Aloo Paratha Recipe | Potato Stuffed Paratha
By Swasthi on November 2, 2022, Comments, Jump to Recipe
Aloo Paratha Recipe with 3 different ways to stuff & roll. Aloo Paratha are Indian Breakfast flatbreads made with whole wheat flour, boiled potatoes, spices & herbs. These flavorful and delicious stuffed Parathas are a staple in many North Indian homes, Dhabas & restaurants. These are most commonly topped with white butter and served alongside Pickle and Yogurt. In this post I show how to make delicious Aloo ka Paratha with my easy step by step picture guide and video.
About Aloo Paratha
Aloo Paratha are popular Indian flatbreads stuffed with a delicious spiced potato mixture. In Hindi, Aloo means “Potatoes” and Paratha means “Layered Flatbreads”. So aloo parathas literally mean parathas that are stuffed with boiled, mashed and spiced potatoes in between the layers.
Firstly a dough is made with whole wheat flour. Next boiled potatoes are mashed or grated and then spiced. This flavorful spiced potato mixture is then stuffed in a small disc of dough and sealed. It is then rolled and pan fried with a generous amount of ghee or oil.
These are made the same way all over India with slight variations in the spices. My recipe to make aloo paratha has a unique combination of spices so they are flavorful, delicious and great tasting.
Making aloo paratha is easy but needs a bit of practice. In this post I have shown 3 ways to stuff & roll aloo parathas. So if you are new to making stuffed parathas check out my video and try in smaller quantities.
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How to Make Aloo Paratha (Stepwise Photos)
Make Dough
1. Add 2 cups whole wheat flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon oil and half cup water in a mixing bowl. Begin to mix adding more water as required to form a soft and non-sticky dough. Knead well until really soft and pliable.
2. If you press down the dough, it should dent easily and must be soft. Cover and keep it aside until the stuffing is ready. I always rest my dough for a minimum of 30 minutes. If you prefer to skip the resting time, then knead it a little longer and use it right away.
Make Aloo Stuffing
3. Boil the potatoes just until fork tender without making them mushy or water logged. If cooking in a pressure cooker, place the potatoes in the cooker along with 1 cup water. Pressure cook on a medium heat for 3 to 4 whistles depending on the size. If cooking in a instant pot, pressure cook them for 5 to 6 mins and wait for the pressure to drop naturally.
4. When the potatoes cool down, peel them and grate or mash with a fork until it is smooth. There should be no pieces of potatoes left as they tear the aloo paratha while rolling. If your potatoes look sticky or pasty, then don’t overdo the mashing. Instead use your fingers to break the tiny bits. You don’t want a sticky potato filling.
5. Run your fingers through the potato mash and break up any chunks of potatoes. This step is extremely important. Then add
¾ tsp garam masala (adjust to taste)
½ tsp red chilli powder (adjust to taste)
¾ to 1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp chaat masala (or amchur, dried mango powder)
1 green chilli chopped (optional, skip for kids)
¾ tsp ginger grated or paste (or ¼ tsp ginger powder)
½ tsp salt (more if needed)
1 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
¼ tsp ajwain (carom seeds, skip if you don’t have)
½ tsp fennel powder (saunf powder, skip if you don’t have)
2 tbsps coriander leaves fine chopped
6. Mix all of these and taste test. Then add more salt or spices if needed to suit your taste. Divide the mixture to 8 equal portions.
7. Divide the dough to 8 equal portions.
Method 1 – Rolling Aloo Paratha
I have shared 3 ways to roll the parathas (pics below). Take a look first to see which one looks easier to you.
8. Sprinkle little flour on the rolling area. Smoothen a dough ball and dip it in flour. Flatten it and roll to a 4 inch round roti/disc.
9. Place a spiced potato ball in the center and bring the sides up.
10. Press down the stuffing to the center and bring the sides higher giving it a cup shape. If the aloo stuffing is sticky, then smear your fingers generously with some flour.
