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Indian

High-protein paneer paratha

Vegetarian

A modern, protein-forward paratha: wheat and gram-flour dough kneaded with Greek yogurt, packed with a generous paneer and spinach filling. Each paratha carries more than twice the protein of a plain one.

High-protein paneer paratha is an Indian bread, ready in about 1 hour 9 minutes and made with whole-wheat flour and paneer. It serves 6 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
25 min
Cook
24 min
Rest
20 min
Total
1 h 9 min
Serves
6
Level
Intermediate
Calories
341

Ingredients

6 parathas

For the dough

For the filling

For cooking

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix the atta (opens in a new tab), gram flour (opens in a new tab), ajwain (opens in a new tab) and salt. Add the yogurt and then the water gradually, kneading into a soft dough. Gram flour makes it less stretchy, so knead for a full 5 minutes. Cover and rest 20 minutes.

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

  2. Step 2

    Mix the grated paneer (opens in a new tab) with the spinach (opens in a new tab), chilli, cumin (opens in a new tab), chaat masala (opens in a new tab) and salt.

  3. Step 3

    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 17 cm round.

    This dough tears more easily than plain atta; roll with very light pressure.

  4. Step 4

    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 a thin film of 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.

    Cook at medium heat; gram flour browns quickly.

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

About this dish

Origin
India · Origin uncertainA modern fitness-minded adaptation of the paneer paratha.More food from India
Dish
Breakfast · Lunch · Breads & flatbreads
Cooking method
Pan-fried
Taste
savoury, creamy, nutty
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein · Carb-conscious · Calorie-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Meal-prep friendly · Portable / lunchbox
Cook more with
Whole-wheat flour · Paneer · Chickpea flour · Greek yogurt · Ajwain · Spinach
Techniques
Pan-frying · Kneading

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom greek yogurt, paneer, ghee
  • Contains: Wheatfrom whole-wheat flour, chaat masala
  • Contains: Glutenfrom whole-wheat flour, chaat masala

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

341 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 138 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 20%
  • Carbohydrate 37%
  • Fat 43%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy341 kcal248 kcal
Protein17.3 g12.6 g
Carbohydrate32.5 g23.7 g
Net carbohydrate27.5 g20 g
Sugars3.1 g2.2 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre5 g3.7 g
Fat16.7 g12.1 g
Saturated fat8.6 g6.2 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol43 mg31 mg
Sodium784 mg570 mg
Salt equivalent2 g1.4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
357 mg
Calcium
327 mg
Iron
2.2 mg
Magnesium
86 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
182 µg
Vitamin C
8 mg
Vitamin D
1.3 µg
Vitamin B12
0.9 µg
Folate (DFE)
83 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”): ajwain.
  • Paneer: Queso fresco (FDC 172223) used as a stand-in: both are fresh, acid-set, unaged cheeses with similar fat and protein.
  • Chaat masala: Curry powder (FDC 170924) used as a stand-in for the tangy blend of amchur, black salt, cumin and pepper; real chaat masala also carries a lot of salt, so sodium is understated.
  • “—” 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

  • Squeeze the chopped spinach dry in a cloth before adding it to the paneer.

Common mistakes

  • Adding more gram flour for extra protein — beyond about a quarter of the flour the dough cracks.

Serve with

  • Serve with plain Greek yogurt or a cucumber raita for a complete breakfast.

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.

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 step 1

Masalas in this recipe

Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

  • Dry spice blend

    Chaat masala

    This recipe uses ½ tsp (1.2 g for 6 parathas).

    Make Chaat masala

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

  1. Mix and knead · about 49 min

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

  2. Rest · about 20 min

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

  3. Start to finish: about 1 h 9 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 flourFlour200 g76.9%
Chickpea flourFlour60 g23.1%
WaterWater90 g34.6%
Greek yogurtOther liquid80 g30.8%
SaltSalt3 g1.2%
AjwainOther1 g0.2%
Total flour
260 g
Hydration
34.6%
With milk, eggs…
59.2%
Wholegrain
76.9%

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.
  • Milk, eggs and other liquids add about 25 points of extra water, so it handles like a 59% dough.
  • Salt 1.2% — on the low side (1.8–2.2% is typical for bread).
  • 76.9% 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

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