This north Indian style pudina paratha or mint paratha is made by stuffing mint and a few aromatic spices into the folds of a flaky, crispy whole wheat flatbread. Serve with Indian curry or dal.
Table of Contents
Chances are you have ordered a paratha at an Indian restaurant - that flaky flatbread with rings of crispy layers and a soft center. Here's a delightful variation that's perfect for summer: mint paratha or pudina paratha. It is especially wonderful for scooping up spicy gravies and curries, with the mint providing an exquisite, cooling complement.
There are many ways you can make a mint paratha recipe, with the simplest being just mixing chopped, fresh mint into the dough before rolling out the dough, as one would do with spinach for palak paratha or fenugreek leaves for methi paratha. But today we'll be making this mint paratha in the style of a lachha paratha or khasta paratha, a flatbread made using a special technique of folding the dough to create multiple, flaky layers.
That may sound complicated but in reality the process is quite simple (see step by step photos below) and the results are incredibly good. What you will have at the end of it all is a top quality, restaurant style mint paratha you will be proud to eat and serve to family and friends.
Mint is a wonderful summer herb and you will reap all of its delicious benefits in this pudina paratha. If you have a vegetable garden chances are you already have some spearmint or sweet mint or peppermint growing in it (all work!). The recipe needs just six ingredients and the parathas are healthy, made with whole wheat and a few simple spices. You can serve the pudina parathas for any meal: they work great for lunch or dinner, of course, but you can also serve them for breakfast or as a snack. At our home this is one of our favorite breakfast recipes!
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 2 cups whole wheat flour. You can use all purpose flour for a flakier paratha, or use a mix of 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour.
- ½ cup tightly packed fresh mint leaves (called pudina in Hindi). Spearmint or peppermint are both fine, so use what you can find.
- 1 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Salt to taste
For the mint stuffing:
- ¾ cup tightly packed mint leaves
- 2 green chili peppers. Jalapeno or serrano or any spicy green pepper will work. If you are sensitive to heat use less and deseed the peppers.
- Juice of 1 lemon. About 2 tablespoons. This helps add flavor and also keeps the mint from darkening. You can use a teaspoon of chaat masala powder instead of the lemon.
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Salt to taste
How to make pudina paratha
Make the dough:
- Place all the dough ingredients in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. If you are new to this you might want to do this by hand the first few times so you get a better feel for the dough and the correct texture.
- Rub the flour into the oil using your fingertips so you get a grainy texture. This will help make the flatbread flakier.
- Now slowly trickle the water into the flour and knead until a stiff but smooth and pliable dough forms. If using a stand mixer knead for 2-3 minutes on medium speed once the dough comes together. Take care not to overmoisten the dough because a soft dough will be difficult to roll out. I usually need about a cup to a cup and a half water depending on the weather.
- Place the dough in an airtight container and set aside while you make the mint stuffing.
Make the stuffing:
- Place all the ingredients for the stuffing in a blender bowl and blitz until a coarse, pesto-like paste forms. Set aside.
Cook the paratha:
- Divide the dough into 12 equal-sized pieces. Roll each into a smooth ball. Cover with a cloth towel.
- Take one ball of dough and dust it with flour. Roll it into a large round, about 10 inches in diameter.
- Using a brush or spoon, scoop out about a teaspoon of the mint stuffing and brush it all over the surface of the rolled out paratha.
- Now lift one edge of the paratha and fold it over itself, the way you would if you were making a pleated paper fan. Continue doing this until you have a long, fluted strip of dough. Pinch the edges to seal them.
- Beginning at one end, coil the strip into a tight circle. Tuck the other end underneath the circle and pinch to seal. If you don't have a tight seal the paratha could unravel as you roll it.
- Dust the circle of dough with flour and gently roll it into a paratha no more than 5 inches in diameter. The paratha should be fairly thick. If you make it too thin you won't get the flaky layers.
- Roast the paratha on a hot cast iron griddle or non-stick griddle until golden brown spots appear on both sides. Brush with a little oil or cooking spray.
- Stack the cooked parathas as soon as they come off the griddle on a plate, wrapped in a cloth towel or napkin. Keep them wrapped until ready to serve. Before serving, pick each paratha between both hands and lightly push it inward to crush it, separating the layers. Ideally most Indian flatbreads, including pudina paratha, should be eaten right after you make them, but you can store leftovers effectively. See storage instructions below.
