INDIA: Aloo Paratha

Servings

2-3

Ready In:

30min

Good For:

Breakfast

Introduction

About this Recipe

By: Savita Tanwar

Aloo paratha is a breakfast dish, staple in North India. Served with a good amount of homemade butter and Indian chai, it’s an absolute savory treat! Check out our Indian chai recipe here, which goes well with this dish.

Savita arrived to Pittsburgh 9 years ago along with her husband from India. She joined the International Women’s Association of Pittsburgh in 2016 and submitted this recipe as a participant of their programs. She loves to cook and uploads her recipes here.

 

India on the map
Ingredients
  • 2 medium potatoes, boiled and mashed
  • 1/4 teaspoon ajwain, also known as carom seeds
  • 1 green chili, finely chopped(optional)
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
  • ¼ teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/4 teaspoon anardana powder (pomegranate)
  • 1/8 teaspoon red chili powder, or adjust to taste
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt , or adjust to taste
  • 3-4 teaspoons oil/ghee/butter, to cook the parantha

For dough

  • 5 cups atta, also known as whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • water, to knead the dough

See below for optional stuffing ingredients. 

Thank you to the International Women’s Association of Pittsburgh (IWAP) members for submitting recipes. IWAP is a group, a family, a community, coming together from different countries, cultures and backgrounds. Their mission is to offer friendship, support and assistance to international women, who find Pittsburgh as their new home. They have cooking classes, English classes, book club, field trips, volunteer opportunities, and more.
cooking aloo paratha
aloo paratha plated

Instructions

Make the dough
  • In a bowl mix together whole wheat flour (atta), salt. Add water little by little and mix.
  • Knead to form a smooth and soft dough. Cover and let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes.
  • Divide the dough into 4-6 equal parts.
Make the filling
  • To make the filling, mash the boiled potatoes and transfer to a bowl.
  • Add chopped cilantro, salt, ajwain, chopped green chili, garam masala powder, anardana powder and red chili powder.
  • Mix till everything is well combined. The stuffing is now ready
Alternative filling: Gobhi paratha (Cauliflower)

For stuffing:

 

  • 1 cup grated cauliflower
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ajwain seeds (carom seeds)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  • salt, to taste
  • red chili, to taste
  • garam masala, to sprinkle
Alternative filling: Mooli Paratha (Radish)

For stuffing:

 

  • 1 medium to large mooli (radish) with or without leaves
  • 1 or 2 green chilies finely chopped
  • red chili powder as required
  • garam masala powder, optional
  • ghee (clarified butter) or oil for frying
  • white butter to serve with the paratha
  • salt as required
Making the paratha
  • Take one of the dough balls and using your rolling pin roll it into a circle. Place 2-3 tablespoons of stuffing in the center. Don’t overfill else it will be difficult to roll.  
  • Bring all the edges together and pinch to seal the edges.
  • Flatten the dough ball using your hands.
  • Now using your rolling pin, roll the dough to a circle of 7-8 inch diameter. The trick here is to apply equal pressure while rolling. If you do that, your paratha will turn round automatically.
  • Transfer the rolled paratha onto the hot tawa or pan.
  • Cook the side for a minute or two and then flip over. Apply oil [around 1/4 teaspoon] on the half-cooked side and flip again.
  • Now apply oil on the other side as well. Press with a spatula and cook the paratha till both sides have golden brown spots on them.
  • Repeat with the remaining dough balls.
  • Serve aloo paratha hot with butter, pickle and a cup of chai!