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Indian

Dal paratha

Vegetarian

दाल पराठा · dal paratha

Parathas stuffed with soaked, boiled and coarsely ground chana dal, seasoned with fennel, cumin, asafoetida and green chilli. Nutty and substantial — a protein-rich breakfast.

Dal paratha is an Indian bread, ready in about 3 hours 24 minutes and made with whole-wheat flour and chana dal (split bengal gram). It serves 6 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
40 min
Cook
24 min
Rest
20 min
Total
3 h 24 min
Serves
6
Level
Intermediate
Calories
334

Includes 2 hours of unattended soaking.

Ingredients

6 parathas

For the dough

For the filling

For cooking

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Drain the soaked dal and simmer it in fresh water for 12–15 minutes, until soft but still holding its shape. Drain very well and spread out to steam dry.

    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Mix the atta (opens in a new tab) and salt, rub in the oil, then add the water a little at a time, kneading for about 5 minutes into a soft, smooth dough that no longer sticks to your fingers. Cover and rest for 20 minutes so it rolls out without springing back.

    Hands kneading dough on a floured surface
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Pulse the cooled dal to a coarse, dry crumb. Heat the oil in a pan, add the cumin, fennel and asafoetida (opens in a new tab), then the ginger and chilli. Stir in the dal, turmeric (opens in a new tab), chilli powder, amchur (opens in a new tab) and salt and cook for 3–4 minutes until dry. Cool and mix in the coriander.

  4. Step 4

    Divide the dough and the filling into 6 equal portions. Flatten a dough ball into a 10 cm cup, pack in one portion of filling, then pleat the edges up over it and pinch firmly to seal. Turn it seam-side down, press flat, dust with flour and roll lightly from the centre outwards into a 18 cm round.

    If filling peeps through, patch the spot with a pinch of dry flour and keep rolling more gently.

  5. Step 5

    Lay a paratha on a hot tawa or heavy pan over medium-high heat. When small bubbles appear (about 30 seconds) flip it; after another 30 seconds brush the top with ghee (opens in a new tab), flip again and press the edges with a spatula (opens in a new tab) until golden-brown patches form. Brush and cook the second side the same way — 3 to 4 minutes per paratha in all.

    A flatbread cooking on a hot griddle
    How it looks · Photo: Muhammad Khawar Nazir on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
North India, India · Commonly attributedMade in homes across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Punjab; no single state of origin.More food from India
Dish
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner · Breads & flatbreads
Cooking method
Pan-fried, Boiled
Taste
nutty, savoury, aromatic / warmly spiced
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients · High-fibre
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-fibre
With the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-based, Ovo-vegetarian, Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday · Budget-friendly
Cook more with
Whole-wheat flour · Chana dal (split bengal gram) · Cumin seeds · Fennel seeds · Asafoetida · Fresh ginger
Techniques
Pan-frying · Boiling · Simmering · Kneading

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom ghee
  • Contains: Wheatfrom whole-wheat flour, asafoetida
  • Contains: Glutenfrom whole-wheat flour, asafoetida

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

334 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 117 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 12%
  • Carbohydrate 56%
  • Fat 31%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy334 kcal285 kcal
Protein10.9 g9.3 g
Carbohydrate49.4 g42.2 g
Net carbohydrate41.4 g35.3 g
Sugars2.5 g2.1 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre8 g6.8 g
Fat12.2 g10.4 g
Saturated fat4.2 g3.6 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol15 mg13 mg
Sodium493 mg421 mg
Salt equivalent1.2 g1.1 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
354 mg
Calcium
37 mg
Iron
2.9 mg
Magnesium
88 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
56 µg
Vitamin C
6 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
135 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): asafoetida, amchur (dried mango powder).
  • Chana dal (split bengal gram): Whole raw chickpeas / bengal gram (FDC 173756) used as a stand-in for split, skinned desi chickpeas; the composition is very close.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • The filling must be dry and cool; any steam trapped inside makes the paratha burst.

Common mistakes

  • Overcooking the dal to a mush — it becomes a paste that is hard to stuff.

Serve with

  • Serve with curd, green chutney or a tangy pickle.

Storage

  • Cooked parathas keep 2 days in the fridge or 1 month in the freezer, stacked with baking paper between them.

Reheating

  • Reheat on a dry tawa over medium heat for about a minute a side until crisp and hot through.

Variations

  • Leftover dal paratha: Knead a cup of thick leftover cooked dal into the atta instead of water and roll as a plain paratha.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

Structure

For the dough

Used in steps 2, 3

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

  1. Mix and knead · about 1 h 4 min

    Knead until smooth and soft; it should feel like an earlobe.

  2. Rest · about 2 h 20 min

    Covered so it doesn't dry out; relaxed dough rolls and shapes without springing back.

  3. Start to finish: about 3 h 24 min. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

The dough

The dough in baker's percentages. Flour = 100%.
IngredientRoleWeightBaker’s %
Whole-wheat flourFlour300 g100%
WaterWater189 g63%
Neutral vegetable oilFat9 g3%
SaltSalt3 g1%
Total flour
300 g
Hydration
63%
With milk, eggs…
63%
Wholegrain
100%

Hydration = water ÷ flour × 100. Milk is about 87% water and eggs about 75%, so they’re shown separately as “with milk, eggs…”.

  • Medium dough (55–65%) — soft and easy to knead; sandwich loaves and rolls.
  • Salt 1% — on the low side (1.8–2.2% is typical for bread).
  • 100% wholegrain — absorbs more water and gives a denser, nuttier loaf.

If something goes wrong

  • Pale crust

    Likely causes

    • Oven too cool
    • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
    • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

    What to do

    • Check the oven with a thermometer
    • Brush with egg wash or milk
    • Shorten the fermentation
  • Burnt bottom

    Likely causes

    • Tray too close to the heat
    • Dark tray absorbs more heat
    • Too much sugar in the dough

    What to do

    • Bake on the middle shelf
    • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
    • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
  • Tough or chewy flatbread

    Likely causes

    • Dough too stiff
    • Not rested
    • Cooked too slowly on too cool a pan

    What to do

    • Add water until the dough is soft and slightly tacky
    • Rest 20–30 minutes covered so the gluten relaxes
    • Cook on a very hot tawa or pan — quickly

Reviews & corrections

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