
- Salt to taste
- Oil for pan frying
Instructions
- Place chapatti flour in a bowl, add enough water to make medium soft dough. It should not be too soft to make it difficult to roll out or too firm to make parathas hard. Keep aside covered with a moist cloth.
- Boil (or microwave cook for 5-6 minutes), cool, peel and mash the potato.
- Boil (or microwave on full for 3-4 minutes) the bathua leaves. Drain and squeeze all the water out, there should not be any water left it it, or you won't be able to roll out parathas. When cool, mash lightly.
- Mix well bathua leaves, potatoes, hing, salt, chilli powder and garam masala powder.
- Take a golf ball size portion of the dough and make it into a ball.
- Flatten with your hand or roll out to 2-3 inch or 7-8 cm. size circle.
- Place one generous tsp. of the potato/bathua mix in the centre. Pull the edges together, to close the ball again, with the stuffing inside.
- Smooth the ball by rolling between your palms, flatten and dip in a plate of dry flour.
- Roll it out with a rolling pin (belan) into a 6-8 inch circle.
- Heat the pan or tava to medium hot and place the rolled paratha on it.
- After a minute or so, turn it over.
- Brush it gently with oil on both sides. I use a small ladle for this purpose. Fry it to nice and crispish brown on both sides.
- Serve immediately with pickles and yoghurt or Lassi 1, Lassi 2 or Lassi 3.
- Repeat the procedure with the rest of the portions.
Notes
- To make poori, make the balls a little smaller, roll out to 4 inch or 9-10 cm. size disc. Deep fry until golden brown on both sides.
- This recipe can be used for making methi or Fenugreek leaves paratha too. Also see Methi Paratha and Aloo Methi Paratha