Afghan Potato Bolani
Yield: 8
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
- 15 cm pastry cutter (or you can use the lid of a small saucepan)
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 300 g flour, sifted
- 1 1/2 tbsp salt,
- 200-250 ml of cold water
For the potatoes
- 1 kg potatoes, halved (I use medium-sized yellow ones)
- 6 stalks scallions, sliced into thin disks
- salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/8 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp pink pepper berries more for garnish, crushed in a spice mixer or with a pestle and mortar
- oil for shallow frying
Instructions
For the pastry
- Combine flour and salt in a mixing bowl and slowly, tablespoon by tablespoon, start to add water and knead till it forms a dough.
- Knead for 10 minutes and then divide into 4 balls. Cover with a teacloth or plastic wrap and allow to rest for 1 hour.
- In the meanwhile, prepare the potato filling.
For the potato filling
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and add potatoes.
- Boil till fork tender, about 15 minutes, depending on the potato you are using.
- Drain potatoes and when they have cooled, remove the skin.
- Transfer to a large bowl and mash with a potato masher. I like the mixture to be chunky (versus completely smooth).
- Add scallions, salt to taste, black pepper, white pepper and pink pepper berries.
- Mix to combine.
- Set aside while you roll out the dough.
Assemble
- Roll out one of four portions of dough on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin till dough is half a centimetre thick.
- With a pastry cutter, approximately 15cm or a saucepan lid, cut out circles.
- Place on parchment paper as you shape them and cover with a teacloth.
- Repeat the process of rolling out the dough and cutting out circles, for all four portions of dough. Use the scraps of dough, too.
- On half of each round, place 2-3 tbps of the potato filling. Moisten the edges of dough with a finger dipped in water and fold dough over the filling to form a half-moon. Pleat the edges shut (you can also seal them with a fork).
- Press down around filling to force out any air.
- Place boulani on parchment paper and cover with a teacloth till ready to fry.
- Place oil in a large frying pan or skillet for shallow frying on medium heat.
- Fry 2-3 boulani at a time, 1-2 minutes per side or till golden brown.
- Transfer to a newspaper or towel paper lined tray to absorb the oil.
- Garnish with crushed pink pepper berries and some scallions.
- Serve with a green chutney of your choice.