Masala Paratha (Spiced Indian Flatbread Yeastfree)

Masala Paratha is a spiced version of plain paratha and is the perfect snack, breakfast or side. The veggies, spices, seeds and spinach are all in the dough! Change up the veggies and flavors to preference, roll the flatbread, cook and serve or store. No precooking the veggies. Freezer friendly. No stuffing the dough needed. Nutfree Soyfree yeastfree. GF option

Homemade rotis and parathas are staples in my home and from time to time I make various variations. Masala paratha is an especially delicious variation. Parathas can be stuffed with veggies like calzones or can be a thick flatbread with various flours or veggies or spices added in. They are served as breakfast or snack or as a side with dals and curries.

They can be made just like rolled-out flat bread or stuffed with vegetables (spiced grated cauliflower, potatoes, carrots, radish or other vegetables, aloo paratha, Gobi paratha, mooli paratha ).

They can also be stuffed with cooked lentils or split peas. For this spiced-up paratha version, I’m processing the veggies in a food processor and add them right into the dough. Along with some seeds and spinach to make this into a nutritious side. The veggies are raw, but they all cook with the paratha as these aren’t very thick. Press the paratha on the skillet to cook the veggies and to cook evenly and so the parathas stay softer.

We want to process the vegetables until they are a like a coarse meal and then we add the flour and a little bit of water to make that into a dough. Then roll it out and cook on the skillet until golden brown spots all over.

You can cook these flatbreads with or without oil. Store them in a covered container to keep them soft. Served above with dal and tomato chutney .

More flatbread recipes:

Vegan Naan

Broccoli Chickpea Stuffed Flatbread ; Broccoli Paratha Yeast-free

Spinach Paratha flatbread 

Gluten free Cauliflower Flatbread – Grainfree

Herb Garlic Flatbread Recipe No Yeast

Gluten free Naan Almond flour naan 

Ingredients:

• flour: I use a mix of all-purpose and whole wheat ( see notes for more info and substitutions)
• veggies: cauliflower florets, cubed potato, and frozen spinach
• fresh herbs: chopped cilantro but if you don’t like cilantro you can use parsley
• hemp seeds and sesame seeds add a lovely nuttiness to these parathas
• seasoning: ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, paprika, ginger, dried fenugreek leaves, carom seeds (ajwain), or cumin seeds add a wonderful flavor to these

Tips & Recipe Variations:

• To store these for longer, refrigerate them for up to 4 days. Reheat on a skillet or the microwave. If you are reheating in the microwave cover them with a damp paper towel.
• Serve them with some vegan butter or olive oil, non dairy yogurt, Indian pickles or tomato chutney, or some dal or curry.
• Add 2 tablespoons non dairy yogurt instead of water for softer paratha
• let the dough rest for 15 mins
• roll it out as evenly as possible.
• cook over medium high heat. The longer the paratha sits on the skillet, it gets dry and harder
• Keep pressing different portions of  the paratha for a few seconds in between to keep them soft and help them cook evenly.
• To make this gluten-free, you will have to change the entire process of making them. You will need to also add two tablespoons of chia seeds along with the vegetables, and then add your gluten-free flour blend or you can use a mix of oat flour, almond flour, chickpea flour, and tapioca starch. Make a dough and then roll them out. The gluten-free breads are going to be harder to roll out and they are going to be more delicate, but if you made a smooth good dough, it should work just fine.
• whole wheat flour. You can use all of the flour as chapati wheat flour. Chapati flour is made with different wheat and it makes softer flatbreads. Other whole wheat flours are usually coarser grind and will generally make drier flatbreads especially if using all wheat flour

How to make Masala Paratha

Add all of the vegetables, spices, and oil to the food processor.

Then process until all the vegetables have broken down or chopped up into a coarse meal consistency.

Then add the flour.( I usually start with 3/4 cup of all purpose flour and 1 cup of whole wheat flour, so total 1 3/4 cup flour)

Add the flour and then two tablespoons of water and pulse the mixture. Process the mixture to mix all the vegetables with the flour.

Depending on the moisture content of your vegetables and your flour absorption you might already get a dough at this point. Or you can add more water, one tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is a nice smooth dough.

You don’t want it to be sticky because the vegetables are going to continue to leave moisture. So you want a stiff dough. Once the dough is formed, remove it from the food processor and put it in a bowl.

Add a little bit of flour on the dough and just smooth it out by kneading it for a few seconds and then let it sit for 10-15 mins.,

Prepare your workstation. Use some more whole wheat flour for rolling out the dough. Knead for a few seconds and Divide the dough into equal sized balls.
Then using a rolling pin or bottle, roll it out into circles. Use some flour on your workstation (which is either your kitchen counter or smooth wood or marble).

You need to make thick flatbreads, you don’t want them to be too thin, otherwise they will become too crispy . About a millimeter thick is what we are aiming for.

Once you’ve rolled out all of the flatbread, heat up a skillet over medium high heat. Once the skillet is hot, place the flatbread to the skillet and let it cook until it starts to lightly bubble up.

Then flip it and continue to cook it until it starts to bubble up even more and is turning golden brown on the other side.

Press the flatbread for a few seconds everywhere.

Brush the top with a little bit of oil and flip it. Press with your spatula to cook and brush some oil on the other side as well.

Depending on your stove, your skillet and the thickness of your flatbread, this whole cooking process can take anywhere from 2-6 minutes. You want some golden brown bubbles on both sides of the flatbread. Then take the flatbread off the skillet, cover with a thick towel and let it sit.

Repeat this process for all of the rolled-out flatbreads. You can brush some butter on all of the flatbreads or just keep them in a thick kitchen towel if you are consuming them within the day.

Storage:

To store them for longer, refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for months. Reheat on skillet or the microwave. If you are reheating in the microwave cover them with a damp paper towel.