11. Bring the sides higher by simply rotating the whole thing on your hand in clock-wise direction. The dough gets stretched by itself and comes over the stuffing. (check video)
12. Repeat this step of pushing the aloo inside and bringing the sides higher by rotating until the edges come over to the top.
13. Join all the edges well to ensure no filling is visible. I do not remove any excess dough, instead press it down back to the ball.
14. Dip this ball in flour on both the sides and gently flatten it with your fingers. This is very important so the filling is evenly spread all over the paratha.
15. Place the sealed side down on the rolling area and gently roll it evenly without putting pressure. Do not roll the aloo paratha continuously. Instead rotate in clock-wise direction a little after every 4 to 6 rolls to ensure it does not tear or get stuck.
You can make as thin or thick you like. I make mine thin and about 8 to 9 inches. If you see the filling coming out while rolling, then apply some flour there. Sprinkle flour only as needed and avoid using excess.
Method 2 – Rolling
I had shot these pictures in 2015 but never got to share it on the blog. The stuffing I made here is by tempering the spices in oil first and then I added it to the mashed potatoes. It is on the hotter side with more chilli powder.
Place the aloo stuffing in a 5 inch roti. Then make pleats and bring all the edges on top. Gently join them and pinch off the excess dough. Flatten slightly and dip in flour. Flatten it again to a 4 inch disc with your fingers to spread the filling evenly. Then roll it to as big as you can.
Method 3 – Rolling
Roll 2 rotis of 6 inches. Spread the aloo mixture on one of the roti as shown below. Wet the edges with little water. Place the other roti on top of it. Press down gently on the sides to seal both the rotis. Then sprinkle flour and roll it evenly as thin as you want. With this method, you will be able to make only 6 large parathas. So divide the dough to 12 and stuffing to 6 parts.
Fry Aloo Paratha
16. After you are done rolling 3 to 4 paranthas, heat a griddle on a medium high flame. When the pan is hot enough, dust off excess flour from the aloo paratha & gently transfer it to the griddle. Within 2 minutes, you will see bubbles. Turn it to the other side.
17. Press down gently with a spatula. You will see the aloo paratha begins to puff. Drizzle some ghee or oil. I add about 1 teaspoon ghee.
18. Turn it to & fro to the other side and drizzle more ghee. Cook pressing down on the edges with a spatula so they cook well. Well-cooked parathas will leave your entire house filled with a great aroma. When you see golden to light brown spots on the aloo paratha, remove to a plate.
19. To fry the next one, ensure the pan is hot enough and not extremely hot. Keep regulating the flame to medium or low as needed so the parathas don’t burn. Place a clean cloth in a container or arrange a cooling rack & Stack the parathas to keep them moist.
Serve Aloo Paratha with pickle or yogurt. You can also top your parathas with butter.
Pro Tips
Firstly boiling potatoes the right way is the key to make the best aloo parathas. Boil them just until fork tender, meaning they are just cooked and not overcooked. Soggy potatoes will make a sticky and very moist stuffing which is not good to make parathas.
Mashing or grating potatoes properly is also very important. There should be no chunks of potatoes left in the mash as they will tear the parathas. Do not over mash to the extent they become pasty. So you can also grate them rather than mashing to avoid pasty texture.
Stuffing the parathas: The first method of stuffing and rolling I have shown here is the best way to make as it completely locks the stuffing in the dough preventing the stuffing from coming out.
Flattening and spreading the stuffing after sealing the spiced aloo in the dough is what makes the aloo paratha perfect. This avoids the parathas from tearing and spreads the filling evenly.
Lastly frying parathas on a low heat will make them hard. Cook them on a moderately medium high heat so they cook well. Also regulating the flame as needed is very important so they don’t burn.
Ingredients
Potatoes: Choosing the right kind of potatoes to make these parathas is very important. Some kind of potatoes turn too mushy and sticky after boiling. Avoid using such potatoes. Avoid using newly harvested potatoes. Old potatoes, Yukon Gold & Russet are suitable for parathas.
Spices: Most people make aloo paratha with minimal spices like cumin, coriander powder and red chilli powder. The combination of spices I have used here makes the parathas so flavorful that your home will be filled with a delicate aroma while frying.
However if you do not have or don’t prefer any particular spice, then you can simply skip it. You can also increase or decrease the spices to suit your taste.
Ghee: Aloo parathas are pan fried mostly with a generous amount of ghee as it imparts that smoky aroma and flaky texture. If you do not eat ghee then use any regular oil.
Variations
1.You can also temper the spices before adding to the mashed potatoes. To do this, heat 1 tbsp oil or ghee in a small pan. Add ginger and green chilies. Saute for 30 seconds and then add all the spice powders and salt. Turn off and add this to the mashed potatoes.
Even without the tempering the aloo parathas will be great as the stuffing gets steam cooked while frying.
2. Some people also add onions to the stuffing. They are added raw or sauteed in oil until they lose the raw smell.
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Recipe Card
Aloo Paratha Recipe | Potato Stuffed Paratha
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
For dough
- 2 cups whole wheat flour (240 grams) (atta)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon oil (optional, refer notes)
- water as needed for kneading (I used ¾ cup + 2 tbsps)
For filling
- 350 grams potatoes (3 medium potatoes)
- 1 green chilli chopped (optional)
- ¾ teaspoon grated ginger (or ¼ tsp ginger powder)
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (very fine chopped)
- ½ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon garam masala (adjust to taste)
- ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder (adjust to taste)
- ¾ to 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon chaat masala (or 1 tbsp lemon juice or ½ tsp amchur)
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- ¼ teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds) (optional)
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds powder (saunf powder) (optional)
To pan fry
- 4 tablespoons ghee (use as per preference)
Instructions
Preparation
- Boil potatoes just until fork tender without making them mushy. To pressure cook in traditional cooker, cook for 3 to 4 whistles depending on the size of potatoes. In instant pot I pressure cooked for 5 mins since I used medium sized potatoes.
- While the potatoes boil, make the dough. Add flour,oil and salt to a bowl. Pour half cup water and begin to mix to form a dough. Pour more water as needed and make a soft yet non-sticky dough.
- Knead it well until soft & pliable. If you press down the dough with your finger, it should dent easily meaning it is soft enough. Cover and rest until the filling is ready.
- When the potatoes are done, cool them slightly and peel while still warm. Ensure your boiled potatoes are not mushy or soggy.
- Grate or mash them well until no bits of potatoes remain. Using your fingers break any chunks of potatoes left in the mash otherwise they will tear the parathas. Also do not over mash it as the potatoes will turn pasty and sticky.
- Add ginger, green chilies, coriander leaves, salt, red chilli powder, garam masala, coriander powder, kasuri methi and chaat masala. Crush the kasuri methi before adding.
- Optional: Also add the optional ingredients – ajwain and fennel powder.
- Mix all of the ingredients gently and taste test it. Add more salt or spices as per your taste.
- Divide the aloo stuffing to 8 parts. Also divide the dough to 8 parts. Keep the dough covered.
How to Make Aloo Paratha
- Roll a dough ball in your palms to smooth. Lightly sprinkle some flour on the rolling area. Flatten the dough ball and dip it in some flour.
- Method 1– Dust off the excess & roll it to a 4 inch disc or roti. Place a portion of aloo stuffing in the center. Gently bring the sides of the roti up shaping like a cup. Repeat the steps of pushing the stuffing inside with your finger and bringing the dough up until the edges come over the stuffing. (Refer video).
- If the stuffing is sticky, dip your fingers in flour. Bring the edges together over the stuffing and join them to seal carefully. (Refer step-by-step photo or video).
- Method 2 – Roll a 5 inch roti and place the stuffing in the center, hold the edges and make small pleats. Bring all of them on top and join them together to seal the stuffing. Remove the excess dough on top.
- Dip the stuffed ball in flour and flatten it gently to spread the stuffing evenly. This ensures the stuffing does not come out at all. Dust off the excess.
