Broccoli Paratha Recipe (Indian Broccoli Stuffed Flatbread)

Broccoli Paratha is a wholesome Indian flatbread made by stuffing a spicy broccoli filling into whole-wheat dough, then cooking it on a hot tawa until golden and crisp. This paratha is super easy to make and an excellent breakfast, lunch, or dinner dish. It is also a great option for packing an office or school lunch box.

Serve broccoli paratha with green chutney, rajasthani mango pickle, and plain yogurt or a raita for a yummy treat! You can serve it with any other chutney or pickle. It will taste great with green chili thecha too.

Common Mistakes To Avoid When Making Broccoli Paratha

I used to make this paratha very often when my son was growing up. These are fairly simple to make if you keep some pointers in mind. Here are some common mistakes I made when I was perfecting this recipe.

Mistake	Why It’s a Problem	What to do instead
Not cooling potatoes properly	Warm potatoes become mushy and release moisture that cause tearing	If you haven’t boiled the potatoes beforehand, freeze them for an hour before mashing. The potatoes must be cooled well
Filling and dough consistency not matching	If filling is softer or wetter than dough, paratha tears while rolling	The consistency of the paratha dough and filling should be similar. If filling feels wet, add a little atta or roasted besan to balance it
Using wet broccoli	Excess moisture makes the dough sticky and causes tearing	Pat the broccoli dry after rinsing it using paper towels
Chopping broccoli too coarsely	Large pieces poke through the dough	Finely chop or grate the broccoli
Adding salt too early	Salt draws out water from broccoli	Add salt just before stuffing
Overstuffing the paratha	Paratha breaks while rolling	Use a balanced amount of filling. I keep the amount of dough and filling roughly the same
Cooking on low heat	Paratha turns dry and pale	Cook on medium to medium-high heat
Using too much dry flour	Makes parathas hard	Use minimal flour and dust off excess
Skipping oil or ghee	Results in dry, bland parathas	Apply oil or ghee evenly while cooking

How To Make Broccoli Paratha

Make The Dough

Step 1: Mix the following ingredients in a large bowl using your clean fingertips. You can also use a parat (Indian utensil) to mix these ingredients.

• 2 cups of whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

Step 2: Add water (approx ½ cup) little by little and knead to make a soft dough.

The amount of water will depend on the flour’s quality. Do not add a large amount of water at once; otherwise, the dough may become sticky.

Step 3: Knead the dough using the heels of your hands until it becomes soft and smooth. This will take 3-4 minutes.

Note – You can also use a stand mixer fitted with a dough attachment to knead the dough.

Step 4: Cover the ready dough with a kitchen towel and keep it aside for 30 minutes.

Make The Filling

Step 5: To prepare the filling, gather the necessary ingredients. Wash a small head of broccoli thoroughly and inspect it for any insects that may be hiding inside. Pat it dry using paper towels. Grate the broccoli using the medium hole of a box grater. You can also use a food processor to grate the broccoli. Just make sure it’s coarse and not pasty. We need 1 cup of grated broccoli.

Peel the boiled potatoes (2 small or 1 large) and let them cool for 3-4 hours. If the potatoes are not cooled, they will become mushy. Mash the cooled potatoes using a potato masher. There should be no lumps; otherwise, the paratha will tear when rolling.

Grate 150g of paneer using the medium-holed box grater.

Step 6: Add the following ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix well.

• mashed potatoes
• grated broccoli
• grated paneer
• 1 teaspoon chaat masala powder
• 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
• 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• 1 teaspoon chopped green chili
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon carom seeds

Step 7: Check for salt and add more if needed. Mix well.

Assemble The Broccoli Paneer Paratha

Step 8: Knead the dough for 30-40 seconds and divide it into 6 equal portions.

Step 9: Roll each portion into small, round balls.

Take one dough ball and keep it on a clean surface.

Note: In India, we roll the bread on a wooden or marble round called a Chakla, but you can also use a clean kitchen counter.

Dust it with dry flour.

Note: Keep the remaining balls covered with a kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out.

Step 10: Roll the dough with a rolling pin into a 4-inch circle.

Step 11: Take 2 tablespoons of the filling and shape it into a round ball between your palms.

Keep the filling in the center of the rolled dough circle.

Step 12: Bring the ends of the circle together to form a smooth, rounded ball.

Step 13: Flatten the ball gently using your palms and rotate it in between your fingers to expand it a little

Return the stuffed dough to the rolling surface.

Step 14: Dust with more flour and gently roll the paratha into a 6-inch circle. Move from one side to the other while rolling. Keep rotating the paratha or the rolling board as you roll. The edges of the paratha should be thinner than the center.

Cook The Paratha

Step 15: Heat a tawa (flat griddle) over medium-high heat.

Step 16: Transfer the rolled paratha to the hot tawa and cook until brown spots appear on the lower side.

Do not transfer the paratha to cold tawa or very hot tawa. It should be medium hot.

Step 18: Flip using a flat spatula and cook on the other side as well.

Step 19: Apply 1-2 teaspoon ghee or oil on both sides and cook until the paratha is crispy and golden brown. Keep pressing with the back of the spatula while cooking the paratha.

Wipe the tawa with a paper towel after cooking each paratha to prevent burnt flour from sticking to the next paratha.

Step 20: Serve the broccoli paratha hot, accompanied by pickles and yogurt.

Make all the parathas in the same manner.

Variations

Mix the grated broccoli, chopped onions, and spices with the flour, then knead the dough until smooth. Using this dough, make a thin, thepla-like or plain tawa paratha like broccoli paratha. This is a no-stuff version that tastes great, too. Knead a slightly tight dough in this version, as the salted broccoli will release water, making the dough a little softer over time.

You can avoid adding potato and paneer and mix the grated broccoli with finely chopped ginger, onions, and everyday spices to make the stuffing mixture.

Stuff parathas with a combination of broccoli and cauliflower.

Add some goda masala, sambar powder, or kanda lasun masala to the filling for a taste change.