Alu Methi de Parathe (Spicy Fenugreek Leaves and Potato Stuffed Indian Flat bread)
2:15 AM
It was a chilly January night in Delhi and I could not realize how late it was till I came out of the office. The time was just the day before leaving for a fair exhibition in abroad and as usual the preparation was hectic. Selecting the new designs, getting the prototypes made by the sample department, arranging them as per the requirement and the last minute talks with the buyer always kept us super busy for a couple of weeks before the fair. As a new trainee I was enjoying every bit of this freaking madness at work and dint understand how bad it could be to get out of the office so late at night.
Everyone except three of us in a specific department were left and all the office cars were on duty for the trip and the only one left was waiting for us to complete the work so that he could deliver the package to airport. Luckily all three of us lived nearby, they in a hostel and I in my small flat so we decided to share the car on its way to the airport. But when the car reached our locality from Noida it was quite late and the driver had to move fast to reach airport on time. Don’t know what got into me that I decided to get down at the crossing from where my flat was a km away. I only realized the blunder when the stark emptiness of the roads struck me hard. It was already 12 and not a single person was there in the vicinity.
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| Home Grown Methi |
That day I was so preoccupied and scared that I forgot to thank him...and I have no idea how I'd have thanked him then…May be should have touched his feet. Later I looked for him in almost all the auto stands around but never get to see him again. Till date whenever I think of that night I freeze to the thought of what could have happened to me if the Sardarji would not have saved me almost from a deserted road. Though he never gave me a chance to say a mere thanks but he has helped me to rekindle my faith in humanity, in good human beings who still exist, without whom the world could not have been the way it is. Till date whenever someone does something ill and I feel like losing my trust, I remember him. That Tall old, bearded, turban-clad Sardarji, belonging to a community known for their physical and mental strength and their chivalry. Who almost came to rescue me like a guardian angel and then disappeared. The incident still makes me feel guilt for not finding him but like many times, I today again pray to God for his well being. May God bless him and his loved ones with all the happiness of Heaven and Earth. Amen!
The alu paratha that I made yesterday for dinner was prepared with the homegrown methi leaves. Generally these types of parathas are made only with boiled potatoes but I wanted to increase the food value so incorporated the leaves and it lend its beautiful delicate aroma to the stuffing. It looked good with some green speckles and tasted even better with a bowl of boondi raita. Sometimes I even make them with leftover Alu Methi ki sabzi (potato fenugreek leaves curry).
Methi Alu de Parathe
(makes 6)
For the stuffing:
Potatoes: 2 medium
Fenugreek leaves: 1 cup tightly packed
Onion: 1 medium; chopped
Ginger: 1” piece
Coriander seeds: 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Dry red chilies: 3
Chat masala (optional): 1 tsp
Bhaja masala: 1 tsp
Salt
Turmeric
Oil: 1 tbsp
For the dough:
Whole-wheat flour: 2 cups
All purpose flour: 1 cup
Vegetable oil: 3 tsp
Salt
Warm water
Oil for frying: ½ tsp for frying every piece. You can also use ghee or butter to intensify the richness.
Method:
first make the dough. Sieve in the salt and flours together. Add the caraway seeds, shortening and rub to get a crumb like consistency. Start adding warm water little by little to have firm dough. On a floured surface knead for 3-4 minutes to make it soft. Cover and set aside.Boil the potatoes till soft. Peel and mash with little salt.
Pick and chop the fenugreek leaves. wash and drain the excess water.
Take the ginger, red chilies and coriander seeds in a blender and blend to have a slightly coarse paste.
Heat oil and temper with chopped green chilies and cumin seeds. When splutter add in the chopped onion and fry on low till lightly browned. Mix in the ginger paste, turmeric and salt and fry till oil separates at the sides.
Tip in the chopped fenugreek leaves and fry till a nice aroma comes through.
Now mix in the mashed potato and mix everything together. Check the seasoning and mix again to bring everything together.
Take off from heat and let it cool.
Once its cold add the bhaja masala and chaat masala and using your hand knead to get an even mixture.
Now make 6 equal balls from the dough and smoothen them by rolling between your palms. Pressing in the middle give it a bowl like shape and stuff a big spoonful of the potato stuffing.
Bring the sides together at the center and seal to make a tightly packed round pouch.
repeat the same with the other doughs. keep covered.
Now take one stuffed pouch and flatten the stuffed pouch and roll on a floured surface. The paratha would be thick.
Now heat a non stick or cast iron tawa (griddle) and carefully trasfer one paratha. Cook on medium high till you see tiny bubbles appearing on the surface. Flip and cook again for another minute.
