*This post may contain affiliate links. Read more »
This Bolani recipe might just be about to take the thrown of your heart as your new favorite way to eat potatoes. Simple ingredients, no complicated steps, and guaranteed deliciousness that hundreds of recipe testers have tested the heck out of. Get ready to have no problems at all making this Afghani flatbread filled with sumac-spiced potatoes!
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Cinnamon Snail.
Afghanistan isn’t the only country that makes a flatbread with potatoes in it. Most famous is aloo paratha, and in Amritsar, India, potato kulcha is a straight-up way of life. But with its tender dough, drop-dead gorgeous sumac seasoned potatoes and leeks, herbs, and a delightful crisp from pan-frying, Bolani is creating into your top ten favorite stove-top bread list for certain.
Jump to:
🤷♀️What is Bolani?
The word "Bolani" comes from Persian, meaning "stuffed." It's often filled with potatoes, greens, or lentils, making it a popular plant-based street food in Afghanistan. This flatbread makes a tasty snack, and paired with mezze items like mutabal, vegan labneh or harira, it’s also a killer option for a light meal. The combination of cumin, coriander, and sumac in the filling gives it a unique and irresistible flavor.
This recipe is straightforward and doesn’t require any fancy equipment. You can whip it up in under an hour (maybe a wee bit more time if you only cook one at a time), and it only needs a handful of ingredients. So, whatcha waiting for? This heavenly Afghani bread almost makes itself, but it just needs a little bit of your love to get it across the finish line.
🥰Why you'll adore this recipe
✊ Vegan AF: Like all of my vegan Middle Eastern recipes, this Afghan Bolani is completely plant-based. There is no need for butter, ghee, curd, or animal products of any kind to achieve downright hyper-crispy, flavorful goodness!
⏱️ Quick and Simple: This recipe comes together in under an hour, making it perfect for a quick dinner or snack without spending all dang day in the kitchen.
🛒 Pantry-Friendly: Most of the ingredients are common pantry staples, so you can whip up this Bolani without a special trip to the store. The sumac can be left out or substituted with lemon juice if you can’t get it.
✅ Tested and Approved Worldwide: After tweaking and perfecting, like all of my vegan recipes, I shared this recipe with the rest of the world only after I got back unanimous positive feedback from my massive team of hundreds of recipe testers.
🥔 Ingredients for bolani bread
Whole Wheat Flour
Like I do when making kuboos bread, I like using some whole wheat flour in the mix to give just the right structure and flavor to the dough. If you don’t have any whole wheat flour though, or prefer a whiter bread, you can make this recipe using 100% all-purpose flour instead.
Leeks
Mild and slightly sweet, leeks add oniony depth to the filling without overpowering it. Leeks are often super filthy when you get them from a store, slice them and then massage them in a bowl of lukewarm water. Then remove the leeks by hand, leaving the sediment in the bowl, and let them drip dry in a colander before using. Onions, ramps, green onions, garlic scapes, or shallots (my fave for Southeast Asian recipes like sambal matah and sambal dabu dabu) can be used as substitutes in this recipe.
Cumin Seeds
Cumin seeds add a warm, earthy flavor, irresistible fragrance, and aid in digestion too! Ground cumin can be used if you don't have cumin seeds.
If you are a regular reader of my blog, you already know how much I love the wild mountain cumin seeds from Burlap and Barrel. These seeds go into a sorta embarrassing number of dishes I make from chana palak, and arhar dal to tamarind chutney, red curry paste, and bumbu Bali.
Get my fave cumin seeds for free!
Using this link, add the wild mountain cumin to your cart, spend at least $15 on some of the other absurdly good spices from Burlap & Barrel (they all seriously slap) and the bottle of this bangin' wild mountain cumin becomes FREE, and you will love it so much.
Sumac
Sumac has a tangy, lemony flavor that brightens the filling. I use it in my lahana sarma (Turkish stuffed cabbage), and I used a ton of it in the season 1 menu of my Galactic MegaStallion pop-ups, which had a focus on Middle Eastern cuisine. If you can't find sumac, amchur is a good substitute; otherwise, use lemon juice.
Aleppo Pepper Flakes
Aleppo pepper flakes are the perfect flavorful spice to perk up dishes such as patlican yemegi, ezme salad, and fasulye tarifi (Turkish style runner beans). If you want a less spicy bread, you can absolutely just leave it out.
