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Multigrain aloo paratha , an Indian flatbread stuffed with spiced potatoes! This addictive whole wheat and multigrain flatbread is a Punjabi breakfast staple. Step by step pictures. Soyfree Nutfree
Table of Contents
Making aloo paratha from scratch can be a bit tricky, but I’ve got photos and video to guide you through the process. Make sure you check out the tips and notes on this page to help you make these successfully!
Paratha is an Indian flatbread, and in this dish it is stuffed with aloo (potatoes). In this version, I add some hemp and chia seeds to the potatoes to amp up the protein, along with spices and salt to make them super flavorful.
You will want chapati flour for the best results when making this aloo paratha recipe. Chapati flour is a little bit different from conventional wheat flour. It’s actually made from a different type of wheat, so it absorbs less water.
This whole grain version adds whole oats and buckwheat groats to give the dough an amazing texture and light, nutty flavor. This addition also makes the dough easier to knead. You don’t need to knead for long as the dough will not be very smooth( the added grain interfere with gluten formation). But that works in our favor as it is easier to roll the dough out.
I use spices in my potato filling. You can use spices and herbs of choice. Don’t want to use Indian spices, use an Italian blend and add some vegan cheese to make cheesy potato flatbread!
Why You’ll Love Aloo Paratha
- spiced, mashed potatoes
- tender, whole grain flatbread
- Easier to make with less kneading
- soy- and nut-free
- carbs on carbs!
More Vegan Paratha Recipes
- Masala Paratha
- Beetroot Paratha
- Spinach Paratha – Spinach flatbread
- Broccoli Chickpea Stuffed Flatbread – Broccoli Paratha
Multigrain Aloo Paratha (Potato-Stuffed Indian Flatbread)
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 2.5 cups whole wheat chapati flour, This is different from whole wheat flour, see the recipe notes.
- 1/3 cup old-fashioned oats, or quick-cooking oats
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain) or cumin seeds
- 1/4 – 1/3 cup buckwheat groats
- 1 3/4 cups water, divided
- 1 tablespoon oil, or more as needed
For the filling:
- 4 medium potatoes, , yukon gold preferred
- 3 tablespoons or more hempseeds
- 1-2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon other spices of choice, , I usually add mix of a few of ground coriander, cumin, garam masala or chaat masala or amchoor(dry mango powder), cayenne,
Optional:
- Some or all of – a few tablespoons of finely chopped onion, 1 green chili finely chopped, 1 teaspoon minced ginger, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 2-3 tbsp chopped cilantro
Instructions
Make the dough:
- To a bowl add the flour, oats, salt, and spices and mix well.
- Heat one cup of water, until almost boiling, and add the buckwheat. Let it sit for 2 minutes to cook and rehydrate and add the buckwheat to the flour mixture.
- Add 2 teaspoons of oil and another 1/4 cup of water. Press and mix. Depending on your flour you might need some more water. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water at a time until the mixture will get slightly sticky.
- Use your oiled hands and not a spatula to bring the dough together. Add a couple more tablespoons of water if needed. This will take no more than 2 minutes to press and bring everything together.
- Once the dough comes together, knead for a couple more seconds. Brush one teaspoon of oil on the dough and cover it with a napkin or a plate and let it sit for 15 minutes.
Make the filling:
- In the meantime prepare the filling. Cook your potatoes if you haven’t already either in the pressure cooker or in a pot. To cook them in the instant pot just add the whole potatoes and cover them with water and pressure cook for 10 minutes for medium-sized potatoes. Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes then quick release. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl to cool for a little bit then peel and mash them.
- To cook them in a saucepan, peel the potatoes, cube them and add them to a saucepan. Cover with water, bring to a boil, and boil over medium-high heat for 12-15 minutes depending on their size. Check the potatoes if they are cooked. Drain, add to a bowl, and mash.
- Add the hempseeds, chia seeds, turmeric, salt, and spices, annd the optional onion, chili, cilantro if using,and mix well. Add the chia seeds to the hot potatoes so that the chia seeds will absorb the moisture. If the potatoes are already cold, the chia seeds won’t really absorb much moisture. Mix and mash really well and set aside for a few minutes.
Make the aloo paratha
- Oil your hands really well and knead the dough for a few seconds. Divide the dough into 10 equal size balls. Cover them again with the napkin. For each dough ball, roll it between your hands, use a little bit of flour to dust the surface, and roll it with a rolling pin.
