- 2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
- 4 Tb olive oil
- 4 scallions, sliced thin
- 1 poblano pepper, diced small
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 Tb cumin seeds
- 1 Tb ground coriander
- 1 Tb garam masala
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups baby spinach
Aloo Roti (potato-filled flatbread)
(Serves 4)
For the potato filling:
For the roti dough:
- 1 ¾ c flour, plus extra for rolling
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 Tb olive oil
- ¾ c warm water, plus additional if necessary
- Additional olive oil for cooking
Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over the flour and work it into the flour with your hands. Add the water, a little at a time, working it into the flour until a ball of mostly smooth dough forms. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about five minutes until it’s a soft, smooth ball. Loosely cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 45 minutes.
While the dough is resting, make the potato filling.
In a saucepan, cover the potatoes with water, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until they are fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash until smooth.
While the potatoes are cooking, in a separate skillet, sauté the green onions, garlic and the poblano pepper in a Tb of olive oil over medium heat until they soften, about eight minutes. Add the cumin seeds, coriander, garam masala and turmeric, and sauté for two more minutes. Add the spinach and sauté until it has wilted, about two minutes.
Add the vegetable and spice mixture to the mashed potatoes and mix well until nicely incorporated.
Divide the dough into eight pieces and roll each piece into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, flatten each ball a bit and using a rolling pin, roll each ball out into flat circle, about 6 or 7 inches across. The size doesn’t really matter as long as the circles are all the same size. Take two of the circles and on one side of each of them, lightly moisten the edges with a little bit of water. Place about a ½ cup of the potato filling in the center of on circle and spread it out across your roti bread, leaving about ¼ inch around the edges. Place the second bread and place it on top of the bottom layer with the moistened edges facing in. Press the edges of both breads together to seal. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
In a skillet, over medium heat, drizzle about a Tb of olive oil and place your filled roti bread in the pan. Brush the top side of the bread with an additional Tb of olive oil. Cook for about four minutes per side until the bread is done and has lovely golden spots.
I served this roti cut into wedges along with two dipping sauces:
Hari Chutney
(Makes about a cup)
- 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
- ½ inch of fresh ginger
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp cumin seed
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tb olive oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp dried mint
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 3 cups chopped fresh cilantro
- About ¼ cup of water
In a blender or food processor, combine all of the ingredients except for the cilantro and process until pureed. Add the cilantro and process again until smooth. Add a bit of water if you want the chutney to be slightly thinner.
Minted Yogurt
(Makes about a cup)
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 ½ Tb dried mint
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
Mix together to combine ingredients.
