Aloo Paratha Recipe: 4 Tips for Making Potato-Stuffed Paratha
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Jul 15, 2022 • 5 min read
Paratha is an unleavened Indian flatbread that often accompanies meat and vegetable dishes in North India. Learn how to make the flavorful flatbread at home, along with some helpful tips on how to achieve a crispy, buttery result.
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What Is Paratha?
Paratha is a layered, unleavened North Indian flatbread made from finely ground whole-wheat flour, salt, ghee, and water. Like a plain chapati or roti, paratha is an unleavened bread cooked on a flat griddle or frying pan known as a tava or tawa. To make paratha, cooks combine the ingredients by hand to form a soft dough, which they then roll and fold into thin layers, brushing oil or ghee between the folds to create a thin, pliable bread with a flaky, flavorful crumb. They may then shape parathas into a simple square or triangle or pleat them into a wreath-style spiral.
In India, cooks serve plain parathas with any meal, usually accompanying meat and vegetable dishes, or alongside a spread of chutneys, yogurt (curd) or raita (a condiment), and pickles for breakfast.
The Hindi word “paratha” refers to the layers of cooked dough that make up the dish; “parat,” meaning “layer,” and “atta,” meaning “flour.”
4 Tips for Making Paratha
Paratha is a blank canvas that you can enjoy as a neutral complement to any meal or as the main attraction—especially as a tiffin, or light snack. If it’s your first time making paratha, it may take a little practice to get it right, but the result is a crispy, buttery flatbread laced with spices and heat (or more butter).
- 1. Use the right flour. You can find atta, the whole-wheat flour used to make rotis and paratha, at Indian grocery stores or online. It has a finer texture than standard whole wheat flours, which results in tender, flaky layers like those in a flour tortilla. If you can’t find atta, whole wheat pastry flour is a good substitute for most paratha recipes.
- 2. Wipe the pan between batches. To prevent excess flour from scorching in the pan, give it a quick wipe with a dry kitchen towel between batches of paratha. Reducing the heat in between will help regulate the temperature and ensure each flatbread doesn’t burn. Turn the heat to medium when you’re ready to cook.
- 3. Roll the dough slowly. To prevent the filling from oozing out, take your time rolling out each paratha. The key is to ease the filling throughout the dough evenly, so use a combination of pressing and rolling. A little extra flour can help patch any leaks.
- 4. Try different fillings and flavor combinations. Cooks can make a plain paratha (with only layers of ghee). In contrast, stuffed paratha features various flavorful fillings, like mushrooms, lentils, mixed vegetables, beetroot, and spiced potatoes (aloo paratha). India’s most popular paratha flavors include grated cauliflower (gobi paratha) or cheese (paneer paratha).
Aloo Paratha Recipe
makes
prep time
20 mintotal time
3 hr 35 mincook time
15 minIngredients
For the dough:
- 2 cups finely ground whole-wheat flour (atta)
- Pinch kosher salt
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup butter or ghee, melted
For the filling:
- 2 medium russet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon whole brown mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon dried red chili powder, like paprika or cayenne
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 fresh hot green chili, stemmed and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, tender stems and leaves finely chopped
- Salt to taste
- 1
Combine the flour and salt in a mixing bowl, then slowly add in the water, using one hand to mix the dough as you pour. (The amount of water you need may vary depending on the humidity of your kitchen. It should be a soft dough, but not too sticky.)
- 2
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until it firms up slightly, about 8–10 minutes. It should be smooth and pliable, like an earlobe.
- 3
Lightly grease a clean bowl with a little of the butter, and place the dough inside it. Turn the dough to coat it in the butter and cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Set it aside to rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.
- 4
While the dough rests, make the filling. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the whole potatoes until you can easily pierce them with a paring knife, about 12 minutes.
- 5
Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon and set them aside in a large mixing bowl to cool. When they’re cool enough to handle, roughly mash them to a coarse, fluffy consistency. (If you prefer potatoes without skin, peel them before mashing, but leave them on while they boil.)
- 6
Heat the ghee in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add cumin and mustard seeds to the pan. When they begin to sizzle, add in the red chili powder, coriander, garam masala, and green chili. Fry for another minute, then remove them from the heat and add them to the bowl of potatoes. Add the chopped cilantro and season with salt. Mix well to combine, and set the bowl aside.
- 7
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it a few more times to warm and stretch it, developing the gluten. Use a sharp knife to portion the dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll each into a ball between your palms, and place them on a plate. Cover the dough balls with a damp towel to prevent them from drying out while you work.
- 8
Prepare 6 portions of potato filling, about a tablespoon each, by rolling them into neat balls and setting them on a plate.
- 9
Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Using a rolling pin, roll a single dough ball into a 6–7-inch round, flipping, sprinkling with a little flour if the dough is too sticky.
- 10
Place the dough in your non-dominant palm, then place a ball of filling at the center. Gather the edges of the dough around it, meeting at the center, like a dumpling. Twist the pleats to seal, and pinch off the excess dough.
- 11
Gently flatten the paratha into a thick disc and lightly flour each side. Slowly, applying very little pressure, roll it back out into a 6-inch round, switching directions every few turns to ensure even distribution.
- 12
Slap the paratha onto the center of the hot skillet. Cook it for 1 minute or until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip the paratha (you should notice some signature brown spots), brush with some of the melted ghee, and press down on the bubbles with a metal spatula as they rise. Cook it for another minute, then flip it, and brush it with more ghee.
- 13
Continue to flip the paratha, with only 5 seconds or so between turns, until golden brown and crispy, about 4 times. Remove the paratha from the skillet and set it on a plate lined with a clean kitchen towel. Cover to keep warm. Reduce the heat to low, and repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
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