|
|
 |
|
Flour power can make or break (literally) stuffed paratha
• by Julia M. Usher • Photo by Josh Monken
|
 |
|
|
Aloo paratha, a stuffed whole-wheat flatbread, hails from northern India. At House of India in University City, proprietors Satish Kumar and Neelam Khurana serve up some of the most satisfying paratha in town. To offer my sincerest praise, I set out this month to duplicate their work.
Traditionally, paratha is cooked on a tava, a concave cast-iron griddle; at House of India, it’s baked in a tandoor. I own neither tava nor tandoor, but my research said that a cast-iron skillet would fit the bill. The dough seemed simple enough as well: about 3 cups flour, a few tablespoons ghee (clarified butter) or oil for tenderness, a smidge of salt to enhance flavor and enough lukewarm water to bring the dough together. In the case of paratha, the flour of preference is chapati (sometimes called atta*), a finely milled, high-protein whole-wheat flour that looks a lot like refined cornmeal. Surely, I thought, replicating my restaurant-indulgence at home would be a no-brainer.
Looking back now, I might have been less confident had I registered that very few recipes specified the quantity of water. Where the amount was indicated, it differed by as much as 50 percent for the same amount of flour. For my initial test, I blithely chose the low end (½ cup water), yet the dough was so dry it would not hold together. When I used the largest suggested quantity (¾ cup water), the dough could be formed into a ball, but with a lot of work. I rolled and cooked it anyway, only to find it rubbery and tough – not at all like the flaky, tender disks from House of India.
Time to seek help. In this case, from an experienced local home cook named Jyoti Desai and cookbook author Raghavan Iyer. Both offered the same critique: I didn’t add enough water. “The dough needs to be quite soft so it can stretch and accommodate the filling,” Iyer explained. He described the optimal consistency as similar to supple pizza dough that moves easily when poked with a finger. Desai concurred: “The dough must be sticky enough that you have to dust with flour when you knead it.”
But I wanted a formula – some basic ratios that would reduce this apparent art to science. Unfortunately, none of my sources could pin down an exact water quantity. Most work without a recipe and, as Iyer pointed out, “There is often a huge variation in water uptake from bag to bag, even within the same brand of flour.” Though he attributed this variability to inconsistent flour processing standards in India and to changes in humidity, I wasn’t convinced. Mind you, I did observe a difference in water absorption between brands. But both brands I used are milled in Canada, not India, and the amount of water they absorbed did not vary from day to day – even with our erratic Missouri weather.
A better explanation for these differences relates to protein content. The higher the protein content, the more water needed to get the dough to the right texture. If you make flour substitutions, beware.
Knowing the protein content of your flour is important for another reason. High-protein wheat flour generally has a high gluten content as well, which means it will yield a strong and elastic dough – one very easily rolled to the thinness (about 1∕8 to ¼-inch thick) required to make flaky paratha. As such, I caution against lower-protein flour substitutes.
Along the way, I gleaned additional tips for making high-grade paratha. Among them: Let the dough rest 30 minutes after kneading so the gluten can relax. (A little downtime will allow you to roll the dough even thinner.) Make sure your filling is dry and not overly mashed. (A slippery filling makes it more difficult to roll paratha to the desired thickness.) And roll gently, coaxing the dough to as large a diameter as possible without any potatoes popping out. (You should see the filling through the dough, however.)
My paratha weren’t as delicate as those at House of India, but they were tasty and their texture has greatly improved since I learned the importance of flour power. I’ll keep practicing, as some aspects of this art evidently cannot be reduced to science.
*When choosing atta for paratha, be sure the package specifies whole-wheat (usually durum) flour.
Prep School Archive
View Complete Archive
|
|
 |
 |
|
House of India’s inspiring aloo paratha is pictured at left.
Sweet Potato Paratha
6 6- to 7-inch breads
For a wonderful contrast of sweetness and spice all in one bread, try this spin on aloo paratha.
For the dough:
3 cups chapati flour*
1½ tsp. table salt
¼ cup melted ghee or vegetable oil
About 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. lukewarm water
Additional flour for your work surface
Additional melted ghee or vegetable oil for brushing on the dough
For the filling:
1 lb. sweet potatoes, roasted and peeled
1 cup peeled and chopped onion, sautéed in 1 Tbsp. ghee or oil until caramelized, then patted dry
½ cup chopped cilantro leaves, patted dry
1 Tbsp. peeled and coarsely grated fresh ginger
4 seeded and minced serrano chiles (or to taste)
1 tsp. table salt
1 tsp. garam masala
• Prepare the dough: Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Pour ¼ cup melted ghee or vegetable oil evenly over the top. Using your fingers or a fork, work the fat into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Stir in the water, a few tablespoons at a time, until the dough comes together in a slightly sticky ball.
• Knead the dough until very smooth and elastic, at least 2 to 3 minutes, dusting your work surface with flour as needed. Brush the mass lightly with ghee, cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes.
• Make the filling: Mash the sweet potatoes to a lumpy consistency in a large bowl. Break apart any big chunks – greater than ¼ inch – but avoid working the filling until smooth. Stir in the caramelized onions and the remaining ingredients.
• Stuff and cook the paratha: Divide the dough into 6 equal portions. Work with 1 piece of dough at a time. Roll or pat the dough into a 3- or 4-inch disk. Place about 2 tablespoons filling in the center, gather up the sides of the dough and pinch tightly together at the top to form a round package. Trim off any excess dough at the seam. Place the package seam side-down on a lightly floured work surface and carefully roll it into a 6- or 7-inch circle, about 1∕8 - to ¼-inch thick. (The thinner, the better. A little breakage will do no harm.) Set aside, covered with plastic wrap, as you shape the remaining paratha.
• Set a cast-iron skillet over medium to medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the first paratha, cooking 1 at a time. Cook about 2 minutes until the first side is evenly covered with golden-brown spots. Flip over and cook the other side 1 to 2 minutes, again until spotted brown. As desired, lightly brush the top of the paratha with ghee or oil and flip 1 more time, cooking about 30 seconds.
• Serve immediately for the best texture. As an accompaniment, try a yogurt sauce made of ¾ cup yogurt, 4 teaspoons minced fresh mint and ¼ teaspoon table salt.
* I prefer Laxmi brand, available at Global Foods Market.
|
 |
|
|
