Hereβs something different you can make with leftover potato that is really easy to make! Aloo Paratha is a potato stuffed flatbread that isΒ aΒ popular dish in India. This recipe is soΒ flexible and Iβve provided loads of substitutions and alternatives so donβt be concerned about needing speciality Indian spices. I am addicted to this!
I was inspired to make this because I wanted to make something a little unique usingΒ leftover mashed potato I had from making Shepherdβs Pie Potato Skins (yet againβ¦.I love them!).Β This recipe is from my favourite Indian food blog, Priyaβs Kitchenette. Besides the fact that Priya is an incredibly generous and kind person, she is phenonemal in the kitchen and her blog opened up the world of Indian cooking to me.Β She shares dishes that I order at Indian restaurants and shows how easy they are to make at home. And a whole lot healthier too because Indian food at restaurants and takeout places here in Sydney is really, really oily. But Indian home cooking is not. All the flavour with far less oil. Win, win!
βThe flatbread dough is just flour, salt and water and takes 3 minutes to make. The filling is flavoured with garam masala, a staple Indian spice, but donβt worry if you donβt have it, there are easy alternatives!β
Parathas (Indian flatbreads) are very popular in India and are typically served for breakfast. However, in the Western world this is served as a side withΒ curries, or as an appetiser.Β Along with naan, parathas are alwaysΒ a βmust haveβ when I go out for Indian. You can get plain Parathas, but my favourite is Aloo Paratha (βAlooβ means βPotatoβ). Iβm a carb monster. So a double carb hit is pretty much my idea of Perfect Food.
βThis is one of those recipes where it doesnβt matter if you donβt have the listed ingredients β you can even substitute the potato!Β Change it up and use what you have. Iβve provided loads of suggestions for substitutions and alternatives. It is still going to be delicious!β
I promised you right up front that this is really easy and the main reason isΒ because the dough is so easy to make and work with:
1. It is just made with flour, water and salt;
2. It only takes about 1 1/2 minutes to knead;
3. You donβt need to flour the work surface because the dough is not sticky. Even after kneading and rolling it out, the work surface will be perfectly clean; and
4. The dough is smooth, silky and elastic so it is really easy to roll out and stretch into the shape you want.
The filling is very simple: potato, shallots (scallions), ginger, coriander (cilantro) and some spices. The beauty of this recipe is that it doesnβt matter if you donβt have all the ingredients, you can substitute with so many other things or simply leave it out. Sure, what you end up with might not strictly be Aloo Paratha, but it is still going to be delicious. Iβve provided loads of suggestions for substitutions and alternatives. You donβt even need to use potato! You could use, for example, broccoli!
Now if youβll excuse me, I have a pile of Parathas calling my name. Until next time! β Nagi
More things stuffed in flatbreads!
Things stuffed inside flatbreads are always a good thing! Iβve done a few over the years:
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Gozleme β Crispy Turkish olive oil flatbreads stuffed with spinach and feta
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And handy Oven Baked Chicken Quesadillas!
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And though not stuffed, this ever popular Easy Soft Flatbreads has to make the list (use as naan for curries, Greek Gyros, Doner Kebab,Β Chicken Shawarma β the options are extensive!)
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Aloo Paratha (Indian Potato Stuffed Flatbread)
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 1/2 cups plain white flour (Note 1)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup water (Note 2)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil (or any other cooking oil), ghee or butter
Filling
- 1 1/2 cups mashed potato (Notes 3 and 4)
- 1/2 cup shallots/scallions , chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander/cilantro , roughly chopped (optional - adds a nice burst of freshness)
- 1/2 tsp fresh ginger , grated (optional - Note 5)
- 1 tsp Garam Masala (Note 6)
- 1 tsp Ajwain/ Carom seeds OR 1 tsp thyme (Note 7)
- 1/4 tsp chili powder (Note 8)
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Place the flour, water and salt in a bowl. Use a table knife to mix the ingredients together, then use your hands.