If you can’t get your hands on Aleppo chilies, a great substitute is gochugaru, Korean chili flakes that you would use to make recipes such as vegan kimchi, Korean tofu soup, and oi muchim. Crushed red pepper flakes can also work here, but they are a bit hotter and less flavorful.
Zhoug (optional)
I love serving this bread with a spicy dip. The spicy Yemeni cilantro sauce zhoug is a great option. If you want something hotter, you can serve it with shatta sauce instead.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
🤯Variations
Pumpkin and Spinach Bolani
Swap the potato filling for a mix of roasted pumpkin and sautéed spinach, seasoned with homemade baharat, for a warm, comforting autumnal flavor.
Lentil and Caramelized Onion Bolani
Use a hearty filling of cooked lentils and caramelized onions, flavored with madras curry powder. My preference is to use small brown lentils, but red lentils like you use for making masoor dal, or mercimek kofte work great for this too.
Mushroom and Walnut Bolani
Try a filling made from finely chopped mushrooms and walnuts, sautéed with za’atar for a nutty, kinda meaty alternative that's packed with umami. I have done this using oyster mushrooms before, but if you can get them, it’s insanely good when made with lion’s mane. Want to see just how steak like lion’s mane can get? Take a look at my vegan fajitas and find out!
📖 How to make Bolani
Don't freak out if this is the first time you have made Afghan food! You are about to make the best potato flatbread you have ever had by following these step-by-step photos with helpful tips. Or scroll down to the bottom of this page for the easy-to-print recipe card.
Step One
Set the Dough Up:
Combine white flour, whole wheat flour, and salt in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. Create a well in the center, pour in the olive oil and warm water, and mix until a dough forms.
Knead the simple dough on a lightly floured surface or in the stand mixer on low speed for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover the bowl with a plate or damp kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
✅ Use a lightly oiled bowl for the dough to rest in so that it's easy to remove.
Step Two
Mr. Potato's Day at the Spa:
While the dough rests, peel and cook the potatoes in boiling water until tender, then drain and mash them in a large bowl.
✅If you prefer, steam the potatoes instead of boiling them. Just get them to fork-tender consistency so that they mash easily.
Step Three
Leeks on Fire:
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet. Add the leeks and sauté for 4 minutes until they are soft.
✅ Leeks tend to be filthy as heck. Make sure to wash them thoroughly AFTER slicing them to remove all the gross stuff. Then, allow them to dry in a colander before sautéing them.
Step Four
Spice It Up:
Add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black pepper, sumac, Aleppo pepper flakes, and salt. Cook for 2 minutes over medium heat until the spices are fragrant.
Step Five
Mash and Mix
Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the mashed potatoes, parsley, and cilantro. Mix everything until well combined.
Step Six
Roll With It
Divide the rested dough into eight equal pieces (roughly 85 g. each) and roll each piece into a ball. On a floured surface, roll out each ball into a thin circle, about 8 inches (20 cm.) in diameter. Place a generous spoonful of the potato filling on one half of each circle.
Step Seven
Seal the Deal:
Moisten the edges of the soft dough with a bit of water using a pastry brush or your finger. Fold the dough to enclose the filling and press the edges to seal.
✅Try to press the filling outwards from the center gently, so that the bread can cook with maximum surface contact with the pan.
Step Eight
Fry've Alive:
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Pan-fry the filled flatbreads in batches for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown and crisp.
Add 2 tablespoons more oil between batches, or as needed. Transfer the cooked bolani bread to a wire rack to drain excess oil before serving. I do that instead of using paper towels to avoid waste.
Serve the stuffed flatbread hot, garnished with chopped parsley and minced green chilies. Enjoy with zhoug or your favorite topping.
💡Serving Ideas
Bolani is a great bread to serve with Middle Eastern and vegan Turkish recipes!
It’s silly good to serve my vegan shawarma or seitan kofta dripping with tarator (Lebanese tahini sauce).
Scoop up some loubia, Moroccan stewed white beans, or serve the hot fresh bread with kereviz, yalya corbasi, or Turkish saksuka if you are an eggplant freak like me.
👉Top tips
- Don't Rush the Dough: Take your time kneading the dough to ensure it’s completely smooth and elastic. The thirty-minute resting time allows the flour to fully hydrate and the gluten to relax, improving the texture of your Bolani, and making the dough easier to work with.
