Aloo paratha, with a Belgian twist! Vegan too. Waffles increase the surface area by three times over the regular disc, for the same amount of batter. Less oily than the regular griddle parathas, And, the little indentations hold the accompanying chutney perfectly. So more of the crisp brown-surface to relish, without the oily finish. To all the waffle buffs: this one is eggless and savory. To the paratha buffs: buckle-up, this one will transport you with the aroma, taste and texture!
I had once seen Jamie Oliver deftly use a food processor switching from regular blade to slicer to complete an incredible, otherwise labor-intensive, Thai salad in less than 10 minutes. Jamie will be proud of me, I switch blade twice in this recipe, going from regular metal blade (to brunoise the greens) to shredder (potatoes) to dough-blade (with flour).
When I served the Punjabi waffles at brunch; I was asked “Is this also good for me ?”, Sure, it is. The flour is whole wheat (atta) and half the stuffing is greens! And,wholesome potatoes can’t be all bad. Feel free to throw freshly toasted flaxseeds (1 tbsp) or other superfood of your choice.
Special tools:
Food processor; waffle maker; silicone brush
Ingredients
Makes 4 waffles (8 portions)
- B1: quarter of small onion + 1 jalapeno + 5 oz baby spinach + salt to taste
- B2: 2 medium (Idaho) potatoes, peeled, quartered (immerse in cold water till ready to process)
- B3: 1 cup durum whole wheat flour (atta) + salt to taste + ½ tsp baking soda + 2 tbsp oil + 3/4 cup water
- 1/8 cup oil for the waffle maker
Method
Use the regular blade and put all the B1 ingredients. Pulse a few times till very finely chopped. Next, replace the blade with the shredder and shred the B2 ingredient. Follow your processors instructions, since it varies from brand to brand. Next, remove the shredder and carefully fit the third dough-blade. Add all the B3 ingredients, except water. Turn on the processor and gradually add the water till it forms a thick pouring consistency batter. The exact amount of water may vary based on the humidity. Note that this is not a dough but a batter. Let the batter rest for at least 30 minutes.
Use the waffle maker as per the manufacturer’s instructions. Oil the surface with the heatproof silicone brush. Pour 1/2 cup batter. Close the waffle maker and cook till done on medium-high. You should see a browning on the surface and the interior should not be sticky.
Serve warm with Indian chutney or Greek tzatziki.
Notes, hints, tips:
- The best results are with the Indian atta. I used the Golden Temple brand, which I believe serves the Punjabi diaspora in Canada. Use substitutes only if you cannot procure this.
- If vegan is not your thing, then mix oil and ghee in equal quantities to brush the waffle maker. Also, in B3 ingredients, you can include 1 tbsp of yogurt.
- Your waffles will not be greasy, even if you are a little generous using the silicone brush. I would stay away from PAM for this recipe.
- A regular paratha dough does not use any leavening agent; but I use baking soda here for the waffles, so that the dough rises and fills all the crevices of the mould. It also gives a softer texture and a gentle moistness, which I find more appealing than a paratha.
- If you do not want to use a processor, you can chop the greens, grate the potatoes with a box grater and make the batter by hand. If you do not want to use a waffle maker; you can make them on a griddle. In fact, the very first time I made them on a griddle (for each, 1 ladle on a non-stick pan, like uttapam or pesarattu) and then it occurred to me that it can also be waffled! It turned out to be such a success in both looks and taste that I penned the recipe down.
- Fresh Methi Greens (Fenugreek leaves) potato paratha. Fresh methi leaves take some work in picking the leaves, but the result is worth the effort.
- Garlic-scape Sweet-potato Waffle: 1 1/2 cup riced sweet potatoes (from the farmers’ market) microwaved for 2-3 mins to steam in-situ + 1 1/2 cup flour (equal parts oat flour, buckwheat flour, rye flour) + 1 tbsp oil + salt + black pepper + 1 tsp baking powder + about 1/2 cup finely diced garlic scapes. Make the waffles as above.
Channa dal-Potatoes-Parsley Pancake/waffle: Stunningly delicious! The secret spice is ginger.
In a processor: 1 cup soaked channa dal (till tender or few hrs) + 3-4 medium potatoes chopped with skin + 1 bunch of parsley + 1/2 medium onion, diced + 1/2 tbsp grated ginger + 1/4 cup EVOO + salt to taste.
Use 1/2 cup to portion out each pancake. No extra oil required. About 4 mins on each side on a non-stick skillet.
Looks delicious and unusual. And thanks for including the alternative to using the food processor and waffle maker — for those with under equipped kitchens.
[…] and the very first step ((b) above) of oiling the surface.[I use this technique also for the Punjabi Waffles– when I don’t use the waffle […]
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