Aloo Paratha is a delightful Indian flatbread stuffed with a spicy mashed potato filling. My earliest memory of this delicious dish dates back to 1996. A friend took me to a hole-in-the-wall Punjabi restaurant in New Delhi which was apparently famous for its parathas. I took one bite of the paratha with a dollop of a yogurt-based side dish – and I was hooked! It was so filling and delicious – an overdrive of the senses!
Since then, I’ve taught myself to make delicious parathas at home. My experiments in the kitchen has led me to this wonderful combination of wheat flour, flax seeds, potatoes, spinach, garam masala and herbs. A true alchemy of flavors, I think. I’ll let you be the judge.
And once you’ve fallen in love with this paratha, I invite you to try out this Wholesome Methi (Fenugreek) Paratha recipe as well.
Indian Bread
Of all the varieties of Indian breads, I think paratha is one of my top favorites. I specially love the texture – it can either be layered and stuffed with a variety of fillings or simply made plain. Clearly, the more popular Indian bread is naan, which is cooked in a clay coal oven called ‘tandoor’. If you have ever had Indian food, I’m sure you would have eaten naan. Unlike naan, other types of breads like paratha, roti, chapati and kulcha are cooked on a griddle, versus a tandoor.
Whole wheat flour with ground flax seeds
Aloo Palak Paratha
This is one of my favorite parathas, although admittedly this may not be an ‘authentic’ recipe. I picked up the basics for this recipe from my mom and turned this into my own, over the years. Palak (spinach) is not typically used in this recipe. My goal with most recipes I cook, is to make them more nutritious, and not compromise on the taste. I have added cilantro, lime, chili peppers and garam masala to the filling. This takes the spice and flavor up by several notches and makes this paratha a delicious meal or a snack between meals!
Stuffing for Aloo Palak Paratha
Spinach is low in calories, high in iron, fiber and antioxidants. It helps lower blood pressure and improve vision. Flax seeds are rich in fiber, help control cholesterol, lower blood pressure. Organic whole wheat is plentiful in fiber, thus making this a wholesome meal.
If you love spinach greens as much as I do, then check out our delightful spinach-based recipes here:
- Vegan Palak Tofu Recipe
- Aloo Palak
- South Indian Palak Dal – Spinach & Lentils Stew
- Harvest Salad with Spinach-Apple-Pomegranate
- Kala Chana-Spinach Curry
- Malabar Spinach Chutney
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Aloo Palak Paratha
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
- 2 Tablespoons Flaxseeds - Ground or milled
- 1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt - Or to taste
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1/4 Cup Filtered water - Or as needed
Stuffing
- 1 Cup Potato - (~1 medium sized potato)
- 1 Cup Spinach - Fine cut
- 1/4 Cup Cilantro - Fine cut
- 1 Pepper Green Chili Pepper - Tender, fine cut
- 1/2 Teaspoon Lime Juice
- 1/2 Teaspoon Garam Masala - Make your own garam masala here
- 1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt - Or to taste
Instructions
- Add whole wheat flour, flax seeds, salt, and half teaspoon of oil to a mixing bowl. Keep adding filtered water in small quantities and mix the flour with your fingers until the flour stops sticking to the sides and to your fingers. Roll the dough into a ball and set aside.
- Pressure cook potatoes in the Instant Pot (use the Potato option) and mash them with the back of a fork.
- Add finely chopped spinach, cilantro, chili pepper, lime juice, salt and garam masala. Mix well.
- Divide the wheat dough into 4 small balls. Using a rolling pin, flatten each one out into a circle of 2 mm thickness and about 5 inches width. Keep sprinkling a little bit of wheat flour to prevent sticking. Place a quarter of the stuffing in the middle and fold from all sides. Ensure stuffing is fully enclosed and flatten carefully with your palm.
- Use the rolling pin to flatten the stuffed dough gently into a paratha. The stuffing will try to escape from some spots but don't worry about it. The potato cooks well and adds to the overall taste of the paratha.
- Heat a griddle and place a raw paratha on it. Cook one side for about a minute. Smear oil lightly all over the surface and flip the paratha. Oil this surface lightly as well, and allow to cook for a minute.
- Cook the paratha till it turns crispy with brown spots on both sides. Use your spatula to briskly rotate the paratha on the griddle so all the edges are well cooked.
- Serve hot with cucumber salad and tomato chutney. Mmmm! Super delicious!
