Spinach Paratha (Spinach flatbreads)
Soft, flavorful spinach paratha is a delicious breakfast, snack or side! This North Indian-style flatbread is packed with spinach and can be stuffed with flavorful tofu filling. (nut-free with options for gluten-free and soy-free)
Servings: 8
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1 cup well-packed chopped spinach or other greens of choice, or 1/3 cup frozen spinach, up to 2 ounces
- 1/2 cup water more as needed
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour or Indian atta
- 1/3 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain) or use cumin seeds (jeera)
- 2 tablespoon oil, divided
For the Stuffing (Optional)
- 3 ounces tofu
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne or black pepper, or both, or use paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (Kasuri methi)
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
Instructions
Make the dough.
- If using fresh spinach, heat a saucepan over medium-high heat with 3 cups of water. Once boiling, add the spinach and blanch for about 2 minutes, or until it turns bright green. Drain, and then add that to a blender. If using frozen spinach, add it directly to a blender. Add 1/2 cup of water and blend until somewhat smooth.
- In a bowl, mix the whole wheat flour, salt, and carom seeds. Pour in the spinach purée. Rinse out the blender with 2 tablespoons of water and add that to the flour mixture. Mix and press the mixture until it starts to come together as a dough. You don’t want to add too much water, as the spinach holds a lot of moisture, so press and keep mixing for about a minute. Oil your hands and knead the dough, squeezing it to press it together. If it is still dry, add 1 tablespoon of water. Even it out, adding more flour, if it is sticky. Brush the dough with a little oil, cover with a kitchen towel, and let it rest for half an hour. Resting the dough allows the flour to rehydrate well and softens the dough, making softer flatbreads.
Prepare the stuffing while the dough rests (optional).
- Press the tofu, if you haven’t already, for 15 minutes, then crumble it into a bowl. Add all the stuffing ingredients and mix in. Add a little bit of flour, if the tofu is making the filling too wet, then set aside. You can skip the stuffing or use other stuffings of choice in your spinach paratha, as well.
Assemble and cook the spinach parathas.
- After at least 30 minutes, remove the kitchen towel, oil your hands, and knead the dough for about 30 seconds to smooth it out. If using Indian atta, the dough will have softened on its own while resting. Divide the dough into 6 to 8 equal portions, roll them into balls, and set them aside.
- Take a dough ball, press it into some flour, and flatten it. Roll it out with a rolling pin until it is about 6” in size. If making plain parathas, you can roll it out even more into almost a thick roti/chapati. If you want to make a lachha paratha, brush oil on the rolled out flatbread, then fold it accordion-style, from one end to the other(see pics and video), then roll it into a cinnamon-roll shape, then flatten, sprinkle on more flour, and roll out again. This creates nice, flaky layers in the spinach paratha. You can also make flaky spinach paratha by brushing oil on one side of the rolled out flatbread, folding it into a square or bringing the edges together like a dumpling, then rolling it out again.
- For stuffed parathas, place stuffing in the middle of the rolled our flatbread. Bring the edges together in a dumpling fashion, folding over until all of the edges are in the center. Stick these edges down, then remove excess dough from the top. Sprinkle on some flour, press it down, and use your hands to spread out this paratha a bit, instead of immediately rolling it out. This prevents tearing. Flip it over, sprinkle some more flour, and roll it out with light pressure until the spinach paratha is 1–2 mm thick and 6–7” in size. Repeat for all parathas. Avoid using too much flour during this process, because that can cause them to turn out dry. Use just enough flour to prevent them from sticking to your work surface and the rolling pin.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Cooking over higher heat allows the flatbreads to spend less time on the skillet, so they will remain soft and not crispy. Once hot, place a paratha on the skillet. Cook for about 30 seconds or until it starts to get a little bubbly. Flip it, and cook the other side, as well. Brush oil on the top side, using a spoon or spatula to spread the oil and press the spinach paratha onto the skillet, Pressing with a spoon creates golden brown spots, while a spatula provides even pressure and more even browning. Flip after another 30 seconds to 1 minute, oil the other side, then, after cooking that side for 30 seconds or so, flip again and cook for another 15–30 seconds. Remove from the skillet and repeat for all parathas.
- Place cooked parathas on a kitchen towel or paper towel to prevent condensation from making them sticky. Once all of the parathas are cooked, fold them into the kitchen towel until ready to serve. Serve them hot with vegan butter, non-dairy yogurt, raita (recipe in notes), and/or Indian pickles.
Video
Notes
Making parathas takes practice! If you’re not rolling out perfect circles, it’s totally fine. It will still taste delicious.
To Make Raita dip: Mix 1/2 cup non dairy yogurt with 1/2 cup shredded cucumber and a little salt. Adjust consistency if needed with water. Mix well, then top with generous dash of ground cumin, cayenne, and chopped cilantro. I use kite hill almond yogurt
Storage: Store plain parathas on the counter for a day. Stuffed parathas should be refrigerated after a couple of hours , and you can store them refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat on a skillet or in the microwave. To freeze, separate them with parchment paper and store in an airtight, freezer safe container for months. Reheat before serving.
Spinach paratha is naturally nut-free, and it’s soy-free if you skip the tofu filling or use an alternate filling.
For a gluten-free option, try my sweet potato flatbread or cauliflower flatbread dough, and use spinach instead of the sweet potato or cauliflower.
For a gluten-free option, try my sweet potato flatbread or cauliflower flatbread dough, and use spinach instead of the sweet potato or cauliflower.
Nutrition
Calories: 91kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 174mg | Potassium: 109mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 380IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg