Ingredients
For the Aloo Palya Stuffing / Potato Stuffing
1.5 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon curry leaves, finely chopped
1 cup onions, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
1/2 teaspoon curry powder (or) garam masala
1 green chilli, finely chopped
2 teaspoon mint leaves, finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon salt
1.5 cups boiled, peeled and roughly mashed potatoes (about 2 big potatoes)
2 teaspoon coriander leaves, finely chopped
For the Aloo Palya Bun Dough / Potato Bun Dough
1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
1.5 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm milk
1.5 cups / 210 grams maida / all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoon milk – for brushing buns
2 teaspoon white sesame seeds – for sprinkling
3 teaspoon ghee – for final brushing
Flour for dusting and kneading
Instructions
- Take a pan and add in the oil. When the oil is hot, add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, finely minced ginger and finely chopped curry leaves. Add in the onions. You want to have all the ingredients as finely chopped as possible as you do not want a big piece coming in the mouth when you bite.
- Saute for a couple of minutes till the onions are soft. Add in the teaspoon turmeric powder, asafoetida, curry powder (or) garam masala, finely chopped green chillies, finely chopped mint leaves and the salt. Saute for a minute.
- Add in the boiled, peeled and roughly mashed potatoes. Mix well to combine. Cook for a minute. Add in the coriander leaves and mix well. Remove from heat and set aside. Once the mixture is slightly cool, make small balls from the potato mixture and set aside.
- Take a bowl and add in the warm water, sugar and the yeast. Mix well with a whisk and set aside for five minutes. The yeast will get activated and will foam up. If the yeast does not foam up, it means that its dead and you will need to start with new yeast. I store my yeast in the freezer here in India and it stays fresh and good for months. I buy my yeast online from amazon. Once the yeast has foamed up, add in the milk. Add in the flour and the salt. Form a dough and knead the dough by hand for a good five minutes. The dough will be very soft and will stick to the hands. Dust the dough with little flour while kneading. But do not add too much flour while kneading as the dough will become dry and the buns will become very hard. Resist your temptation to add flour while kneading. Do not add more than a couple of tablespoons of flour while kneading. The dough will come together and start to stick less after kneading. Once the dough is smooth, transfer to an oiled bowl and cover with a plastic wrap or a shower cap.
- Let the dough rise until doubled. It will take anywhere between 45 minutes to an hour depending on how humid the place you live is. Once the dough is doubled, remove the dough from the bowl and gently deflate it and knead briefly for a few seconds. Dust it with a sprinkle of flour to avoid the dough from sticking to the bench.
- Divide the dough into six equal pieces. Form each dough into a tight ball. Refer to the video as to how each ball is formed. Its important that there are no cracks while forming the dough else the final bun will show these cracks.
- Take each ball and keep the seam side (the bottom side with uneven edges) facing up. The seam side will have lot of uneven edges and cracks. We will place the stuffing and close it so the uneven cracks will be inside and the outside of the bun will be smooth.
- Place a potato ball on the dough and cover it completely. Crimp the edges so it does not open up while baking. Shape the ball again with your palm and set aside. Pinching the dough after placing the stuffing is important. It will help in the stuffing from not coming out or opening up while baking.
- Brush the buns evenly with milk. Sprinkle little sesame seeds on top of the buns. Rest the buns for 15 minutes. In the mean time preheat the oven to 200 degree Celsius / 390 degree Fahrenheit. Bake the buns for 20 minutes. Remove the buns and brush the buns with ghee / melted butter while its still hot
- Prep Time: 60m
- Cook Time: 20m