- When rolling, you want to keep the edges of the dough thinner and the center thicker (see pictures and video).
- Take about 2-3 tablespoons of the potato filling and place it in the middle of the flatbread. Fold the flatbread as you like. I usually make squares by folding one and then the other side then pressing it so that the sides stick. Then fold the top and the bottom and press again so it sticks.
- Then using some more flour, dust both sides. To roll it out you need to press it down a little bit first then roll it out with the rolling pin. Roll it gently on the side that doesn’t have the folding. And again roll lightly without applying too much pressure on the side with the folding.
- Once the square is about 6-7 inches set it aside.
- Repeat for all the flatbreads. I usually roll out 3 or 4 and then start cooking them on the skillet. If this is your first time making them, it’s better to first roll them all out and then cook them.
- If you have any extra filling you can just form it into patties or if you don’t have enough filling for the last one or two, you can just eat them plain without any filling.
- Then heat your skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, place the flatbread onto the skillet and cook for 30 seconds or until golden brown. Flip to cook the other side and cook for another 30 seconds. Drizzle a few drops of oil and flip it and press and cook, 1 min or so (cook time depends on your skillet, stove, and how much heat is getting transferred to the flatbread) . Repeat with the rest of the flatbreads until both sides are golden brown. Set aside on a plate or storage container.
- Serve hot topped with vegan butter with some cumin spiced non dairy yogurt with shredded cucumber( raita) or chutneys like my tomato chutney, mango chutney, or Indian pickles(achar) or curries. Making aloo parathas can be tricky so definitely check out the recipe tips to make them.
Video
Notes
- Oats Substitute: omit them and add a few tablespoons more flour
- Buckwheat substitute: omit and add a few tablespoons oats or more flour
- Hemp seeds substitute: omit or use sesame seeds
- Chia seed substitute : omit or use more hemp seeds
- No Onion Garlic: don’t use the chopped onion and garlic powder
- Try to use Indian chapati whole wheat flour.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- whole wheat chapati flour – Do not use regular whole wheat flour in this recipe! It will be much harder to work with. Whole wheat chapati flour is made from a different kind of wheat and behaves differently. You can find it online or at Indian markets. If you can’t find chapati flour, use whole wheat pastry flour and use at least a third of the amount of all-purpose flour.
- whole grains – Oats and buckwheat groats add texture, protein, and fiber to this multigrain paratha.
- potatoes – Aloo (potatoes) are the base for the filling in this recipe.
- hemp and chia seeds – The seeds add some texture and protein to the potato filling.
- spices – Turmeric and salt are a must for seasoning the potatoes, and from there you can have some fun! I like to use some ground coriander, cumin, or garam masala to spice my potatoes.
- onion, chili, and garlic – These are optional mix-ins, if you want your potato mixture to have even more flavor!
Tips
- Always use the Indian chapati whole wheat flour because the whole wheat flour you get in stores uses a different type of wheat and it’s also coarsely ground and absorbs more liquid while kneading it. It’s also much harder to knead and roll out, it makes thicker parathas and it also dries up faster. So all in all I don’t like the whole wheat flour you get in regular stores. If you can’t find Indian whole wheat flour anywhere, you can use whole wheat pastry flour and use at least a third of the amount of all-purpose flour to make the dough so that it gets lighter and stays moist.
- Ideally, when you make stuffed parathas, you knead the dough for a while, so it becomes really smooth and elastic & it’s easier to roll out. But because we are adding other grains to it, the dough is not going to become smooth, so you don’t have to knead it that long!. Just knead a little bit to bring the dough together, let it sit, and then knead 4-5 times, then divide into balls.
- When you roll it out, use a little bit of flour so it doesn’t stick but doesn’t use too much flour as that will cause the paratha to dry out
- You don’t want the filling to be too soft or too moist otherwise it will moisten the dough while you are rolling it out and the moist dough has a tendency to break open and the filling will spill. It doesn’t really matter as eventually you will eat it but you have to handle it delicately .
- You can use a different filling to stuff the parathas. Cooking some other vegetables like carrots or/and cauliflower. You can also add more seeds to the filling to increase the protein. Or you can add some crumbled tofu to up the protein
How to Make Multigrain Aloo Paratha
Start by making the paratha dough. To a bowl, add the flour, oats, salt, and spices and mix well.
