Aloo Paratha

I love the look of this picture, but don't let it fool you! I've been thinking about aloo paratha, or basically a potato filed quesadilla or a flatted samosa pancake for quite some time..but I am not quite at the cooking level to make parathas from scratch just yet. It is a goal of mine to make them on my own, but until then,  I buy them in dough form at a little local asian market and they taste wonderful. We use them all the time, for indian dishes obviously, as well as for other ideas, like elephant ears, or even wraps for fillings, or as a flatbread to make a mini pizza..The packs are just always in our freezer for when ever we need. I was looking at aloo parathas, and when i saw that it is simply paratha with a potato filling built right into it, i was thinking maybe i could put something like that together using the parathas i had and  left over mashed potatoes from KFC. Trying to be resourceful here, ok? 

So, i heated up the leftover mash and added butter [or ghee], chili powder, amchur powder [or mango powder], ground coriander, and threw in some green peas to add a little texture and pop of green, and that became my filling for my aloo paratha. 

In a large pan, i placed one frozen paratha down and allowed that to start to heat up. I carefully smeared a generous amount of potato filling in the middle of the paratha, taking care not to tear it. I then placed another paratha on top and sealed the edges. i flipped it a few times, browning both sides, till it became one thick paratha! 

Yum Yum! A semi home made aloo paratha using left over ingredients as well as drawing from the freezer once again, it has been a fun,  yet stretching challenge to use everything that we have in the house and not waste anything.  Grocery shopping is less frequent these days, as this Quarantine has us staying at home far more than we go out, so I am challenged to be resourceful.

if you would like to try and make this extremely simple fast version of aloo paratha you will need:

a 5 pack of frozen parathas
1 cup boiled mashed potatoes 
1/2  teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1/4 teaspoon amchur
1/4 chaat masala powder 
1/2 cup frozen peas

1. heat up a one frozen paratha in a hot pan. 

2. prepare mashed potatoes, adding spices and frozen peas. Make sure filling is mixed well and warm. 

3. scoop a generous plop on the paratha already in the pan. Smear it and spread it a bit, leaving a border. so it will be easier to seal. 

4. place another paratha on top and seal the edges. flip so both sides get toasty and golden brown. 

5. serve hot, with yogurt, chutney, or like my 2 year old son, ketchup..
enjoy!