Drizzle droplets of oil at the sides and also on the top. Flip again when the parathas are nicely cooked with little brown spots on the surface.
Keep covered.
Serve hot with raita and pickle of your choice.
A Homemaker's Note:
you can also make the paratha with left over alu methi curry.
I dont like to add garlic whenever am using fresh fenugreek leaves as the delicate flavour of the greens are somehow lost that way.
Events:
1. Think Spice;Think Fenugreek and event started by Sunita and this month hosted at Mahro Rajasthan's Recipe.
2. Global Kadai this month hosted at Sandhya's kitchen and the theme she chose is Indian flavored flat bread.A monthly event started by Cilantro.
3. Iftar Moments: Hijri 1431; a beautiful event started by Ayeesha to celebrate the feasts after the fast of Ramadhan.
4. Scrumptious delights from Leftovers at seduce your taste buds.
5. Dish name starts with 'A' a new event started at Akila's Learning to cook.
Tags:
Indian flat bread, Indian stuffed bread, Indian bread, Potato stuffed Indian Bread, stuffed Indian bread, North Indian stuffed flat bread, Indian breakfast bread, fenygreek stuffed bread, Spicy potato n greens flat bread, Punjabi cuisine, Indian cuisine, Spicy potato in paratha, paratha, stuffed paratha, spicy paratha, green paratha, alu paratha, paratha raita, how to make Indian stuffed bread, how to make dough for Indian bread, less oil paratha, butter free bread, potato bread.
Posts
49 comments
Looks soo tempting.. delicious!!
ReplyDeleteI believe there are more good people than bad on this earth ....
ReplyDeletemethi aloo de paronthe tusi sardar ji de waste banaye ne......:)
My husband loves methi alu or pyaj alu ke paranthe n he always wants some fresh malai with it.....it is awesome with fresh malai n i advise you to try it that way if you haven't already.
I am going to try these parathas soon! I love aloo methi and your recipe looks delicious :-)
ReplyDeletedroolworthy and delicious paratha.
ReplyDeleteNice parathas with methis leaves
ReplyDeleteSayantani,
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the read. Even one percent of good people make all the difference in this world. When in fear and someone turns up to bring relief, it seems an angel has come to help...it happens to good people, isn't it?
aanek din pore tomake first comment korchi. Methi porota khete khoob bhalo lage aar healthy-o-to.
Nice sharing.
Ofcourse there are good people in the world but they are hard to find by. You were really lucky ...
ReplyDeleteAmi methi porota ar aloo r porotha alada khechi kintu mix kore kono din try kori ni. Darun hobe khete....Step by step pics are helpful.
Madhuri of Cook Curry- Nook is planning a blog meet in Bangalore if interested let me know
Deepa
Hamaree Rasoi
Delicious n healthy paratha...one of my fav in parathas
ReplyDeleteyour story gave me goose bumps..i firmly believe that this world is sustaining itself because of those few good people..
ReplyDeletethe parathas look delectable , liked the idea of the allo methi stuffing,will try next time i make aloo paratha..loved the step by step pics.
really ur so lucky.As he told, in life u canget so many jobs but life is precious.
ReplyDeleteAlumethi paratha looks delicous.nice combo and that too with home made methilleaves,such an organice one
delicious paratha ...love the combination of alu n methi....beautiful clicks n tempting clicks dear
ReplyDeleteSatya
http://www.superyummyrecipes.com
Sayantani, God does not reveal himself does he? Only through people like the sardarji do we really see him.
ReplyDeleteTasty paratha, never fails to please all those who taste them.
wow.. luks delicious and soft... yummy... loved the way u explained.. u have lovely space.. good collection recipes... if u find time visit m y blog.. happy to follow ur blog
ReplyDeleteDelicious parathas..
ReplyDeletei am delhiite and know that it can be really scary at night..plus i think the area around Noida side is all the more isolated..it is so true that there are nice people who are ready to help and do not take advantage of the situation..
ReplyDeletemy stomach is callign out to me after seeing those paranthas...how i miss mom's paranthas in US..great blgo you have ..:)
http://weddingonthecards.blogspot.com/
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSayantani, wonderful write up....and I too believe that good people still exist....mainly when we start to lose our faith at that time the angels appear to save us....
ReplyDeleteLOve that recipe too..i too prepare the aloo paratha with methi ,coriander etc to spice it up more...
Sorry mistakenly I deleted my comment....
looks so yummy,i love this combo but never tried it for a paratha...
ReplyDeleteIt is good that you met such a kindly person.
