Aloo Paratha Recipe: Pakistani Style Potato Stuffed Flatbread

This Aloo Paratha recipe is what you want to try for a savoury snack or a light meal when you want something simple but a little bit more elaborate than a sandwich.

Aloo Paratha 

With a well-balanced spice aroma in its potato filling, this shallow-fried flatbread is a vegetarian version of stuffed paratha. 

It’s a tasty way to enjoy chapati without having to make a dish to go with it. 

All you do is roll the roti dough together with some spiced-up potato filling inside it. Once it’s flattened, you cook it on a pan with a little fat, either oil or butter.

If you want to, you can check the meaty type of the keema paratha which uses minced meat.

For the omnivore’s foodies, aloo paratha is a good choice to enjoy on the day when you feel like having a meat-free menu. 

The Best Snack For Brunch

My extended family told me that paratha is often enjoyed for breakfast. 

I personally find it a bit too much to start the day with paratha. No matter what, it is kind of heavy for a breakfast menu. 

I think it’s best to have it as a brunch menu on the weekend. 

But of course, you’re more than welcome to indulge yourself by having paratha for breakfast. As long you don’t do it too often. 

Secret Ingredients For The Best Aloo Paratha

In the early days when I made this potato-stuffed flatbread, I didn’t realise that the type of potato for this flatbread played a big part in creating the taste. 

I mean, really, all potatoes are potatoes, right? No, I was wrong of course.

Because if you use non-waxy potatoes that you would usually use for mashed potatoes, your aloo paratha will taste like regular paratha with no-filling. You won’t taste the potato as it blends with the paratha dough. In other words, it won’t be as nice.

So, you should choose waxy potatoes such as new potatoes, Charlotte, Jersey Royals, or red skin potatoes. 

And if you’re like me, you don’t have to peel the potato skin. Leave it on and just roughly mash to leave big chunks. Because it gives a nice texture to the paratha. 

Besides, potato skin offers much better for our health. But of course, this is up to your preference. If you prefer without the skin, you can always peel the potatoes. 

How to make Aloo Paratha

In short, there are four steps to make this fried flatbread with spiced potato filling.

Firstly, make the dough by mixing the flour and water. Knead it until you get a smooth dough. Set aside to rest a little bit while you get on with the filling. 

Secondly, you make the filling by steaming or boiling the potatoes. Then you mash them together with the spices and seasoning. Set aside.

Thirdly, divide the dough into 8 equal balls. Then roll 2 dough balls into a flat pancake shape. And spoon the potato filling over it. Spread the potato mixture all over one of the rolled-out dough balls. 

Put the other rolled-out dough over the potato filling. Cover the potato and seal the edge of the dough. 

Lastly, cook the paratha on a large frying pan or a Tawa (a pan to make chapati) until the dough is cooked on both sides. Then drizzle a little oil or dab some butter over the paratha. 

Cook further for a few minutes on each side. 

Top Tips To Make Tasty Potato Fried Flatbread

• Choose the right type of potatoes. Stay away from floury potatoes, the ones that are good for mashing. Because this type of potato will be mashed very smoothly that it blends with the paratha dough so you can hardly taste it. The best potato choices for aloo paratha are new potatoes, charlotte potatoes, Jersey Royals and red skin potatoes.
• To prevent the potato from absorbing too much water, boil the spud with the skin on and make sure you don’t overboil. 
• Don’t mash the potatoes until all is broken and smooth. Leave some big chunks. 

More potato recipes

Right, I hope you’re now thinking of trying this aloo paratha. When you do, can you share what you think about it in the comments below? I’ll really appreciate it.

And please follow me on Facebook, Instagram and/or Pinterest. To sneak a peek at what’s cooking in my kitchen. 

Before you go, you may want to check my other vegetarian/ vegan recipes with potatoes.

• Chana Aloo: chickpea and potato curry.
• Aloo Palak: potato and spinach curry.
• Aloo Methi: potato and fenugreek leaf curry.
• Aloo Pakora: crispy potato in chickpea batter.
• Aloo Tikki: potato fritters.

Thank you and all the best.

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5 from 2 votes

Aloo Paratha Recipe: Pakistani Style Potato Stuffed Flatbread

This Aloo Paratha recipe is what you want to try for a savoury snack or a light meal when you want something simple but a little bit more elaborate than a sandwich.