- Once the dough is sort of formed, turn it out onto a work surface and knead it 60 times. It should be smooth and elastic, not sticky or crumbly.
- Form the dough into a ball, cover with cling wrap and set aside for at least 20 minutes (up to a few hours). Do not refrigerate.
- Meanwhile, make the Filling. Place all Filling ingredients into a bowl and mix to combine.
- Preheat oven to very low (to keep Parathas warm because you can only cook one at a time).
- Cut the dough into 4 pieces with a knife.
- Take one ball and use a rolling pin to roll it out into a round about 18cm/7" in diameter.
- Place 1/3 cup of the Filling into the middle of the rolled out dough.
- Gather the edges of the dough to enclose the Filling (see photo below). Remove as much air as possible from inside then pinch to seal.
- Flatten the ball slightly and shape the flattened disc into a circle using your hands.
- Turn the dough over so the "sealed" side is facing down. Use a rolling pin to roll it out to about 1 1/2 cm / 2/3" thickness. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a non stick fry pan over medium heat.
- Place one Paratha into the fry pan and cook the first side for 1 minute 45 seconds. Use an egg flip to check if it is ready to turn - the underside should be golden brown.
- Turn the Paratha over and cook the other side for 1 minute 30 seconds.
- Remove from fry pan onto a wire rack (this stops the underside from going soggy due to sweat) and place into a low oven to keep warm while you cook the remaining Parathas.
- Add a small drizzle of the remaining oil into the pan (you should not need much). Proceed to cook the remaining Parathas.
- Cut into 4 pieces and serve immediately. It can be served with chutney or yoghurt on the side. I find that the Filling has so much flavour that it doesn't need anything on the side.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Β
Hi Nagi,
Greatings from Holland.
Because you are my βgotoβ kitchen goddes I searched your site first when I was look for a home made Chutney. My search ended here. So my question is here to.
Will you please try and post a Chutney recipe? (recipi recepe pff such a hard word for us dutchies π )
I will continue my search elsewhere but how great it will be what I find, I will surely try yours.
Excuse my bad english. Writing is harder then reading
Please donβt apologise! The fact that you can speak / write/ read more than one language is already admirable π I will certainly add that to my list! You mean Indian ones? N x
Indian would be great but other variatys can be nice to. Surprise me.
How many servings does this make?
Hi! I make 4 large or 6 smaller ones π N x
Very delicious recipe of potato paratha
Iβm so pleased to hear that Anil! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts on this recipe π N xx
Hi Nagi! What a delicious way to use all leftover potatoes! Just what I was looking for! I was planning to make your parathas day ahead. Could you advise can they be reheated in the microwave?
Hi Kasia! They are better if reheated on the stove, just to get that crispy exterior. Can you do that? π N x
Would this recipe be ok eaten cold as part of a picnic?
We had leftovers which we ate cold the next day. My family thought they were great either way.
Best served warm, sorry to say! N x
Hello Nagi,
I am so glad I found my way to your blog, itβs amazing!
I way looking for a recipe with some potatoe-leftovers and found yours. I made the filling without the ginger and cilantro (I donβt like it that much), but it tasted great either way π
I have a mill at home, so I made the dough out of freshly grounded spelt and adjusted the amout of water β just like you said π
As a side dish I made some Hummus and it fit perfectly in!
Thank you so much for this special and new dish. Iβm definitely trying out some more fillings. Maybe a potatoe-mushroom-gren onion-kind? So many possibilitiesβ¦!
I hope youβre having a good day and feel hugged!
Hi Maren! Thanks so much for your lovely message. Iβm so glad you enjoyed this, and thank you for taking the time to let me know! N x
I will definatly try it,its sooo well detailed n il looks sooo yummy!
