My recipe for Indian restaurant style paratha with countless crispy layers that splinter as you tear into the soft center. Use it to scoop up a spicy Indian curry or dal.
Table of Contents
What is paratha?
A paratha is a coiled Indian bread with multiple crispy layers. Think puff pastry transformed into a softer, flavorful flatbread. Within India it features in both north Indian and south Indian cuisine. The north Indian lachha paratha (meaning coiled paratha) or khasta paratha (crispy paratha) is made with whole wheat flour. The south Indian paratha, called "parotta", is made with refined flour.
A paratha is unleavened, like roti, and it is not stuffed, like an aloo paratha or a gobi paratha is. But what makes it just as beloved and decadent are its delicious, flaky layers and rich, buttery flavor.
This is not a difficult flatbread to make, it's just a matter of rolling and folding the dough a few times to create all those layers. If you've made puff pastry before - or watched it being made - the process is very similar, but quicker.
My recipe will guide you, step by step, through getting those perfect layers without using any ghee, which, of course, is not vegan. You will need just three ingredients, including vegan butter. The recipe goes from start to finish in under an hour even if you are newer to the process.
Just like with naan, there is a learning curve to making paratha. This is Desi's favorite bread (perhaps alongside poori) and he urged me to try my hand at making it because he had happy memories of eating it at restaurants in Madras where it was always served alongside spicy curries. But it took me a few tries before I could get the perfect paratha I was looking for. Even those early mistakes tasted quite delicious, however, and I am proof that with practice and patience anyone can master these.
I love this recipe! It was very easy to follow, and the result is delicious. I make these every few weeks to eat with butter chicken. The parathas turn out very tasty and flaky. They hold up well and don't fall apart when you are eating them. My boyfriend and I used to order Indian take away regularly, but he prefers these parathas to the ones we ordered. - Sam
Recipe card
Paratha recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
- 6 tablespoons vegan butter (melted)
Instructions
- Mix flour and salt in a bowl. Drizzle the oil over the flour.
- Mix the oil in quickly so drops of the oil are dispersed throughout the flour.
- Trickle in water, a bit at a time, and knead until a smooth, supple dough forms. Place in the bowl, cover and set aside for at least 30 minutes.
- Turn out the rested dough on a floured surface and dust a rolling pin with flour.
- Roll the dough into a rectangle about 14 inches long and 12 inches wide. Brush with melted butter all over and sprinkle a bit of flour.
- Working along the shorter edge, lift the dough and fold it over itself, then repeat for the other side, creating three distinct layers.
- Brush the folded dough with butter, sprinkle flour.
- Fold over into thirds again.
- Roll out the folded dough, again to a rectangle about 14 inches long and 13 inches wide. Brush with butter all the way to the edges and sprinkle flour.
- Starting on the short side, roll the dough into a tight cylinder.
- Cut the cylinder into 12 equal pieces.
- Flour the surface very lightly, if needed, and roll out a paratha about five inches in diameter.
- Heat a non-stick griddle or cast-iron griddle over medium high heat. Place the paratha on it and let it cook until it begins to bubble.
- Flip over and brush with a bit of vegan butter. Once the underside has golden-brown spots, flip again and cook the other side. Brush some butter again if you wish.
- As soon as the paratha comes off the stove wrap it in a kitchen towel. Once all the parathas have been cooked, pick them up, still in the towel, and crush them between your palms. This step helps separate the layers and makes the parathas softer. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Information
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Frequently asked questions about paratha
You cannot make paratha without butter or oil because the fat helps separate those layers. Without the oil the different layers would just squish together and you'd get a plain roti, even if you went to the trouble of rolling, flouring and folding the dough.
This will change depending on where you live and what the weather is like. On a dry winter's day, I need about a cup and a quarter of water for two cups of flour. On a humid day you will likely need less. You might also need more water if you live at a high altitude. Add the water a little at a time as you knead until you get a supple dough.
All-purpose flour makes flakier parathas. You can swap it out for durum whole wheat flour or atta. The paratha won't be as crispy, but it will be delicious. Or go with a mix of half whole wheat flour and half all purpose flour.
Parathas taste amazing with spicy Indian curries like vegan butter chicken, chana masala and Chettinad mushroom masala. You can also serve the paratha with a dal, like vegan dal makhani or this spicy urad dal. Serve a sabzi on the side, like baingan bharta or bhindi masala. On the side serve vegan yogurt or vegan raita and an Indian lime pickle.
Store the cooked paratha in the fridge for up to four days. Freeze in a freezer-safe bag or air-tight container for up to four months. Reheat on a hot griddle until warmed through and soft again.
mrsj03 says
Fantastic thank you, just an fyi ghee is MUCH HEALTHIER for us than canola oil, which it's toxic to humans due to the way it is extracted. Ghee is natural. I am a nutritionist
Vaishali says
That’s really not true about ghee being better. It’s packed with cholesterol like any dairy product. Natural and less processed fats like olive, avocado and coconut oil are much better. Also ghee comes from the suffering of cows who are pumped with hormones and their calves who are deprived of their mother’s milk and often end up in the veal industry.
