Afghan Bolani
Bolani, also called Periki, is a stuffed flatbread from Afghanistan, with a thin crust, and filled with a bunch of different ingredients. Most common stuffing includes potatoes, green onion & cilantro!
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1 cup Bread Flour or All Purpose Flour
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Instant Yeast
- 1/2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1/3 cup Warm Water
For the Stuffing
- 1 pc medium-size Potato, boiled & peeled
- 1/2 cup finely chopped Green Onions
- 1/2 cup finely chopped Cilantro or Coriander leaves
- 1-3 pc finely chopped Green Chili Pepper (adjust for spice)
- 1 tsp ground Coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground Black Pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground Turmeric
- 1/4 tsp Salt (adjust to taste)
Other components
- Cooking oil, for pan-frying the bolani
- Cilantro Mint Chutney, for serving
Quick Alternative: Tortilla Hack
- 10" pieces store-bought Tortillas
Instructions
The Dough
- To a large bowl, add the flour, salt, sugar, yeast & oil, mix well. Add warm water & knead to a soft dough. Add some more flour & knead if the dough feels sticky.
- Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let it rest for 30-45 minutes at room temperature. The dough will rise in volume.
The Filling
- In a bowl, add the boiled & peeled Potato. Add the rest of the ingredients: green onion, cilantro, green chili, pepper, turmeric, ground coriander, salt. Mash and mix everything together. Taste & adjust seasoning, if required.
- Let it cool to room temperature. You can make this a day or two in advance too.
Making the Bolani
- Punch the dough down. Divide into 3-4 equal portions. Roll into neat balls & keep them covered.
- Flour your work surface & add a piece of dough to it. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a thin round disk, of about 15-20 cm diameter. The thickness should be similar to that of a tortilla.
- Spread some of the spiced potato filling over half of the dough, leaving a ½ inch border along the edge
- Dip your fingers in water and spread the water along this edge, only on one half of the circle
- Fold the dough in half, over the filling, to create a half-moon shape. Press out all the air bubbles, then pinch the edges with your fingers to fully seal the flatbread
- Heat up some oil in a griddle or pan, & add the formed bolani to it. Cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until one side is golden brown. Brush the top with some oil, flip & continue to cook on the other side until its golden.
- Transfer to a cooling rack, cut into triangles & serve hot! Bolani is best served with a green chutney (fresh cilantro, mint & chilies!)
Quick Alternative: Tortilla Hack
- If you don’t want to make the dough, simply take a store-bought tortilla. Make the filling & follow the same steps as mentioned. Just make sure to press down & cook until the edges seal.