Plain Whole Wheat Paratha (flaky Indian flatbread)

Paratha are a pan-fried Indian style flaky flatbread made with whole-wheat flour and can be enjoyed alongside any type of Indian meal. Prepare perfect parathas every time for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

In this post, you can learn the techniques for the best super flaky whole wheat parathas, also known as tawa paratha, with lots of layers.

About

Plain paratha are type of Indian flatbread made from a dough of whole wheat flour (atta), water, and oil or ghee.

The dough is rolled out into a flat shape and cooked on a hot griddle or skillet until dark brown spots appear on both sides.

They are typically served hot and can be accompanied by various side dishes such as yogurt, pickles, or curry.

Plain parathas are versatile and can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and are popular across the Indian subcontinent and are often found in restaurants and households alike.

Unlike stuffed parathas, plain parathas do not contain any filling.

Can be made round or square shape or triangular shapes.

Frozen paratha that are available in the shops are generally made of purpose flour or plain flour.

Paratha are known by different names across regions within India: parantha, parotha, parotta, parothi and porotta.

Varieties of paratha

​Paratha can be plain, flavoured or even stuffed. 

These masala lachha paratha (also known as laccha paratha) have lots of flaky layers and are flavoured with red chilli powder, turmeric and cumin and coriander powder. 

​We also regularly make dal paratha with leftover dal such as Mag Ni Dal or Gujarati Dal.  

These ajwain paratha, made with carom seeds, typically have a triangle shape. 

I love these flavourful and healthy cabbage paratha, ideal recipe for breakfast or lunch-box.

Stuffed paratha typically include this aloo paratha recipe - stuffed spiced mashed potatoes, gobi paratha (cauliflower), paneer paratha (indian cheese) or mooli paratha (radish).

Ingredients

Whole wheat flour - also known as atta. Atta is the primary ingredient used to make various Indian breads such as chapati, roti, naan, and paratha.

Oil - vegetable oil or any other flavourless oil

Salt - regular salt or kosher salt 

Water - at room temperature or lukewarm works best

​This recipe naturally makes vegan paratha as long as you do not brush on desi ghee!

How to make flaky plain paratha

Here is a step by step recipe for both square and round paratha. You can find extensive tips below as well.

Making the dough

In a large mixing bowl combine flour, salt, and little oil then knead a soft dough and pliable dough using warm water.

Cover the paratha dough with a clean kitchen towel and leave it to rest for 10-15 minutes.

Rolling out square paratha

When you are ready to make paratha, once again knead the dough for one or two minutes.

Divide the dough in equal parts and make round balls.

Dust some dry flour on a working surface, take a dough ball and roll one ball into a small circle using a rolling pin.

Now brush over some oil and dust a little flour.

​Now fold the rolled dough over an edge by ⅓ and apply a little oil and a sprinkle of flour over the folded part. Now repeat with the bottom edge and fold that by ⅓ over the first edge. You should now be left with a rectangle.

Now again brush some oil and sprinkle flour and fold the two sides over by ⅓ until you get a square.

Now roll out the dough into a square (see video for reference).

For a triangle shape, see my ajwain paratha post.

Round Paratha

Roll out a ball with a rolling pin.

Apply a bit of oil and sprinkle a pinch of flour on the top side.

Gather together all of the edges in the centre then gently roll in your hands to make a ball. Dust the ball again with flour and start rolling into a large circle.

Try to apply equal pressure on all sides and do not push down too hard. The dough will automatically move in a circular motion as it flattens. You can also manually turn the dough yourself and roll it round. Use more flour if you need.

Cooking

You will now need a tawa which is heated on medium to high flame.

Cook the paratha on one side then flip over and brush with oil. Now flip over and brush oil again. Cook on both sides until golden brown spots appear. Use a spatula to keep pressing down the dough.

Cook on medium-high heat to make soft and crispy paratha as on low heat, the paratha will become hard and chewy.

Pro Tips

Depending on the brand of atta, you will likely need different amounts of water so add a bit at a time.

Use warm water to knead the dough to keep it soft.

If the dough is too soft and sticky, add more flour or if it is too hard add small amounts of water at a time and knead.

Allow the dough to rest as you will find it easier to roll out but ensure to keep the dough covered.

Keep pressing the paratha with a spatula as it cooks - this helps it to puff and create all those wonderful flaky layers. But do not press too much as the dough can toughen.

Knead the dough using milk to keep parathas for fresher and longer, especially for travelling.

Serving Suggestions

Paratha can be enjoyed anytime of the day.

For breakfast, go for yogurt, a pickle such as gajar achar with some ghee or sweet lassi. A cooling fruit raita is also a great option.

You can serve plain paratha with so many Indian curries. I prefer curries with a gravy such as aloo tamatar ki sabji, matar paneer or chana saag.

You can also serve them with a cup of masala chai - it's a great snack to eat up any leftover flatbreads.

They are also great as wrap - roll up with your favourite fillings such as grilled kebabs, paneer, vegetables, tofu and chutneys or sauces.

Kids will like plain paratha with strawberry jam or even nutella.

Storage

Store leftover paratha in an airtight container and keep at room temperature. Storing in the fridge will made them go hard.

Reheat on the stove top until warm through and eat immediately.

I prefer not to make the dough ahead of time but make it fresh just before cooking. You can however store leftover dough in the fridge to use the next day.

To freeze, allow to cool completely then place in freezer bags with a piece of parchment paper in between each one. Freeze flat so they keep their shape. Reheat directly from frozen on a hot tawa.

Other Indian flatbreads

Rotli - Gujarati style thin chapati

Whole Wheat Roti

Bhakhri - another Gujarati style flatbread made with coarse whole wheat flour.

Methi Thepla

Besan Roti (Gram flour flatbread)

As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!

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