- Flavor Balance is Key: Taste the potato filling before assembling your Bolani to ensure it's well-seasoned. Adjust the spices as needed to achieve the perfect balance of flavors.
- Keep it Thin: Roll out the dough thinly on a flat surface to ensure that the Bolani cooks evenly and becomes crispy. Too thick, and you'll end up with doughy pockets.
- Control the Heat: Use medium heat when pan-frying the Bolani to achieve a crispy exterior without burning. Adjust the heat as needed to prevent the bread from cooking too quickly.
- Drain Excess Oil: After frying, place the cooked Bolani on a wire rack to drain excess oil. This helps keep them crispier and prevents them from becoming greasy.
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! This vegan flatbread is very versatile, and you can experiment with different fillings such as lentils, spinach, or even sweet fillings like pumpkin or ground vegan chicken. The best bolani are the ones you cook with love and care. I know it's corny sounding, but never leave that essential ingredient out!
To prevent your Bolani from becoming soggy, drain excess moisture from the potato filling before assembling. Ensure your skillet is properly heated before frying to achieve a crispy exterior.
Yes! Food processors are great for forming homemade dough. I always use it to make parotta and dough for vegan apple fritters and Korean donuts. Just keep in mind that they move much faster than regular mixers, so only run it for up to 3 minutes so as not to overheat and start to cook the dough.
🥶Storage:
Store leftover Bolani in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
❄️Freezing:
To freeze Bolani, place the cooked and cooled Bolani in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer-safe container or airtight bag and store for up to one month.
🌡️Thawing:
When ready to eat, thaw frozen Bolani overnight in the refrigerator.
🔥 Stovetop Reheating:
Reheat Bolani in a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes on each side until heated through.
🥵 Oven Reheating:
Alternatively, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C), place Bolani on a baking sheet, and bake for about 10-15 minutes until heated through.
✌️My faves to serve Bolani with:
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Cinnamon Snail.
Learn the secrets to perfect falafel in this fun cooking class with Chef Adam Sobel!
Bolani (Afghani Flatbread with Sumac Potatoes)
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour or use all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 cup water
Filling:
- 400 grams potatoes peeled and 1 cm. diced (about 2 cups cut)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups leeks inner white part, washed and sliced thinly
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds whole
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sumac
- ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ cup parsley chopped
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Mix flour, whole wheat flour, and salt in a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer. Create a well in the center and add the olive oil and water. Mix until a dough forms. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about five minutes, or in the stand mixer on low speed for 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Cover the bowl containing the dough with a plate or damp kitchen towel and let it rest for thirty minutes.
- While the dough rests, prepare the filling. Start by cooking the potatoes in boiling water until tender, then drain and mash them in a large bowl.
- Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet. Add the leeks and sauté for 4 minutes until soft.
- Add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black pepper, sumac, Aleppo pepper flakes, and salt. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the mashed potatoes, parsley, and cilantro (fresh coriander leaves). Mix until well combined.
- Divide the rested dough into eight equal pieces (about 85 g. each) and roll each piece into a ball. On a floured surface, roll out each piece of dough into a thin circle, about 8 inches (20 cm.) in diameter. Place a ¼ cup spoonful of the potato filling on one half of each circle.
- Using a pastry brush or wet finger, slightly moisten the perimeter of the dough with a small amount of water. Then, fold the dough over to enclose the filling. Press the edges to seal.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Pan-fry the filled flatbreads in batches until golden and crisp, about 4-5 minutes on each side. Add more oil in between batches as needed. Transfer the cooked flatbreads to a wire rack to drain excess oil before serving.
- Serve the bolani hot, or at room temperature, garnished with chopped parsley and minced green chilies if desired. Serve with zhoug, mutabal, vegan labneh hummus, or a topping of your choice.
Notes
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Cinnamon Snail.
Meg says
This is going to become a repeat offender on my table. Sooooo good. Tasty, balanced taste. Perfect with the Zhoug and Mutabal. And all worked with the Kofka and tzatziki.
Joseph says
These are another level. I had a glut of potatoes and a couple of leeks left over so gave them a go. There are so tasty, and very filling. I popped the left overs in the toaster to warm through the next day. You’ve got to make them!
Heather says
I really enjoyed making these flatbreads and they made a great lunch with salad. The dough comes together very easily and can be rolled out super thin without cracking. I am keen to make some of the variations and might experiment with some other fillings. Great recipe
Adam Sobel says
Glad you loved this one Heather ❤️