The Abominable Weather man

spicymiss — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 01:51:36 +0000

The weather forecast for tonight is freezing rain, sleet and snow. Unfortunately, the American weather man is rarely wrong. I can hear the wind slamming at the windows and the drops of rain ricocheting off the glass. It is dark out. And gloomy. And freezing cold.

Subbu, our cat, made a valiant effort to go on his outdoor prowl as is his wont, but the rain, wind and snow drove him in mewling indignantly. He is bewildered at the ice on the deck and the deep snow that he sinks into when he dares to venture outside. Unlike us, he doesn’t realize that spring does come round at some time. It is his karma! He has now retreated into my son’s bedroom and commandeered the bed. He lies there stretched out across the bed with his paws in the air, his little tongue sticking out, his fur ruffled, dreaming of the time when it was green and warm and lovely outside!

Tonight is one of those nights that make you want to eat something warm and comforting, something that will warm the cockles of your heart and brighten your evening.

It is a night for hot aloo parathas (spiced potatoes stuffed in crusty, warm, hand-made whole wheat bread). I know I had written yesterday saying I would provide the recipe for Brown rice pongal today, but it can wait… Tonight is Aloo paratha night. Try it – I have given step by step instructions with photos and it is a bread so worth trying!

Here’s what you’ll need for the bread:
1 cup whole wheat flour (I use King Arthur whole grain wheat flour – simply yummy!)
Water to knead

Knead the flour either by hand or in an electric mixer into a dough of the consistency that will let you roll it out.

Here’s what you’ll need for the spiced potato:
3 medium potatoes
1 red or white onion (finely chopped)
1 green chili (finely chopped)
½ cup grated carrot (optional)
1 tsp red chili powder
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp garam masala powder

Boil the potatoes. Here’s a tip: do not over boil – boil it until it is soft but does not split open. Over cooking the potatoes will make them take on moisture and it will be hard to roll out proper parathas. Air-cool the potatoes (do not cool using cold water). Peel and mash. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly. Set aside.

Here’s how to make the parathas:

Heat a non stick pan until hot. In the meantime, make small orange sized balls of the whole wheat dough.Dip the balls in flour and roll out into rounds shaped like a flat tortilla.

Dab the dough round with ½ tsp of oil.

Place a ball of the spiced potato mixture and flatten.

Fold over carefully to enclose the potato completely in the dough. Dip again in flour and roll out carefully (try not to let the potato mixture come out of the dough).

Place the paratha in the hot pan. Cook for a minute on one side and flip over. Coat the partially cooked side with Olive oil. Flip over again and brown the oiled side. While that is being browned, coat the other side with oil. Flip again and brown both sides.

Serve hot with grated carrot and any pickle. I served my parathas with the best homemade lemon pickle in the world (made by my mother-in-law).

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The Abominable Weather man