- Sprinkle some flour on the rolling area .
- Place the paratha disc on the rolling area with the sealed side down. Begin to roll evenly all over without putting pressure.
- Do not roll the aloo paratha continuously. Instead rotate in clock-wise direction a little after every 4 to 6 rolls to ensure it does not tear or get stuck. Sprinkle flour as needed and avoid using excess. If you see the stuffing coming out, gently apply some flour to seal it.
- Roll the aloo paratha as thin or thick you like without tearing them. I roll mine to 8 to 9 inches.
- Transfer the rolled ones to a dry area. Once you are done with 3 you can begin to fry them.
- Method 3 – With this method, you will be able to make only 6 large parathas. So divide the dough to 12 and stuffing to 6 parts. Roll 2 rotis of 6 inches each. Spread the aloo mixture on one of the roti. Wet the edges with little water. Place the other roti on top of it. Press down gently on the sides to seal both the rotis. Then sprinkle flour and roll it evenly as thin as you want.
Frying
- Heat a pan or griddle to cook the aloo parathas. The griddle should be hot enough otherwise the parathas will turn hard,
- When the pan is hot, gently transfer a rolled aloo paratha to it.
- With in 2 to 3 mins, you will see bubbles over it. Then flip it to the other side and cook.
- You will see the aloo paratha puffs and cooks well. Drizzle ghee or oil all over and flip it to the other side and cook.
- Smear some ghee on this side as well and press down the edges to cook thoroughly.
- Soon you will see golden to light brown spots on the aloo parathas. Remove to a plate and stack them. This keeps them soft.
- Top aloo paratha with some butter and serve with pickle or yogurt.
Notes
- Adjust the amount of spices and herbs to suit your liking.
- Avoid using too much flour while rolling as it makes the parathas hard and dry.
Roll the parathas evenly without putting pressure in one place. - For variation you can use store bought grated paneer or steamed carrots and peas. Ensure you mash the veggies very well.
- You can also saute little methi leaves or spinach leaves until they wilt. Cool and add them to the mashed potato mixture. Also use only the leaves and not stalks of these greens.
- Avoid using new potatoes. Old potatoes are best for this recipe. Boil potatoes just until fork tender and don’t overcook. We don’t want soggy potatoes soaked up in excess moisture.
- Grate or mash potatoes well until you see no bits of potatoes in them. But do not over mash to the extent they become pasty and sticky.
- After sealing aloo in the dough, do not forget to flatten and spread the stuffing. This way the stuffing is well distributed and won’t come out while rolling.
- Do not fry parathas on a low heat. Fry them on a moderately high flame. Keep adjusting the flame while you fry them so you don’t burn the aloo parathas.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
Video
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
About Swasthi
I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills.
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Thankyou it was so easy and helpful.
Delicious! Some of mine did burn, but I was simply using the wrong kind of pan, so that is my own fault. Next time I will use my cast iron. I also used a combination of whole wheat, spelt, and rye flour and it tasted amazing! Great spice combo too. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Hi Christina,
I love the combo of flours you used. Any heavy bottom pan works well. Actually even cast iron pan burns if the heat is not controlled. Thank you!
🙂
Swathi, I never could make perfectly round, evenly stuffed, non tearing, and perfect 1:1 ratios of atta to potato stuffing, such that neither was left over. I have found the method of my dreams!! Thank you thank you, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
I used my own recipe but used your salt measurement and it was perfect.
I used our family age old combo:
– Tadka of 1/2 tsp cumin seeds in oil which I added to the potato while hot
– 1 tsp grated ginger
– very small pinch of haldi
– amchur powder
-chopped green cilantro
-salt
Mix and use the rest of your method/recipe. Perfection.
Thank you so much Divya
Glad your parathas turned out good.
I fall in live with this recipe I should gonna to thank you for this tasty recipes
I love this recipe I am big fan of it
Thanks Rishika
I love your recipes. If you make them into a book, please add a couple of pre-orders for me 🙂
Really enjoyed this one. A question for this. I have a big bag of potatoes to use up before it goes bad. Can the potato mix be prepared and frozen and/or kept in the fridge? For how long?
Hello Sonny,
Thank you so much! I haven’t tried freezing it. I think it mostly depends on the kind of potatoes. Not sure. Sorry couldn’t help you.
🙂
Thanks for the reply. How long could the potato mix be kept in the fridge do you think?
I am guessing 3-4 days..
It is best to use up within 48 hours.
I freeze the parathas on freezer sheets. They last for 2 months. You should try that.
Thank you Ritu. I will try that in the holidays 🙂
Thanks Ritu
Swasthi you page is best. I like ghe step by step instructions. Recipes are best. Fyi sometimes .. my mom get —– that I follow your recipes and dont ask her anything when I cook.. 🤣
Hi Mithila,
Thank you so much for trying the recipes. Happy to know you like them so much!
🙂
Hello,
I’ve used this recipe thrice now and these parathas are delicious. Your picture instructions are fantastic and made everything easy. Loved by everyone and will sure be making them again
Thank you so much Christy
Would you please show us how to make eggplant paratha. Your recipes have helped this busy momma put delicious food on the table. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise.
Swasthi, Thank you for the step by pictures. My aloo parathas are nearly perfect and very delicious. Please show us Gobi paratha.
Hello Poorvi
Glad to know
Yes sure I will
Following the method shown in the recipe I could finally seal my Aloo paratha and the stuffing was also delicious. Thank you.
Glad to know!
Thank you!
Great, easy to follow receipe!
Thank you
Can I use 1:1 maida and wheat?
Can i use maida and wheat 1:1
yes you can
Hii ma’am
Hope u r well . I love cooking food and I do lots of experiments
In These 2020 and 2021 lockdown I have really improved my cooking skills n all credits goes to u and my mom
I have learnt alot ..
Whenever I feel little problem I search u dishes in Google
Thanks alot
Please keep send all these recipes
So that I can improve my cooking skills more
And I really love to see all ur recipes
Thank u again ❤️❤️❤️
Hello Aditi
Doing good. Hope you all are doing good.
Thank you so much for the comment. This makes me happy.
Glad you learnt to cook.
🙂
Wow the aloo paratha was so awesome am from Nigeria and your guidelines really help me alot most especially this Ramadan season thank you so so much I really appreciate
You are welcome. Happy to know!
Have a great time!
Aloo Roti and Aloo Paratha.
I was looking for the recipe where they mix boiled Aloo and spices while kneeding the flour instead of like a Paratha. Do you have that recipe as well? For my 17 month old daughter as she likes thin Rotis and not parathas
I’m a novice and your recipes are my go to 🙂
Thank you!
Hi Suchita,
Glad to know! Yes I have it here – aloo methi roti. You can also use palak instead of methi. I have few such recipes with dal, different veggies, ragi etc, specially for toddlers – you may check them here paratha recipes
U r oosum
Thank you Sumaira
Hi Swasthi
Your recipes are perfect and awesome. For the first time, my aloo parathas came out well with the help of your recipe. Thank you so much. Keep rocking.
Hi Geema
Glad to know! Thank you
Your recipes are perfect and awesome. For the first time, my aloo parathas came well with the help of your recipe. Thank you so much.
Hi Swasthi
Do you think the parathas could be frozen to store them, maybe after they have been fried in ghee? Then they can be reheated again?
Hi David,
Yes they can be frozen. Cook them partially on both the sides and cool them separately on a rack. Stack them, placing a butter paper in between. Transfer these to a zip lock bag. Remove all the air pockets and freeze.
Great, thank you for the reply!
One other question – I’m using medium atta flour for the dough and in your photo the dough looks very smooth so do you sieve out the bran from the flour? I’ve made chapati without sieving the bran.
Hi David,
Yes I use the fine whole wheat flour in which the bran is ground very fine. I think it’s good you sieve it. Hope this helps