I hope you do Annette! It really is crazy delicious! N x
such a great easy recipe, cant wait to try! thank you π
Virtual high five! YESSS!! So glad you enjoyed it Laura, thank you so much for coming back to let me know! N x
Wow, so tasty but I think I did something wrong. Mine browned up nicely but they didnβt get crispy even though I put them on a rack in the oven. Any hints as to what I did wrong. They are yummy but I want some crunch to them.
Thanks for sharing.
Hi Barbara! So glad you enjoyed the flavour! These arenβt meant to be super crispy. But if you want crunch, roll the dough thinner and cook on high heat with slightly more oil π Oh and press down with an egg flip while cooking!
Hi!!!! can we do the recipe but paleo??? π it will be great!!!!!
HOW THE HELL DID I MISS THIS!?! Omg so loving it!!!! Ahhh making making making! And the munchkin will love it because she loves playing with dough! Ahhhh this is soon fantastic!
How did you even end up on this recipe?? π Such a co-incidence, Iβm actually making these again today!!!
This sounds interesting! Thanks for the recipe π
You just inspired me to make this today!! Itβs been a whileβ¦ π
Can I substitute gluten fee all purpose for this? Or do you have any gf suggestions? Thank you!!!
Hi Jaime β Iβm sorry, I havenβt tried this with gluten free flour!
Amazing! I didnβt have any garam masala so I substituted curry powder (about 1 TBSP) and added smoked paprika (about 1 tsp)βflavor was seriously amazing! My mashed potatoes were made with cream, butter, and copious amounts of salt! π
End result was incredible.
YAY YAY! So glad you enjoyed it!!! And yes to your mash! Thatβs how I make mine too!!
Sorry I didnβt see where to rate the recipe in my last comment.
No worries! Nx
I am new to your site. Thank you for the e-books and thank you for this recipe! It turned out exactly like your photos and it was so easy to make. Thank you for writing such clear instructions. My husband LOVES mashed potato and misses the knishes he ate on the streets of New York City long ago. I am hoping I can eventually use the same technique but season the potato the way knishes do. This is so much easier to make! Thanks again, looking forward to trying more recipes.
Hi Sophia! I am so glad you βfoundβ me. π And Iβm glad you enjoyed the Aloo Paratha! This is a personal favourite of mine. I just adore big flavours, and this is right up there!! Your hubby is very lucky that you make amazing food like this for him!
I did this the other day and another WOW from your recipes Nagi. It is so delicious! Everybody enjoyed it. I commend you for providing visual instructions on how to make the bread. Thank you!
Sheryn! Iβm SO glad you loved it! Isnβt it amazing? I love Paratha, I am a bit obsessed with it. I must admit I get frozen ones on the rare occasion I go to an Indian speciality store, they are SO GOOD!!! But you canβt beat fresh! Thank you for taking the time to let me know you loved it!! π
I just made this for dinner and it was a HUGE hit!!! My husband and I loved the bold spices and bit of heat! It was super easy to make and was quite filling! We will definitely make this on a regular basis!
Oh yay!!! I love this sooo muchβ¦.plus, you can put anything you want inside! I often put in leftover veggies β broccoli is one of my favourites, I just mush it up and use the same flavourings π
This sounds uttely delcious! Love too Priyaβs recipes. Ladies, you both rock! Love your recipes too Nagi!
Thanks for visiting Hadia!! I absolutely adore Priya, both as a person and as a chef. This is definitely one of my favorites!
Wow, stuffing potato to a flatbread? It sounds so new and damn good! And yes, I do have a lot of leftover potato that I canβt wait to get rid of! Love the spices in it, the curry powder just make it to the next level! π
Thanks Maggie!! Itβs really amazing. Potato + bread is a brilliant combination!
Love aloo paratha and what a great way to use up leftovers and love the versatility Nagi!
Your photo together inspires me! Pinned
Cheers! Joanne
Thanks Joanne! I love Aloo Paratha tooβ¦.a little too much I think! As my belly evidences π