We absolutely love Sunday brunch! Brunch means meeting up with your girlfriends at one of London’s trendy eateries (Kopapa, The Riding House Cafe, Dean Street Townhouse), catching up and taking your time over lots of different foods that ordinarily don’t really go together. Muesli AND French Toast AND smoked salmon? We’re totally there. It’s brunch! Brunch makes dreams come true.

But Sunday brunch at home is even more magical – it means waking up late, stumbling lazily  down the stairs in your pajamas, guided only by the smell of every north Indian mother’s speciality – aloo parathas (Indian breads stuffed with spiced mashed potato). Every time we’re home, we beg our mother to make her crispy parathas which she serves with a vat of cold plain yoghurt and an array of hot Indian pickles. It’s a total symbiotic relationship, she flips parathas and we eat – one after the other until we’re full to the brim with carbohydrates. Mmm!

Since we’re always trying to up our intake of protein, omega 3 and Vitamin D (at least 25% of the UK population is deficient), we came up with a recipe for gorgeous smoked mackerel aloo parathas. They’re an absolute revelation! Note: we’re using American cups instead of grams as we find Indian cooking is actually better when you’re being laid back and imprecise!

Makes 10 parathas

Dough:
2 cups chapatti flour or wholewheat flour
3/4 cup of water
a pinch of salt

Filling:
3 medium potatoes, boiled and mashed
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 heaped tsp garam masala
1 smoked mackerel fillet, shredded
salt and pepper to taste

ghee for frying (or rapeseed oil)

1. Combine the flour and salt, slowly adding the water and kneading until you arrive a slightly sticky dough.
2. Cover the dough with a cloth and set aside for at least 15 minutes.
3. Mix the filling ingredients together so that they are fully incorporated.
4. Divide the dough into 10 small balls. It might also help if you divide the filling into 10 balls!
5. Heat a frying pan on medium-heat and add a teaspoon of ghee/oil to the pan.
6. On a floured surface, roll out a dough ball to about 5 inches in diameter and spoon 1/10 of the filling onto the middle of the disc. Close the dough around the filling so that it is completely sealed.
7. Push the dough ball flat and then roll out the dough carefully until about 8-10 inches in diameter.
8. Using a spatula, fry the paratha for 1-2 minutes on each side, until golden.
9. Do this for the rest of the dough balls.
10. Serve immediately while still hot with yoghurt and pickle or store (wrapped in foil) in the fridge for up to 3 days.

So what do you think? What is your favourite brunch item? Feel free to share your questions and comments below! We’d love to hear what you have to say.