Faux Potato (Aloo) Paratha
There is an ancient street known as Paratha Street in Old Delhi where a man sits, crosslegged,
on a counter and rolls aloo parathas (potato parathas) one after the other, while his
partner cooks them. This is street food at its best. And, really, unless you're an anti-carb
fanatic, how can you go wrong stuffing bread with spicy mashed potatoes? Although I
thought my creation was inauthentic, Suvir assures me it resembles a "frankie," sold on the
streets of Bombay. In any case, this combination crêpe/knish/burrito/paratha has both good
flavor and texture. And it's easy.
One technical point: Use "baking" (Idaho or russet) potatoes here; their mealiness will give
you just the right texture when mashed.
3 or 4 baking potatoes, boiled, peeled, and mashed, or at least 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
About 1/2 cup yogurt
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon dried mint
Salt, black pepper, and cayenne to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
4 large whole wheat or white flour tortillas
2 tablespoons butter
1. Combine the mashed potatoes, half the yogurt, the ginger, mint, and seasonings in a large bowl and mash with a spoon or fork until fairly smooth. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning; add additional yogurt as necessary to smooth it out and give it a refreshing acidity. Stir in the cilantro.
2. Put a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, divide the potato-yogurt filling among the 4 tortillas, spreading the filling over the bottom third of each; fold up the bottoms of the tortillas over the filling, then fold in the sides and roll up like burritos.
3. Add the butter to the skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. When the butter melts, cook the filled tortillas a couple at a time; do not crowd. When they're nicely browned, turn, then brown the other sides. Repeat until all are done, then slice in half or thirds and serve hot or warm.