Aloo Paratha
Whole-wheat flatbread stuffed with spiced mashed potato and griddled in ghee until crisp in spots.
Ingredients
Equipment: Tawa or flat frying pan, rolling pin
Method
Knead flour, a pinch of salt and water into a soft dough. Cover and rest.
Mix potatoes with onion, chilies, coriander, cumin, chili flakes, salt and anardana.
Divide the dough into 4 balls. Flatten one, place a quarter of the filling in the centre, pull the edges over and pinch closed.
Roll gently on a floured surface into an 18 cm (7 in) round.
Cook on a hot tawa for 1 minute per side, then brush with ghee and cook until golden and crisp in spots.
Repeat with the remaining dough.
Cooking tips
- Mash the potatoes while warm and let them cool fully; warm filling makes the dough tear.
- If filling pokes through, patch it with a pinch of dry flour.
Substitutions
- Ghee → oil to make it vegan
- Anardana → ½ tsp lemon juice
Serve with
Plain yogurt, a pat of butter and achar, with doodh patti chai.
Storage
Cooked parathas keep 2 days refrigerated, stacked with baking paper.
Reheating
Warm on a dry tawa for 1 minute per side.
Nutrition per serving, estimated
Estimated from the ingredient list. Values vary with brands and portion size.
You might also cook
PakistaniOnion & Potato Pakoras
Crisp gram-flour fritters with onion, potato and spinach. Made for rainy afternoons and a cup of chai.
PakistaniAloo Gobi (Dry-Style Potato and Cauliflower Masala)
A dry, gently spiced curry of potato and cauliflower with cumin, turmeric and fresh ginger. Easy to make in one pan and good with hot roti for a weekday lunch.
PakistaniAloo Palak (Potato and Spinach Curry with Cumin and Ginger)
Tender potatoes simmered in a smooth spinach and onion-tomato masala, finished with garam masala and lemon. A simple everyday sabzi that is ready in under an hour and suits roti or rice.
PakistaniAloo Anday (Potato and Boiled Egg Curry with Cumin and Green Chilli)
Tender potatoes and turmeric-crisped boiled eggs in a light, cumin-scented tomato gravy. It is a budget-friendly lunch that comes together with pantry staples and goes well with roti or rice.
Pakistani kitchen
PakistaniMutton Chops Masala (Pressure-Cooked Lamb Chops in Thick Onion-Yogurt Masala)
Mutton chops are marinated, pressure-cooked until soft, then finished in a thick, glossy masala that clings to the bone. A good Sunday dinner with naan or rice.
Tawa Naan (Soft Yogurt Naan Cooked on a Griddle)
Soft, bubbly naan made with yogurt and milk, cooked on a hot tawa or in the oven. A dependable flatbread for karahi, daal and kababs, no tandoor needed.
PakistaniChicken Corn Soup
A thick, gently peppery soup of shredded chicken, sweet corn and silky egg ribbons, in the style of Pakistani Chinese restaurants. Easy to make at home on a cold evening.
Kulcha (Oven-Baked Yogurt Bread with Nigella and Sesame)
Soft, fluffy round breads made with yogurt and milk, topped with nigella and sesame and brushed with butter. They bake in a hot home oven and go well with chanay, daal or any curry.