Bathua-Aloo Paratha

Bathua-Aloo Paratha (Bathua Paratha) is one of the fond memories I have from my childhood. Though I love any sort of stuffed paratha, but when it comes to Bathua-Aloo, they are special. This recipe is also popular as Bathua Paratha. This is the most relished bathua recipe of all. One reason could be Bathua is a seasonal green, available only for a short duration in winter season. The less the availability of product the more you enjoy it. Is that true for you too?

After a long time, I visited India in winter time and got to enjoy the delicacies made with Bathua like Bathua Raita, Bathua paratha, Bathua bhuji, Bathua Kadhi and many more. Bathua Paratha can be enjoyed by itself or with some condiments like green chutney, yogurt or pickle. When it comes to me, I really enjoy it as a meal served with sweet and sour tamatar-ki-sabji, yogurt, green chutney and pickle.

Health Benefits of Bathua

Bathua is known to be a weed but they are loaded with numerous health benefits. Its high fiber content and laxative properties help cure constipation. Juice made from bathua leave keep the digestive system health and also known to have blood purifying characteristics. Bathua leaves are a rich source of amino acids, vitamin A & C along with many crucial minerals, such as calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc.

Scientific or botanical name for Bathua leaves is Chenopodium Album , however they are known by many other names like White Goosefoot, Goosefoot, allgood, Pigweed, Lambsquarters, Lamb’s-quarters, Wild Spinach. They have several names in Hindi also like Cheel Bhaji, Chill Bhaji and Bettusag.

Ingredients for Bathua Aloo Paratha

For Bathua Aloo Filling

• Bathua – 500 gms
• Potato Aloo – 250gms
• Green Chillies – 2-3
• Ginger- 1 inch piece
• Oil – 1 tbs
• Spices
  • Asafetida (Hing) – 1/8 tsp
  • Salt – 1 tsp
  • Red chilli powder– ½ tsp
  • Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
  • Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
  • Crushed fennel seeds – 1 tbs

For Dough

• Whole wheat flour – 2 cups
• Oil – 1 tsp
• Water or milk – 1.5 cup
• Salt – 1 tsp or as per taste

Recipe for Bathua-Aloo Paratha

Pre-Work to Prepare Ingredients

1. Bathua comes in bunch. So, pluck the leaves from the stems and wash thoroughly. This takes a lot of time, but the end result is far rewarding. Then blanch the leaves by adding them to boiling water for 5 minutes and straining out or steaming in instant pot for 0 minutes at low pressure.
2. Potatoes can be boil in pressure cooker or instant pot. Time needed to boil varies with the size of the potato. Once boiled, peel the skin and mash the potatoes and keep aside. 

Steps to make Bathua-Aloo Filling:

1. Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, hing, green chillies and ginger. 
2. Sauté for few seconds and then add blanched bathua leaves and mashed boiled potatoes.
3. Continue sautéing until leaves are a little dry. This will take around 15 to 20 minutes, keep stirring in intervals  for even roasting of filling. Switch off the heat and add all the spices. 
4. Mix all the spices and keep it aside to cool it down. Start working on the dough while the filling is still cooling.

Steps for making the Dough:

1. Take flour in a deep bowl or flat dish. Add ½ tsp salt.
2. Make a whole in the center of flour and start adding warm milk little by little. You can use water also, but I use milk because it makes the dough extra soft.
3. Start incorporating the liquid into the dry flour.
4. Once all the dry flour is wet, start kneading using you knuckles. 
   
5. Keep kneading until you get a smooth texture. The more you knead, more glutenous it becomes. This typically take 3 to 5 minutes.
   
6. Once you get the smooth texture of the dough, drop a few drops of oil, knead and bring it together. In the end dough needs to be softer then the roti dough.
7. Knead it one last time and cover it. Let it rest for 15 minutes.

Steps for making Stuffed Paratha:

1. While the dough is resting, divide the cold filling into equal balls.  Increase or decrease the number of balls based on the quantity  and size of paratha you want to make.
2. Next divide the dough into lemon size balls. For a nicely filled paratha the bathua aloo filling ball should be about 1.5 times in size compared to the dough balls.

   

3. Start pre-heating the griddle on medium heat. 
4. Take one ball of dough and roll it into a 3” flat circle which needs to be thick in the center and thin on the edges. 
   
5. Now take the rolled dough circle into your hand in a concave or in a little bowl shape. Place one ball of filling into it. Press it to make sure it hugs the dough nicely.
6. Start getting together the edges of the dough towards the center to close the filling inside the dough. 
   
7. Twist it if there is any extra dough, then tear it apart to be sure that the rolled paratha will not become very doughy in the center. 
   
8. Now press it lightly to flatten it out, dust it into a dry flour and start rolling out gently with light hands. 
   
9. Continue rolling till you reached the desired size and thickness. Rolled parantha neither to be very thin like roti nor to be very thick. 
10. Place the rolled Bathua Aloo Paratha on the preheated griddle and cook until it start getting little brown spots on the bottom.
    
11. Flip it and Smear ghee and cook the Paratha until it is cooked through to make it golden brown and crisp. 
    
12. Keep flipping the Paratha during the above process. Once done, remove from the tawa and transfer to a perforated surface to make sure it doesn’t get soggy because of its own steam. 
13. Proceed to make the remaining parathas in the similar way and serve hot. 
14. A perfectly rolled stuffed paratha is the one which has a crispy top layer and evenly distributed filling layer in between.

How to Roll and Roast Stuffed Parathas?

You can also watch the video below to learn to roll and roast the stuffed parathas. Though in this case my filling is Bathua-aloo, but the same process works for any other dry filling such as matar, paneer, aloo, etc. You can also substitute any other greens instead of Bathua.

Serve the Bathua Aloo Paratha for a special weekend brunch with dry matar paneer, sweet and sour tamatar-ki-sabji, pickle, yogurt, cilantro mint chutney and with an extra dollop of butter.

How to freeze parathas for later use?

1. Cook the parathas’ only half, i.e. until the stage where you start putting oil. Keep on some type of a mesh to allow steam to escape and let them cool down to room temperature.
2. Once the parathas are cooled down to room temperature, then prepare for storage by stacking them. Separate each paratha with a parchment paper.
3. Lastly, put them in a ziplock and then store them in freezer. You can keep them in freezer for up to 3 months.