Trinidad Aloo Pie Recipe - This Bago Girl

Name: Trinidad Aloo Pie
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 3/4 cup water (as needed); 3 medium potatoes; 1 teaspoon curry powder; 3 garlic cloves (finely minced); Pepper sauce (to taste); 1 teaspoon ground geera; 1 1/4 teaspoons salt (or to taste); 1 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste); Oil (for frying)

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Trinidad aloo pie is a popular street food made with seasoned mashed potatoes tucked inside soft dough and fried until golden and crispy. Eat one on its own, or load it up with curry channa, tamarind sauce, or pepper sauce.

A bunch of fried aloo pies on a plate with wax paper on a white background with tamarind sauce in a bowl and a checkered napkin in the background.

If you’ve spent any time around the street food scene in Trinidad and Tobago, you’ve probably come across aloo pies alongside favorites like pholourie and doubles. They make a great snack or light meal, and they’re easy enough to make at home when the craving hits.

This recipe keeps the filling simple but flavorful, with potatoes seasoned with curry, geera, garlic, black pepper, and pepper sauce. I also use this same dough to make my veggie pies and corned beef pies when I want to switch up the filling.

Growing up, we made these pies at home whenever we had leftover potatoes or even veggies that needed to be used up. It was one of my mom’s specialties, and you never wanted to share them with anyone. Especially not your cousin, even though you already knew your mom had called her to come get some. 😂 The day my mom made aloo pies was always a good day.

Aloo pies are sometimes compared to samosas because of the fried dough and potato filling, but Trini aloo pie is very much its own thing. For my filling, I season the potatoes with both curry and geera, along with garlic, black pepper, and pepper sauce.

Table of Contents

How to make Trinidad aloo pie

Ingredients

You only need a few basic ingredients to make homemade aloo pies. The full measurements are in the recipe card below.

Dough: All-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and water make the dough. Add the water gradually so you can stop once the dough is smooth and pliable.
Potato filling: Potatoes are seasoned with curry powder, ground geera, fresh garlic, black pepper, salt, and pepper sauce. Adjust the pepper sauce depending on how spicy you want your filling.
For frying: Use a neutral oil suitable for frying. I use enough oil to come partway up the pies rather than fully deep-frying them.

Instructions

1. Make the aloo pie dough

Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Gradually add up to about 1/2 cup of the water while mixing until the dough begins to come together. Continue adding a little water at a time as needed until you have a smooth, pliable dough. You may not need the full 3/4 cup.

If the dough isn’t smooth after the first knead, let it sit for about 10 minutes, then knead it again. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 20 minutes. This makes it easier to shape and roll.

A ball of the mixed dough in a glass bowl used to make aloo Trinidad aloo pie.

2. Make the potato filling

Wash and peel the potatoes, then boil them whole in salted water until they are fork-tender. Drain well and mash.

Season the potatoes with curry powder, ground geera, minced garlic, salt, black pepper, and pepper sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.

A silver bowl of seasoned up potatoes to be used as filler for Trinidad aloo pies.

3. Fill and shape the aloo pies

Divide the rested dough into 7 roughly equal balls. Flatten each ball into a circle about 4 inches wide using your fingers or a rolling pin.

Aloo pie dough in ball forms then the balls flattened out.

Add about 2 large spoonfuls of potato filling to one half of each circle. Moisten the edges of the dough with a little water, fold the dough over the filling, and press the edges together.

Aloo pies on a wooden cutting board showing how to put filling and how to dampen the edges.

Use a fork to seal the edges well. Lightly flatten the filled pie to spread the potato throughout the dough.

Step of sealing an aloo pie closed over a wooden cutting board.

4. Fry until golden

Heat your oil to about 350°F. Carefully add one aloo pie and fry the first side for about 1 minute, spooning some of the hot oil over the top as it cooks.

Flip the pie and continue frying until both sides are golden brown. Remove it from the oil and drain on paper towels before repeating with the remaining pies.

If you’re using a larger pot with enough oil to deep-fry the pies, fry them in batches and avoid overcrowding the pot.

Tips for crispy aloo pies

Frying pies used to make me nervous, so these are a few things I’ve learned that make the process much easier.

Keep the oil around 350°F: If the oil isn’t hot enough, the dough can absorb too much oil and turn soggy. If it’s too hot, the outside can brown before the dough cooks properly. A kitchen thermometer makes it much easier to keep the temperature consistent.
Seal the edges well: Moisten the edges with water and press them together firmly before sealing with a fork. This helps prevent the pies from opening and losing their filling in the oil.
Don’t overfill: Be generous with the potato, but leave enough room around the edge to get a good seal.
Flatten the filled pie: After sealing, lightly flatten the pie to spread the potato filling throughout the dough. Don’t press so hard that you break the seal.
Don’t overcrowd the oil: I usually fry one pie at a time in shallower oil. If you’re deep-frying several in a larger pot, leave enough room between them so the oil temperature doesn’t drop too much.
Watch the color: If one side is browning much faster than the other, turn the pie as needed and check your oil temperature.

Close up image of fried Trinidad Aloo pies showing the crispy outside and the soft filling.

Storing & Reheating

Let leftover aloo pies cool completely before storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

For longer storage, wrap the cooled pies individually and place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 1 month.

Reheating from the refrigerator

Reheat the aloo pies in a 350°F oven for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until heated through and crispy again. A toaster oven also works well.

You can also reheat them in the air fryer, which is one of my favorite ways to get the outside crispy again.

Reheating from frozen

Reheat frozen aloo pies in a 350°F oven for about 15 to 20 minutes. Cover them loosely with foil for the first 10 minutes to help prevent them from drying out, then remove the foil so the outside can crisp up.

The inside seasoned potato filling for a trini aloo pie being held in hand.

More Caribbean street food recipes

If you love aloo pie, here are a few more Caribbean street food favorites to try:

Frequently Asked Questions

How thin should an aloo pie be?

Flatten each dough ball into a circle about 4 inches wide before adding the filling. After sealing the pie, lightly flatten it again to spread the potato filling throughout the dough without pressing hard enough to break the seal.

Can I make aloo pies ahead of time?

Yes. You can prepare the dough and potato filling ahead of time and store them separately in the refrigerator for up to a day. Let the dough sit at room temperature briefly if needed so it’s easier to work with before shaping the pies.

Why are my aloo pies soggy?

The oil may not be hot enough. Keep it around 350°F and allow it to return to temperature between batches. Avoid overcrowding the pot, since adding too many pies at once can quickly lower the oil temperature.

Why did my aloo pie open while frying?

Make sure you leave enough dough around the filling to create a good seal. Moisten the edges with water, press them together firmly, and use a fork to seal before frying. Avoid overfilling or pressing too hard when you flatten the filled pie.

Make these Trinidad aloo pies

If you try this aloo pie recipe, leave a comment and let me know how they turned out! And if you share them on social media, tag me so I can see your pies.

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Recipe

Renee Robley