Broccoli Paratha Recipe

A plate of Broccoli Paratha topped with a dollop of butter, garnished with green chilies and cilantro, served with lemon wedges and a bowl of pickle on the side. A blue cloth is in the background.

5 from 5 votes

Broccoli Paratha Recipe

Broccoli Paratha is a stuffed Indian flatbread made with a whole wheat flour dough that is filled with a spicy broccoli mixture. It is effortless to make and a great option for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Use my easy recipe to make it.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Resting Time30

Total Time1 10

Course: Bread

Cuisine: Indian, North Indian

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: pieces

Author: Neha Mathur

Ingredients

For The Dough

2 cups whole wheat flour (gehu ka atta)
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon salt

For The Filling

1 small head fresh broccoli grated, approx 1 cup finely grated broccoli, check notes
1 medium mashed potato or 2 small potatoes, check notes
1 cup grated paneer
1 teaspoon chaat masala powder
1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves)
1 teaspoon chopped green chilies
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
½ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
oil or ghee for frying

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make The Dough

Mix flour, oil, and salt in a large bowl. You can also use a parat (Indian utensil) to mix these ingredients.
Add water (approx ½ cup) little by little and knead to make a soft dough.

The amount of water will depend on the quality of the flour. Do not add too much water at once; otherwise, the dough can become sticky.

Knead the dough using the heels of your hands until it becomes soft and smooth. It will take 3-4 minutes of kneading.
Cover the ready dough with a kitchen towel and keep aside for 30 minutes.

Make The Filling

Lightly squeeze the broccoli to remove any excess moisture, if any. You can also spread the grated broccoli on a clean kitchen towel and pat it dry. This single step decides whether your paratha tears or rolls smoothly.
Add all the filling ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix well.

Add salt only when you are ready to stuff the parathas, not before. Salt pulls water out of broccoli fast, and a wet filling is the number one reason parathas burst.

Check for salt and add more if needed. Mix well.

Assemble The Broccoli Paneer Paratha

Knead the dough for 30-40 seconds and divide it into 6 equal portions.
Roll each portion to make small round balls.
Take one dough ball and keep it on a clean surface.

In India, we use a wooden or marble round called a Chakla to roll the bread. However, you can also use a clean kitchen counter.

Dust it with dry flour.

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

Roll the dough using a rolling pin to make a 4-inch circle.
Take 2 tablespoons of the filling and make it into a round in between your palms.
Keep the filling in the center of the circle.
Pull the edges up around the filling and pinch them shut at the top, like a money pouch.
Gently flatten the ball with your palms and rotate it between your fingers to slightly expand it.
Return the stuffed dough to the rolling surface.
Dust with some more dry flour and roll the paratha gently to make a 6-inch circle. Move from one side to another while rolling. Keep rotating the paratha or the rolling board while rolling. The edges of the paratha should be thinner than the center.

Cook The Paratha

Heat a tawa (flat griddle) over medium-high heat.
Transfer the 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.
Flip using a flat spatula and cook on the other side as well.
Apply 1-2 teaspoons of ghee or oil on both sides and cook until the paratha is crispy and nicely browned. Keep pressing with the back of the spatula while cooking the paratha.
Serve broccoli paratha hot with pickles and yogurt. Make all the parathas in the same manner.

Video

Notes

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. You want a fine, almost couscous-like texture, not a paste. We need 1 cup of grated broccoli. Lightly squeeze to remove any excess moisture, if any. You can also spread the grated broccoli on a clean kitchen towel and pat it dry. This single step decides whether your paratha tears or rolls smoothly.

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.

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

To make the best parathas, the amount of filling should be almost equal to the amount of dough. The consistency of the dough and filling should also be similar.

Nutrition