ReplyDeleteThe stuffed flat bread looks delicious and I do like boondi raita
Sayantani That sure must have been an angel in the form of the Sardarji! I believe in them. The Parathas look luscious.
ReplyDeleteThis proves that God helps us when we are in real need. God bless Sardarji and his family for the timely help. Those parathas look great with fresh methi leaves.
ReplyDeleteThis is truly a well written post. Kudos to you!!
Thank you Sayantani for visiting my blog .... I am glad you liked it. First time here and I luv it.
ReplyDeleteHave bookmarked few of your recipes.
Cheers n Happy Cooking,
Satrupa
http://satrupa-foodforthought.blogspot.com
Great writeup, Sayantani..Paratha looks delicious..Tempting pictures..
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by.
ReplyDeleteI like to use home grown veggies in my kitchen...alu-methi parathas luks yummy.
Wow!!! Perfect looking parathas. Must be delicious.
ReplyDeleteGod bless him and his family with all the happiness in life..its really hard to find good people on earth but they are the ones who make all the difference..really touched with your story..thanks for sharing dear!
ReplyDeleteAloo methi paratha looks incredible!
lovely pictures..especially the last one..yummo
ReplyDeleteKi perfect hoyeche paratha, ar methi diye definitely ekta sundor ghondo thakbe
ReplyDeletesayantini what a scary situation u were..in any bad situation some one will be there for u ..GOD is always with us .. i was picturising the situaltion.. omg thanks to that sardarji auto uncle..
ReplyDeleteThe Alu methi paatah looks so delicious .very nicely explianed
Lovely step wise presentation of the parathas..
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you.. we all have one or the other stranger in our life who had made a huge impact on us and we are thankful ..
Its tough to find a good human being..Thanx to Sardarji who was ur saviour that day!!
ReplyDeleteThe parathas look wonderful..nice clicks dear...
Methi aloo de parathe, the name itself makes me hungry, great looking parathas dear..
ReplyDeletevery nice blog..........plz visit my blog if time permits......http://lets-cook-something.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteHi Sayanthini,
ReplyDeleteYou have a wonderful blog...
I didnt get your entries in my mail.
Send it to - events.akilaskitchen@gmail.com
If it is not working then send to my personal mail id - a.akilandeswari@gmail.com
Thanks for participating dear.
i love the combo of aloo methi .. yumm
ReplyDeleteHi. I am really touched by your write up, surely that Sardarji was an angel.
ReplyDeleteThis is my favorite paratha for winter and I agree with Sangeeta that malai does taste good but for me yogurt's the best.
nice! I have had methi paratha and aloo paratha separately, but never in one shot!
ReplyDeleteThat was really adventurous ...anyways thanks to Sardarji everything was fine with you ..
ReplyDeletegood people do exist and I believe God sends some angels to rescue us from these uninvited dangers in life..
methi porotha and aloor porotha alada kheyechi ek sathe noye ..eyi ta besh bhalo lagche ..delicious..
hugs and smiles
Hey Sayantani,there is an award waiting for you in my blog, please come n collect it dear.
ReplyDeleteI believe, good things happens with good people, If you be good with people, God will help you whenever needed. At bad times, just pray to God and he'll rescue you..it happens with me always...aloo methi paratha looks so lip-smacking, I can taste it from your clicks..nice stuffing
ReplyDeleteI like the positivity in your recollection of Delhi, a city which slowly grew on me and now I miss it.
ReplyDeleteI have never had alu methi ke parathe, but just the Gujrati version of it - theplas.
Will give this a try for sure.
Your Story reminds us that there are still good people out there.. thank you for sharing... loved your methi de parathe and procedure writeup..
ReplyDeleteGrab an award from my blog tomorrow :) Congrats
ReplyDeleteWow, that looks amazing !!! Beautiful and tempting pics. Thanks for sending this to my entry.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sayanti for the lovely recipe, will be trying out today for dinner. I have one question, can I add kasuri methi instead of real methi leaves. I guess i wont be getting Methi leaves during this time of the year...
ReplyDelete@Anon, yes you can always use kasoori methi. the aroma would be different but would be nice. also you can grow methi leaves in a pot all around the year. just soak some methi seeds and on the soil (in a pot). water everyay and will get home grown methi leaves in no time.
ReplyDeleteLoved the write up.Yes he must have been ur guardian angel!Good people do exist.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sending this wonderful paratha to the event:)
delicious flavourful roti
ReplyDeleteI think he was a God send Angel.tomar golpo shune aamar nijer ee bhoye korchilo.will make this paratha soon :)
ReplyDelete