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Punjabi · Indian

Aloo paratha

Vegetarian

आलू पराठा · aloo paratha

Whole-wheat flatbreads stuffed with spiced mashed potato and griddled with ghee until crisp in spots. A classic North Indian breakfast with yogurt and pickle.

Aloo paratha is a Punjabi bread from India, ready in about 1 hour 15 minutes and made with whole-wheat flour and potato. It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.

Start cooking
Close-up of delicious homemade stuffed flatbread on a white tray, perfect for breakfast or a savory meal.
Photo: I Own My Food Art / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
30 min
Cook
25 min
Rest
20 min
Total
1 h 15 min
Serves
4
Level
Intermediate
Calories
430

Ingredients

4 parathas (4 large)

For the dough

For the filling

For cooking

To serve

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix the flour and salt, add the oil and enough water to knead a soft, smooth dough. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.

    • 8 min
    Hands kneading dough on a floured surface
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Mash the potatoes (opens in a new tab) until completely smooth with no lumps, then mix in the chilli, ginger, coriander, spices, salt and lemon juice (opens in a new tab).

    • 8 min
    Potatoes being mashed
    How it looks · Photo: Mateusz Feliksik on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Divide the dough and filling into 4 each. Roll a dough ball into a 10 cm disc, place the filling in the centre, gather the edges over it and pinch to seal. Flatten, dust with flour and roll gently into an 18–20 cm round.

    Roll from the centre outwards with light pressure so the filling doesn't burst through.

  4. Step 4

    Cook each paratha on a hot griddle until small brown spots appear on both sides, then brush with ghee (opens in a new tab) and press with a spatula until golden and crisp, about 3 minutes in total.

    A flatbread cooking on a hot griddle
    How it looks · Photo: Muhammad Khawar Nazir on Pexels

  5. Step 5

    Serve hot with yogurt (opens in a new tab), pickle or a pat of butter.

      A finished dish being plated
      How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

    About this dish

    Origin
    Punjab, India · Commonly attributedA staple across the Punjab region on both sides of the India–Pakistan border.Also popular in PakistanMore food from India
    Dish
    Breakfast · Brunch · Lunch · Breads & flatbreads
    Cooking method
    Pan-fried, Boiled
    Taste
    savoury, spicy (chilli heat), buttery, earthy
    Diet
    Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients
    All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
    With the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-based, Ovo-vegetarian, Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Everyday · Child-friendly · Budget-friendly · Portable / lunchbox
    Cook more with
    Whole-wheat flour · Potato · Green chilli · Fresh ginger · Coriander leaves · Cumin
    Techniques
    Pan-frying · Boiling · Kneading · Pickling

    Allergens

    • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom ghee, yogurt
    • Contains: Wheatfrom whole-wheat flour
    • Contains: Glutenfrom whole-wheat flour

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    430 kcal per serving

    Estimated

    1 serving ≈ 274 g · recipe makes 4

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 10%
    • Carbohydrate 64%
    • Fat 25%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy430 kcal157 kcal
    Protein11.6 g4.2 g
    Carbohydrate72.5 g26.5 g
    Net carbohydrate62.3 g22.8 g
    Sugars1.8 g0.6 g
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre10.2 g3.7 g
    Fat12.7 g4.7 g
    Saturated fat5.2 g1.9 g
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol19 mg7 mg
    Sodium741 mg271 mg
    Salt equivalent1.9 g0.7 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    903 mg
    Calcium
    50 mg
    Iron
    3.8 mg
    Magnesium
    125 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    72 µg
    Vitamin C
    38 mg
    Vitamin D
    0 µg
    Vitamin B12
    0 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    52 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: yogurt.
    • Garam masala: Curry powder (FDC 170924) used as a stand-in; both are ground blends of similar dried spices used in teaspoon amounts.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • Let the boiled potatoes cool and dry — wet filling makes the parathas tear.

    Common mistakes

    • Lumpy filling pokes through the dough when rolling.

    Serve with

    • Serve with plain yogurt, mango or lime pickle and masala chai.

    Storage

    • Cooked parathas keep 2 days refrigerated or 1 month frozen, separated with baking paper.

    Reheating

    • Reheat on a dry griddle until crisp again.

    Variations

    • Gobi paratha: Use grated, squeezed cauliflower instead of potato.
    • Paneer paratha: Fill with crumbled paneer, chilli and coriander.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    Structure

    For the dough

    Used in steps 1, 2

    Masalas in this recipe

    Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

    Baker’s notes

    Customise in Bread & Bakery

    Timeline and readiness cues

    1. Mix and knead · about 30 min

      Knead until smooth and soft; it should feel like an earlobe.

    2. Rest · about 20 min

      Covered so it doesn't dry out; relaxed dough rolls and shapes without springing back.

    3. Bake · about 20 min

      Puffed with golden-brown spots on both sides.

    4. Start to finish: about 1 h 10 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

    The dough

    The dough in baker's percentages. Flour = 100%.
    IngredientRoleWeightBaker’s %
    Whole-wheat flourFlour250 g100%
    WaterWater160 g64%
    Neutral vegetable oilFat14 g5.4%
    SaltSalt3 g1.2%
    Total flour
    250 g
    Hydration
    64%
    With milk, eggs…
    64%
    Wholegrain
    100%

    Hydration = water ÷ flour × 100. Milk is about 87% water and eggs about 75%, so they’re shown separately as “with milk, eggs…”.

    • Medium dough (55–65%) — soft and easy to knead; sandwich loaves and rolls.
    • Salt 1.2% — on the low side (1.8–2.2% is typical for bread).
    • 100% wholegrain — absorbs more water and gives a denser, nuttier loaf.

    If something goes wrong

    • Pale crust

      Likely causes

      • Oven too cool
      • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
      • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

      What to do

      • Check the oven with a thermometer
      • Brush with egg wash or milk
      • Shorten the fermentation
    • Burnt bottom

      Likely causes

      • Tray too close to the heat
      • Dark tray absorbs more heat
      • Too much sugar in the dough

      What to do

      • Bake on the middle shelf
      • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
      • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
    • Tough or chewy flatbread

      Likely causes

      • Dough too stiff
      • Not rested
      • Cooked too slowly on too cool a pan

      What to do

      • Add water until the dough is soft and slightly tacky
      • Rest 20–30 minutes covered so the gluten relaxes
      • Cook on a very hot tawa or pan — quickly

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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