What is inside
What is inside Aloo Paratha?
Aloo Paratha is a flatbread stuffed with spiced mashed potato and cooked on a griddle with butter. Here is what is inside it, layer by layer, and why each one is there.
From the Tapri Chai kitchen · November 2026 · 2 min read
Layers
4 in all
Key ingredient
Spiced potato
Heat
Mild to medium
Served
Hot, with butter
The 4 layers of Aloo Paratha
Aloo Paratha is built from 4 parts. They are listed in the order you meet them, and the numbers match the diagram.
The whole wheat dough
Atta (whole wheat flour) kneaded with water, a little salt and oil into a soft, elastic dough that can be rolled thin without tearing.
The potato filling
Boiled potato mashed with green chilli, coriander, cumin, chilli powder, dried mango powder and salt. It should be a stiff, not wet, mixture.
The seal
The dough is gathered over the filling and pinched shut at the top, then rolled out again to trap the filling inside.
The butter
Ghee or butter brushed on the hot griddle and over the paratha as it cooks, giving crisp golden spots and a flaky texture.
01
What it is made of
An aloo paratha is bread wrapped around a seasoned mash. The balance between the dough and the filling is what counts: too much filling and it tears, too little and it is just bread.
- Whole wheat flour (atta)
- Potato
- Green chilli and coriander
- Cumin and chilli powder
- Dried mango powder
- Butter or ghee
02
How the layers work together
Crisp, buttery outside, soft and spiced inside. The potato is savoury, with a faint tang from the dried mango powder and a gentle heat from green chilli. A spoonful of cold yogurt on the side balances it well.
03
Where it comes from
Parathas are most closely associated with Punjab and North India, where a stuffed paratha with butter is a classic breakfast at home and at roadside stalls. Aloo paratha is the best-known version.
04
Variations and other names
There are many fillings and styles:
- Gobhi paratha: stuffed with spiced grated cauliflower.
- Paneer paratha: stuffed with crumbled paneer and spices.
- Mooli paratha: stuffed with grated radish, a winter favourite.
- Laccha paratha: an unstuffed, layered paratha with crisp flaky folds.
05
How to eat it
Eat it hot, torn into pieces and dipped in yogurt, with a dab of butter on top and pickle on the side. At breakfast it is usually paired with chai.
06
Aloo Paratha at Tapri Chai
Aloo Paratha is $9.99 CAD on our menu. We make it in a 100% vegetarian kitchen at 200 Kennevale Dr Unit 104, Barrhaven, Ottawa, open Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 11pm, closed Mondays.
Questions, answered.
What is Aloo Paratha made of?
Aloo Paratha is made of whole wheat flour (atta), potato, green chilli and coriander, cumin and chilli powder, dried mango powder and butter or ghee.
How many layers does Aloo Paratha have?
Traditionally 4: the whole wheat dough, the potato filling, the seal and the butter.
Is Aloo Paratha vegetarian?
Yes. The traditional recipe is vegetarian, and every dish at Tapri Chai is vegetarian.
Is Aloo Paratha spicy?
It is mild to medium. Heat comes from green chilli in the filling, and it can be eased by serving with yogurt.
Where can I try Aloo Paratha in Ottawa?
At Tapri Chai, 200 Kennevale Dr Unit 104, Barrhaven, Ottawa. Aloo Paratha is $9.99 CAD on our menu.
At Tapri Chai
Taste it for yourself.
Our kitchen in Barrhaven is 100% vegetarian. 200 Kennevale Dr Unit 104, Ottawa. Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 11pm. Closed Mondays.