Recipe FAQs
If you want to make a plain paratha instead of a pudina lachha paratha, just add a whole cup of chopped mint to the dough as well as minced chilies (mince them really fine) along with the carom seeds and lemon juice. Knead the dough and rest for 30 minutes before rolling out the parathas about seven inches in diameter. Roast on a hot griddle.
Fresh mint is preferable but you can certainly make these parathas with dried mint. Replace the mint in the dough with 1 tablespoon dried mint and use another tablespoon in the stuffing.
Scoop up a spicy Indian curry, like this easy tofu curry, mushroom curry or vegan butter chicken, with mint paratha. Or serve the paratha with with vegan yogurt or vegan cucumber raita and lime pickle on the side. The paratha is also fantastic with a simple Indian dal or dal tadka.
You can make the dough for the mint parathas and the stuffing in advance. Store them in the refrigerator for up to three days and put the parathas together before eating.
Refrigerate: Store parathas in the fridge for up to three days. Wrap them in a cloth towel and keep in an airtight container.
Freeze: Stack the parathas and store them in a freezer-safe container or freezer-safe bag for up to three months.
Reheat: Reheat the parathas on a griddle until warmed through.
Recipe card
Pudina Paratha (Mint Paratha)
Ingredients
For the dough
- 2 cups whole wheat atta flour (use this, available at Indian stores and online, if possible. If you can't find it, regular whole wheat flour or white whole wheat flour will work.)
- ½ cup mint leaves (tightly packed. Chop finely)
- 1 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
- Salt to taste
For the mint stuffing
- ¾ cup mint leaves (tightly packed)
- 2 green chili peppers (deseed if sensitive to heat, or use less. Jalapeno or serrano peppers or any spicy green pepper will work here)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or any neutral oil
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Make the dough
- Place all the dough ingredients in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. If you are new to this you might want to do this by hand the first few times so you get a better feel for the dough and the correct texture.
- Rub the flour into the oil using your fingertips so you get a grainy texture. This will help make the flatbread flakier. Now slowly trickle the water into the flour and knead until a stiff but smooth and pliable dough forms. If using a stand mixer knead for 2-3 minutes on medium speed once the dough comes together. Take care not to overmoisten the dough because a soft dough will be difficult to roll out. I usually need about a cup to a cup and a half water depending on the weather.
- Place the dough in an airtight container and set aside while you make the mint stuffing.
Make the mint stuffing
- Place all the ingredients for the stuffing in a blender bowl and blitz until a coarse, pesto-like paste forms. Set aside.
Cook the parathas
- Divide the dough into 12 equal-sized pieces. Roll each into a smooth ball. Cover with a cloth towel.
- Take one ball of dough and dust it with flour. Roll it into a large round, about 10 inches in diameter.
- Using a brush or spoon, scoop out about a teaspoon of the mint stuffing and brush it all over the surface of the rolled out paratha.
- Now lift one edge of the paratha and fold it over itself, the way you would if you were making a pleated paper fan. Continue doing this until you've got a long strip. Pinch the edges to seal them.
- Beginning at one end, coil the strip into a tight circle. Tuck the other end under the circle and pinch to seal.
- Dust the circle of dough with flour and gently roll it into a paratha no more than 5 inches in diameter. The paratha should be fairly thick. If you make it too thin you won't get the flaky layers.
- Roast the paratha on a hot cast iron griddle or non-stick griddle until golden-brown spots appear on both sides. Brush with oil or cooking spray.
- Stack the cooked parathas as soon as they come off the griddle on a plate, wrapped in a cloth towel or napkin. Keep them wrapped until ready to serve. Before serving, pick each paratha between both hands and lightly push it inward to crush it, separating the layers. Ideally most Indian flatbreads, including pudina paratha, should be eaten right after you make them, but you can store leftovers effectively. See storage instructions below.
Nutrition Information
To print recipe card without images, uncheck "instruction images" after clicking the "print recipe" button.
John says
A bit confused. If you roll up the dough and fold them in...how does it become flat? Do you unravel after you have pan fried it?
Or does it flatten out on its own?
Vaishali says
Hi, see step 6. You roll it out once more to a circle about 5 inches in diameter and then roast it.