Heat one cup of water until almost boiling, and add the buckwheat. Let it sit for two minutes to cook and rehydrate and add the buckwheat to the flour mixture.
Add two teaspoons of oil and another quarter cup of water. Press and mix. Depending on your flour you might need some more water. Add one to two tablespoons of water at a time until the mixture gets slightly sticky.
Use your oiled hands and not a spatula to bring the dough together. Add a couple more tablespoons of water, if needed. This should take no more than two minutes to press and bring everything together.
Once the dough comes together, knead for a couple more seconds. Brush one teaspoon of oil on the dough and cover it with a napkin or a plate and let it sit for 15 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the filling. Cook your potatoes if you haven’t already either in the pressure cooker or in a pot.
To cook them in the Instant Pot just add the whole potatoes and cover them with water and pressure cook for 10 minutes for medium-sized potatoes. Let the pressure release naturally for five minutes, then quick release. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl to cool for a little bit then peel and mash them.
If you’re cooking them in a saucepan, peel the potatoes, cube them and add them to a saucepan. Cover with water, bring to a boil, and boil over medium-high heat for 12-15 minutes, depending on their size. Check that the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain, add to a bowl, and mash.
Add the hempseeds, chia seeds, turmeric, salt, and spices, and mix well. You need to add the chia seeds to the hot potatoes so that the chia seeds will absorb the moisture. If the potatoes are already cold, the chia seeds won’t really absorb much moisture.
Mix and mash really well and set aside for a few minutes.
Oil your hands really well and knead the dough for a few seconds. Divide the dough into 10 equal size balls. Cover them again with the napkin.
For each dough ball, roll it between your hands, use a little bit of flour to dust the surface, and roll it with a rolling pin.
When rolling, you want to keep the edges of the dough thinner and the center thicker.
Take about two to three tablespoons of the potato filling and place it in the middle of the flatbread.
Fold the flatbread as you like. I usually make squares by folding one and then the other side then pressing it so that the sides stick. Then fold the top and the bottom and press again so it sticks.
Then, using some more flour, dust both sides. To roll it out you need to press it down a little bit first, then roll it out with the rolling pin. Roll it gently on the side that doesn’t have the folding. And again roll lightly without applying too much pressure on the side with the folding to keep the filling from squishing out.
Once the square is about six to seven inches wide, set it aside.
Repeat for all the flatbreads. I usually roll out three or four and then start cooking them on the skillet. If this is your first time making them, it’s better to first roll them all out and then cook them.
If you have any extra filling, you can just form it into patties or if you don’t have enough filling for the last one or two parathas, you can cook them as plain flatbreads without any filling.
Now, heat your skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, place the flatbread onto the skillet and cook for 30 seconds or until golden brown. Flip to cook the other side and cook for another 30 seconds. Drizzle a few drops of oil and flip it and press and cook, 1 min or so (depending on your skillet, the stove and how much heat is getting transferred to the flatbread) by pressing it a little bit.
Repeat the cooking process with the rest of the flatbreads until both sides are golden brown. Set aside on a plate or storage container. Serve hot topped with vegan butter with some non dairy yogurt or chutneys or Indian pickles(achar) or curries.
Making aloo parathas can be tricky so definitely check out the recipe tips above to make them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Paratha is an Indian flatbread. It can be made on its own or stuffed with fillings, like spiced potato, cauliflower, radish, cheese etc.
Yes! Use my cauliflower flatbread or the gluten-free chia flatbread from my Indian kitchen book.
Aloo paratha is naturally soy-free and nut-free.
Serve hot topped with vegan butter with some cumin spiced non dairy yogurt with shredded cucumber( raita) or chutneys like my tomato chutney, mango chutney, or Indian pickles(achar) or curries.
I made these last night, and they were very good! I added the onion, cilantro, and a little bit of jalapeño to the filling, and I think next time I will pump up the flavor and heat a little more to align with our spicy preferences! I did not make a dipping sauce of any kind, but I think I will next time. It seemed like there were a lot of steps, but now that I’ve done it once I know that it will go more quickly next time because it’s a pretty easy process once you understand what to do. Thank you, Richa!
Awesome! Yes add some cayenne and more a jalepeno
How many grams of potato?
Updated