Rotis and parathas
Calories in Aloo Paratha
One aloo paratha has about 191 kcal, with 3.5 g of protein, 22.3 g of carbohydrate and 9.5 g of fat. The figure is from the Indian Nutrient Databank and describes a small home-style paratha made from 27 g of atta, 27 g of potato and 2 teaspoons of oil. A larger one, or one finished with ghee, has more.
Nutrition in 1 aloo paratha
| Nutrient | 1 aloo paratha | 2 aloo parathas |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 191 kcal | 382 kcal |
| Protein | 3.5 g | 7 g |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 22.3 g | 44.6 g |
| Total fat | 9.5 g | 19 g |
| Dietary fibre | 3.9 g | 7.8 g |
| Sugars | 1.1 g | 2.2 g |
Of this energy, about 47% comes from carbohydrate, 45% from fat and 7% from protein.
1 aloo paratha is about 9% of the daily energy requirement of a sedentary adult man and 12% of a sedentary adult woman's (ICMR-NIN, 2020).
These figures are from the Indian Nutrient Databank (INDB), which calculates each dish from a standard recipe using Indian food composition data. They describe that recipe and that serving: a larger portion, or more oil, ghee or sugar, gives more. Source: Vijayakumar A, Dubasi HB, Awasthi A, Jaacks LM. Development of an Indian Food Composition Database. Current Developments in Nutrition. 2024;8(7):103790 (Indian Nutrient Databank, INDB).
What this figure covers
The number comes from a standard recipe, not from a restaurant plate. The recipe uses 80 g of atta, 80 g of potato and 2 tablespoons of oil to make 3 parathas, which works out to a paratha rolled from roughly 27 g of flour. That is on the small side: many home cooks use more dough for each one, and a dhaba paratha is larger still and usually arrives with butter melting on it. Treat 191 kcal as the figure for a modest paratha cooked with a measured amount of oil.
Where the energy comes from is the more useful part. Carbohydrate from the flour and potato supplies 47% of it and fat supplies 45%, almost all of that from the cooking oil. Protein contributes only 7%. An aloo paratha is therefore a flour-and-fat food with a little vegetable inside, and the potato filling changes its calories far less than the oil on the tawa does.
What goes into one serving
The recipe INDB analysed makes 3 parathas. These are its main ingredients; spices, salt and water are left out.
| Ingredient | In the recipe | In 1 aloo paratha |
|---|---|---|
| Atta (whole wheat flour) | 80 g | 27 g |
| Potato | 80 g | 27 g |
| Onion | 25 g | 8.5 g |
| Oil | 2 tbsp | 2 tsp |
What changes the number
- 01
The fat on the tawa
Each teaspoon of oil carries about 44 kcal and each teaspoon of ghee about 45 kcal. The recipe already counts 2 teaspoons of oil in every paratha, so a paratha cooked with half that would be noticeably lighter, and one finished with an extra teaspoon of ghee comes to about 236 kcal.
- 02
The size of the dough ball
The reference paratha uses 27 g of atta. Rolling a thicker one from more dough raises the calories in step with the flour, so judge a paratha by the dough that went into it and not by how wide it looks on the plate.
- 03
What goes on the side
Curd, pickle and butter are eaten with a paratha more often than not. Curd adds protein and some calcium; a pat of butter adds fat and little else. Count them separately, because none of them is inside the 191 kcal.
- 04
How much filling
More potato in the same amount of dough adds little energy compared with flour or oil, and makes the paratha more filling. Mixing in grated cauliflower, radish or paneer changes the nutrients more than it changes the calories.
How aloo paratha compares
Other dishes of the same kind, one serving each, lightest first. Serving sizes differ, so read the serving before the number.
| Dish | One serving | Energy (kcal) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Methi Thepla | 1 methi thepla | 126 | 3.3 |
| Khakhra | 1 khakhra | 135 | 3.6 |
| Methi Paratha | 1 methi paratha | 135 | 3.9 |
| Onion Paratha | 1 onion paratha | 146 | 3.3 |
| Naan | 1 naan | 152 | 4.3 |
| Plain Paratha | 1 plain paratha | 166 | 2.8 |
| Gobi Paratha | 1 gobi paratha | 181 | 3.8 |
| Mooli Paratha | 1 mooli paratha | 184 | 3.3 |
| Aloo Paratha | 1 aloo paratha | 191 | 3.5 |
| Puran Poli | 1 puran poli | 196 | 5.1 |
| Dal Paratha | 1 dal paratha | 206 | 5.2 |
| Matar Paratha | 1 matar paratha | 207 | 6.1 |
| Makki ki Roti | 1 makki ki roti | 224 | 3 |
| Paneer Paratha | 1 paneer paratha | 224 | 6.8 |
| Keema Paratha | 1 keema paratha | 238 | 9.4 |
In a meal and in a day
Two aloo parathas come to about 382 kcal and 7 g of protein, which for a sedentary adult is a real share of the day: one paratha alone is about 9% of a man's daily energy requirement and 12% of a woman's. As a breakfast, the weak point is protein. A bowl of curd, a glass of milk or an egg alongside does more for the meal than a third paratha would.
Ways to keep it lighter
- Cook it with a measured teaspoon of oil and no ghee on top.
- Roll the filling generously into a thinner layer of dough, so each paratha has more potato and less flour.
- Eat it with plain curd in place of butter or a second paratha.
- Add grated cauliflower, radish or methi to the potato for more fibre in the same paratha.
Before you rely on the number
An aloo paratha is mostly quick-digesting starch cooked in fat, so people who are watching their blood sugar usually do better with one paratha and a protein food than with two parathas on their own. Anyone on a diet plan set by a doctor or dietitian for diabetes, or for a heart or kidney condition, should follow that plan's portions.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
Aloo Paratha: common questions
How many calories are in 2 aloo parathas?
Two aloo parathas of the size in the reference recipe have about 382 kcal, with 7 g of protein, 44.6 g of carbohydrate and 19 g of fat. Parathas rolled from more dough or cooked with extra ghee will be higher, so count the fat you add at the tawa as well.
Is aloo paratha good for weight loss?
It can fit, but it is not a low-calorie food. Close to half of its 191 kcal comes from oil, so the simplest saving is to cook it with less fat and to stop at one, with curd alongside for protein. Weight change depends on the whole day's eating, not on one dish.
How much protein is in one aloo paratha?
About 3.5 g, which is low for a main breakfast item. Protein supplies only 7% of its energy. Pairing it with curd, milk, paneer or an egg is the practical way to raise the protein of the meal.
Does an aloo paratha have more calories than a plain paratha?
Slightly, in this set of recipes: 191 kcal against 166 kcal for a plain paratha made with the same flour and oil. The difference is the potato filling, which adds a little starch and very little fat.
The recipe, the ingredients and related reading
Aloo Paratha
The recipe on this site, step by step.
Wheat flour (atta and maida): nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Potato: nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Onion: nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Calories in One Chapati: By Size, With Ghee, and Compared With Rice
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
Indian food calorie chart: household portions, not per 100 g
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
Indian food calorie counter
Add up a whole plate in rotis, katoris and cups.
Calories in every dish
All the cooked dishes, with calories per serving.
Learn to read a plate
Certification in Nutrition
Estimating what is on a plate and turning it into a meal plan is taught in this NNWA course.