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Lauki Paratha Recipe – Wheat Flatbread with shredded Opo Squash or Zucchini. Easy 7 ingredient Indian flatbread. Yeast-free, whole grain, vegan soy-free Recipe. Bottle Gourd, Doodhi Ka Paratha.
Parathas are a favorite Breakfast, Snack or Side in my home. Paratha flatbreads can be made in many many ways. Plain, stuffed with veggies, veggies kneaded into the dough, different spices, different flours, many ways to roll them out and what not. This flatbread today is easy, has veggies kneaded into the dough and simple. Shred the squash, zucchini or other vegetable of choice. Add flour, tahini and spices, knead into a dough. Roll it out, cook and serve! Lauki or Opo Squash is a type of calabash squash. The squash, also called bottle gourd, is very juicy. It leaks a ton of moisture into whatever meal you use it in. Lauki is used in several forms in Indian food. It is shredded and added to flatbreads, cubed and added to dals and curries just like any other squash or potato, it is cubed and cooked with spices like potatoes for a veggie side.
This flatbread uses shredded Lauki with a few spices. I often use zucchini in this flatbread as well. Change up the squash, use other spice blends or herbs for many variations of this flatbread. These parathas can be made oil-free. Use other squashes, shredded sweet potato, carrots, beets, veggie pulp etc.
To make these gluten-free, use my recipe for Sweet Potato gluten-free flatbread. At step 2, mix the grated veggie with the flour and then make a dough. The squash should be finely shredded to make it easier to roll these out.
More flatbreads from the blog
- Herb Garlic Flatbread – Yeast-free.
- Spinach flatbread – Palak Paratha or Spinach Tortillas. Yeast-free
- Easy Wheat Flat bread – yeast-free
- Pita Bread – Yeasted
- High Protein Savory Herbed flatbread – Methi Thelpa – Yeast-free, can be GF
- Pumpkin rosemary flatbread – Yeast-free
- Sweet Potato gluten-free flatbread. yeast-free. GF
- Naan – Yeasted
Steps:
Shred/grate the squash. Add spices and salt.
Add flour and tahini and mix well. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes.
Add 2 tbsp of water and press and knead. Add more water if needed to make a soft, somewhat dough. Do not add too much water. Let the dough sit for a few minutes.
Oil your hands and knead for a few seconds, divide the dough into 8 equal parts. roll in some flour and keep aside.
Roll out each ball using ample flour into circle flatbreads.
Cook on a skillet until brown spots appear on both sides.
Serve hot with vegan butter, dals, or soups.
Lauki Paratha - Spiced Opo Squash / Zucchini Wheat Flatbread
Ingredients
- 2 cups grated lauki, Opo Squash/ bottle gourd or Zucchini or other squash of choice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne /red chili powder
- 1/3 tsp carom seeds, ajwain/ajowan or 1/2 tsp roasted cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp dry mango powder
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup unbleached white flour , or more wheat flour
- 1 tbsp tahini (loaded), sesame seed butter, or use other seed butter or nut butter or use oil
- 3 to 4 tbsp aquafaba or use water, aquafaba - water from a can of chickpeas, keeps flatbreads soft
- 1/2 cup wheat flour for dusting
- oil for cooking, optional
Instructions
- Grate the squash using a large grater or use a food processor. Transfer to a large bowl.
- Add salt, spices, flour and tahini and mix in. Let it sit for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add 2 to 3 tbsp of water and knead into a dough. Press with your hands to help the squash release moisture into the dough. The dough will come together within a minute or so. Add more water if needed (depends on the squash or veggie used). Do not add too much, as the squash will keep leaking moisture as it sits.
- Once the dough is somewhat formed. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Oil your hands and knead again for a few seconds. Add more flour if needed as there may be more moisture leaking from the squash.
- Divide into 8 to 9 equal balls. Roll out each ball using ample flour into round flatbreads.
- Heat a skillet over medium high heat and cook the flatbread until brown spots appear on both sides. Depending on your skillet and stove, this can take 3 to 6 minutes. Flip after after 2 minutes. Brush oil or vegan butter if needed towards the end.
- Take off heat. Serve warm with vegan butter, Indian pickles, or as side with curries, Dals, soups. or slice the flatbread and serve with a dip of choice.
- Store in a kitchen towel for a few hours over the counter. Refrigerate if storing for longer.
Notes
Other additions to the dough: Add 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp garam masala or other spice blend of choice.
Add herbs like italian herb blend + cajun spice instead of cumin. Nutritional values based on one serving
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi Richa,
This recipe turned out great. I think one thing is missing though- the ingredients list says 1 loaded tbsp. of tahini, but I don’t see where it says to add the tahini in the instructions.
I ended up using it in the “oil your hands” step when I kneaded the dough a second time, it was a little hard to incorporate but it did work. Is that where I was supposed to add it?
Thanks for all your great recipes, I also purchased your cookbook. I’ve converted all my friends who have never had Indian food into lovers of the cuisine because of your recipes!
It goes in with the flour. Just updated the recipe.
Thats awesome. i am so happy that the recipes turn out well and you like them!
Oh these flatbreads. I think I must be your most avid follower as I have tried so many! I love my bread with soup and salad and burgers, and veggie balls, I have a piece every day, sometimes two!
I have tried with leftover veggies too, I have always done potato cakes but niw you use squash I look and follow suit with a few I have and sometimes they are herby and sometimes spicy. Always good. I am learning……
Awesome!!
hi,
Very nice,
Thank you for sharing!
Yummy this looks super delicious and I love the flat breads! Having zucchini in them what a fantastic idea! 🙂
Thanks! I love veggies in flatbreads!
I just stumbled across your Indian Kitchen cookbook. Love it!
I’m totally fascinated by the thali presentation on page 19 and would really like to get the small tins at a reasonable price, but I have kind of come to a dead end. Amazon was way too confusing and expensive.
Can you suggest a source to purchase these? Any size recommendations for the tins?
Nancy
Hi Nancy,
thanks for getting my book! the Thali is made of a large steel plate with several small steel bowls. You can find them in an Indian store, which will probably be the cheapest option. On amazon you can look for them separately. plate : https://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_kk_1?rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Astainless+steel+plate&keywords=stainless+steel+plate&ie=UTF8&qid=1449349946
For bowl, search for katori or steel pinch bowls. https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=katori&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Akatori
You can also get spice tiffins and use the bowls from the set as serving bowls. Spice tiffin https://www.worldmarket.com/product/stacking-storage-canister-or-spice-box.do
Thank you for sharing !
thanks!