Paratha

Aloo Paratha

Aloo paratha is a beloved North Indian breakfast flatbread: a whole-wheat dough is rolled out, wrapped around a spiced mashed-potato filling, griddled on a tawa with ghee until blistered and golden. It is traditionally served hot with cold yoghurt, a pat of butter, or tangy mango pickle.

Prep

40 min

Cook

25 min

Total

65 min

Serves

4 (makes 8 parathas)

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •300 g (10½ oz / about 2½ cups) whole-wheat flour (atta), plus extra for dusting; chapati flour works best
• •180 ml (¾ cup) warm water, adjust as needed
• •5 ml (1 tsp) neutral oil or melted ghee, for the dough
• •3 g (½ tsp) fine salt
• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) potatoes (about 3 medium), starchy/russet-type potatoes work well
• •60 g (¼ cup) ghee, clarified butter, for griddling; traditional and recommended
• •20 g (¼ cup) fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
• •15 g (2 tbsp) fresh mint or fenugreek leaves (optional), finely chopped, traditional in Punjab
• •1 (1 small) green chilli, finely chopped, adjust to taste
• •5 g (1 tsp) roasted cumin powder, dry-roast seeds then grind, for authentic flavour
• •3 g (½ tsp) garam masala
• •2 g (½ tsp) kashmiri chilli powder, for colour; or ¼ tsp regular chilli powder
• •2 g (¼ tsp) amchur (dried mango powder), or 1 tsp lemon juice as a substitute
• •4 g (¾ tsp) salt, for the filling, to taste
• •250 g (1 cup) plain whole-milk yoghurt, to serve, traditionally chilled

Steps

1. 1 Make the dough: In a wide bowl, mix the flour and salt. Add the oil or ghee and rub it in with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs. Add the warm water a little at a time and bring together into a soft, pliable dough (firmer than chapati dough, softer than poori dough). Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth, cover with a damp cloth, and rest for 20–30 minutes. A rested dough gives softer parathas.
2. 2 Prepare the filling: Boil the potatoes in salted water until a knife slides in easily, 15–20 minutes depending on size. Drain, return to the hot pan for 30 seconds to dry off, then peel and mash thoroughly while still warm. Do not leave lumps. Spread the mash in a wide plate to cool slightly so the spices do not cook on contact.
3. 3 Season the filling: To the warm mash, add the chopped coriander, mint (if using), green chilli, roasted cumin, garam masala, Kashmiri chilli, amchur and salt. Mix gently but thoroughly. Taste and adjust salt and acid. Cool until just warm; a piping-hot filling will soften the dough and make rolling difficult.
4. 4 Divide: Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces (about 38 g each). Roll each piece into a smooth ball, cover with a damp cloth. Divide the filling into 8 equal balls (about 50 g each), flatten each slightly. Keep covered so they do not dry out.
5. 5 Shape the parathas: Dust a ball of dough in flour and roll into a disc about 12 cm (4½ in) across. Place a filling ball in the centre, gather the edges up and seal tightly over the top, pinching to close. Dust again and roll out gently from the centre outwards to about 18–20 cm (7–8 in), turning the disc a quarter-turn after each roll and dusting with flour as needed to stop sticking. Aim for even thickness; if the filling pokes through, patch with a pinch of flour.
6. 6 Heat the tawa or griddle: Place a heavy cast-iron tawa or skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes. Test by sprinkling a few drops of water; they should sizzle and evaporate quickly. Do not cook on a screaming-hot tawa or the outside will brown before the filling warms through.
7. 7 Cook: Lay a rolled paratha on the hot tawa. Cook for about 1 minute, until small bubbles form on the surface. Flip, brush the cooked face with about 1 tsp ghee, then flip again so the ghee side is down. Brush the top with another 1 tsp ghee. Cook, pressing gently with a spatula in a circular motion (encourages even puffing), until golden-brown spots appear on the underside, about 1½ minutes. Flip once more and finish the second side, 30–60 seconds. Total cooking time is about 3 minutes per paratha. The paratha should be blistered, flecked with brown, and feel soft and pliable — not stiff or papery.
8. 8 Doneness cue: The filling must reach a piping-hot centre; when you tear a finished paratha open, steam should rise and the potatoes should be hot all the way through. If the outside is browning before the centre is hot, lower the heat and cook a little longer.
9. 9 Stack and serve: Place cooked parathas in a casserole dish or wrap in a clean tea towel to keep soft. Serve immediately with chilled yoghurt, a knob of butter, raw onion rings, and pickle or chai on the side, as is traditional.
10. 10 Food safety note for leftover filling: If you set filling aside for later, cool it from 60 °C (140 °F) to 21 °C (70 °F) within 2 hours and to 4 °C (40 °F) within a further 2 hours, and use within 24 hours, or freeze. Reheat any leftover filled parathas until the centre is steaming hot before eating.