Phil says
Yes, no butter for me (risk of diabetes and chloresterol) I am using coconut oil. Will also try canola !
Trent says
Ghee isn’t vegan suitable tho is it?
Vaishali says
It comes from animals, so no, it isn’t.
Alina says
Hi. I didn't know this fact! Thank you for saying it. I try to use organic oils like coconut, olive, grapeseed and organic grass fed butters but I will try some ghee now. 🙂 I'm in USA in a small town so I feel like a lot of people me included don't know the difference or reasons to use it.
Hywel says
Once finished, are these suitable for freezing?
Vaishali says
Yes!
Adam says
Brilliant and very simple. Thank-you.
Vaishali says
Glad you tried it!
Corinne says
I'm craving dahl and paratha like I had in Sri Lanka, and this recipe seems amazing and super simple. But 9 is way too many for just myself. Can I refrigerate the dough after cutting the roll? Or even freeze it?
Thank you
Ashanti says
I don’t know if it will work but i’m going to try this recipe with whole wheat! Really hope it will work. ??
Shammin says
Found this recipe at the last minute when i decided to make parathas to go with a meat curry for lunch today. I made 8 parathas as i felt 10 would make tbem too small. Since i was rushed i only chilled for 15 minutes between each fold and it turned out so well and just like store bought! My husband and children loved it! Thank you!
sandhya says
Nice recipe, Thanks for sharing.
Monika says
Hi, thank you for sharing this recipe, it’s definitely a keeper! I made these last night and it turned out well, pure flaky deliciousness that my family enjoyed immensely. ☺️
fazu says
Wow its very tasty ..fantastic
Anna says
Wonderful recipe. My paratha came out so crispy and flaky! I used melted coconut oil.
Anonymous says
it was a mistake looking here, on such an empty stomach 🙂 if a good samosa isnt proof of the divine...what is? big hug-amazing site i just found!
Vaishali says
Sarah, thanks for the feedback. Glad you enjoyed the parathas and biryani. 🙂
Sarah says
This was excellent! I used white spelt since I can't have wheat at the moment, and it turned out great. I also made your restaurant style veg biryani with it, along with a green bean dish...altogether I felt like I was eating at an Indian restaurant!
Miri says
I dont know why I always thought khasta paratha had besan in it....and yes SK is great at simplifying Indian recipes isnt he ? cant wait to try this!
Miri
Heather says
I just get confused how you fold 4 corners to make 3 layers. Help!
Anonymous says
You fold take the top and bottom
Corner of one side and fold it to the middle and the you fold the other side over it, kind of like you fold a pamphlet. Hope that helps!
Anonymous says
Thanks Vaishali, I m currently residing in Korukonda, a small village 70 kms away from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
God Bless
Nisha.
Vaishali says
Smultron Soul, thanks for letting me know--happy you enjoyed them. Happy Thanksgiving!
Vaishali says
Rashmi, thanks!
Nisha, Maida would definitely work for this recipe, if you want to make it. APF is also refined like maida, so there is no advantage to using one over the other. And it's okay to use them, so long as it's a once-in-a-while treat.
I haven't lived in India a long time so I wouldn't know where to buy APF, but maybe a reader would know? I'll ask some Indian friends too.
It would help us to know where you live-- I think APF is available in some Indian cities, but I think it is marketed interchangeably with maida.
Smultron Soul says
They look so flakey~! I made this with your not-mutton curry and it came out amazing. Thank you!
Anonymous says
Hi vaushali,
I m dying to try out so many of your bread recipes, and this is definitely going to be one of them, but since do not have any access to APF, and not very keen on using maida; what to do? Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeee help me find out some way to get APF through online; or if u have any source person who knows where it can be found in India. Once again pleaseeeeeeee....help.
God Bless
Nisha.
Rashmi says
Looks really so many layered and fluffy.
Vaishali says
Thanks, everyone. 🙂
Sharmilee! :) says
Looks perfect..flaky and the layers have come out soo good
Kalpana Sareesh says
this is so so good..
Harini says
The method sounds very easy! love the flaky Parotta!
Richa says
yumm another fave veganized.. i love how flaky the paratha looks!! you are churning out some beauties.. that starry strawberry pie was so beautiful!
Richa @ Hobby And More Food Blog
Jeannie says
Mmm. Serve rightaway and eatrightaway!
divya says
Omg, super delicious and irresistible parotta....
Vatsala. says
Pratha looks really khasta.
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Latha says
Parotta looks so flaky and yummy! Love to have this with kurma.
Priya says
Droolworthy and prefect looking parotta, feel like having some with paneer tikka masala.