Author: Devy Dar

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time50 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast & Brunch

Cuisine: Pakistani

Servings: 4

1x2x3x

Cook ModeKeep your screen on

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

For the paratha:

• ▢ 3 cups chapati flour/ atta and extra for rolling.
• ▢ 1 cup + 1 tablespoon water or as needed.

For the filling:

• ▢ 2 large red potatoes see the note.
• ▢ 3 spring onions/ scallions finely sliced.
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder.
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin powder.
• ▢ ½ teaspoon coriander powder.
• ▢ 1 teaspoon paprika powder.
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground black pepper.
• ▢ ½ Kashmiri red chilli powder see the note.
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon Himalayan salt or any salt to taste see the note
• ▢ Cooking oil.
• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter.

Instructions

• Make the paratha dough by mixing and kneading the atta/ chapati flour with water. Place the chapati flour in a mixing bowl and pour half of the water in the centre of the flour and stir it from the centre towards the edge. Add more water little by little as you keep mixing. Once the mixture comes together, knead it until you get a smooth dough. It should feel soft to touch and not sticky. If it feels too dry and hard, add extra water a teaspoon at a time. And keep kneading. Put the dough in the mixing bowl and cover with a tea towel. Set aside.
• Boil the potatoes with the skin on until thoroughly cooked. Take care, not to over boil, else the potatoes will have too much water content that they will be too mushy.
• Once the potatoes are cooked, leave to rest to room temperature.
• When the potatoes are cooled down, roughly mash them but leave some big chunks. Put the sliced spring onions, garlic powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, paprika powder, chilli powder, black pepper and salt. Stir well with a big spoon until all is mixed. 
• Divide the dough into 8 equal size pieces and shape them into small round balls.
• Divide the potato mixture into 4 equal portions. 
• Dust the chopping board and rolling pin with some flour. Take one of the dough balls and roll it out into a small circle (about 15 cm/ 6 inch) at around 3 mm/ 0.12 inch in thickness. Put aside, and roll another dough ball into a similar size. 
• Spoon one of the potato mix portions and place it in the middle of one rolled-out dough. Carefully spread the potato mix to cover the dough surface leaving about 1 cm/ 0.4 inch free around the edge. 
• Then put the other rolled-out dough on top of the potato. Gently press and pinch the edges to seal both the dough. 
• Using a skewer or a fork, prick the top of the paratha several times and then carefully press and roll out again until the paratha becomes thinner around 0.8 cm/ 0.3 inch in thickness. Dust a little flour on the paratha and the chopping board if you find it too sticky to roll
• Preheat your Tawa/ frying pan at medium heat. The Tawa is ready if you feel the heat when you hold out your palm about 12 cm/ 5 inch above the Tawa. 
• Then carefully place the paratha on the hot Tawa/ pan and cook at medium heat. Using a wooden spatula lightly press the paratha and turn around every now and again. Continue cooking for about 3 minutes or until the bottom side is cooked.
• Flip the paratha, lightly press and turn it around as you cook it further for about 1-2 minutes. 
• Take a teaspoon of cooking oil and drizzle it around your aloo paratha. And spread a teaspoon of butter all over the paratha before you flip it. Again, spread a teaspoon of butter on this other side of paratha. Turn the heat to low and continue cooking as you press lightly every now and then. A minute later, flip the paratha again and cook for another minute. You should see the paratha absorbs the fat so that it looks a little moist and not dry.

Notes

• When you work on your dough, add the water little by litter as you mix and knead. You can add more water if the suggested amount is not enough and your dough is still dry. But make sure you add 1 tablespoon at a time as you mix well after each addition. 
• Choose the waxy potatoes for the filling such as new potatoes, Charlottes, Jersey Royals or red skin potatoes. I use the latter one mostly. 
• You can peel the potato skin if you like. I don’t. So it’s your choice.
• When it comes to chillies, you can either use dried chilli flakes, chilli powder or even fresh chilli. If you use the latter one, you can finely chop it before you put it in the potato mixture. And use chilli as much as you like. The ratio given in this recipe is quite moderate. You can put more or less. 
• I’ve been using Himalayan salt for almost a year now. But you can use table salt instead. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 672kcal | Carbohydrates: 99g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 1039mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 6g

Disclaimer

Nutritional info in this recipe is only estimate using online calculator. You should refer to it as a guide only. Please verify with your own data if you seek an accurate info.