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Indian

Khoya paratha

Vegetarian

खोया पराठा · khoya paratha

A rich festive paratha filled with crumbled khoya, sugar, cardamom and chopped almonds and pistachios, cooked slowly in ghee until the filling turns soft and fudgy.

Khoya paratha is an Indian bread, ready in about 1 hour 4 minutes and made with whole-wheat flour and khoya (mawa). It serves 6 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
20 min
Cook
24 min
Rest
20 min
Total
1 h 4 min
Serves
6
Level
Intermediate
Calories
422

Ingredients

6 parathas

For the dough

For the filling

For cooking

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    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

  2. Step 2

    Warm the crumbled khoya (opens in a new tab) in a dry pan over low heat for 3–4 minutes until it softens and smells toasty. Cool slightly, then mix in the sugar (opens in a new tab), cardamom and nuts.

  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 15–16 cm round.

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

  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 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.

    Low heat lets the khoya melt through without the dough browning too fast.

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

About this dish

Origin
North India, India · Origin uncertainMade for festivals in North Indian homes; regional origin is not documented.More food from India
Dish
Breakfast · Dessert · Breads & flatbreads · Sweets & confectionery
Cooking method
Pan-fried, Sautéed
Taste
sweet, rich, nutty
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Egg-free · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration
Cook more with
Whole-wheat flour · Sugar · Ground cardamom · Almonds · Pistachios · Ghee
Techniques
Pan-frying · Sautéing · Kneading

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom khoya (mawa), ghee
  • Contains: Tree nutsfrom almonds, pistachios
  • Contains: Wheatfrom whole-wheat flour
  • Contains: Glutenfrom whole-wheat flour

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

422 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 135 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 13%
  • Carbohydrate 50%
  • Fat 38%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy422 kcal314 kcal
Protein13.9 g10.4 g
Carbohydrate54.7 g40.7 g
Net carbohydrate48.6 g36.1 g
Sugars17.7 g13.2 g
Added sugars8.3 g6.2 g
Fibre6.1 g4.5 g
Fat18.4 g13.7 g
Saturated fat8.6 g6.4 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol39 mg29 mg
Sodium282 mg210 mg
Salt equivalent0.7 g0.5 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
541 mg
Calcium
244 mg
Iron
2.2 mg
Magnesium
101 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
116 µg
Vitamin C
2 mg
Vitamin D
2.4 µg
Vitamin B12
0.8 µg
Folate (DFE)
33 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.
  • Khoya (mawa): Whole milk powder (FDC 170876) scaled for khoya, which is milk cooked down to about 25% moisture (milk powder is about 2.5%).
  • “—” 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

  • Use fresh, sweet-smelling khoya; it turns sour quickly in warm weather.

Common mistakes

  • Adding sugar to hot khoya — it melts into syrup and leaks.

Serve with

  • Serve warm as a festive breakfast or dessert.

Food safety

  • Khoya is a perishable dairy product: keep it refrigerated and use it within a few days of buying.

Storage

  • Refrigerate and eat within 2 days.

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

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

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

  1. Mix and knead · about 44 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 4 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

  • Gummy or wet crumb

    Likely causes

    • Under-baked
    • Sliced while hot
    • Hydration too high for the flour

    What to do

    • Bake to 93–96 °C inside (cakes: clean skewer)
    • Cool completely on a rack before slicing
    • Reduce water by 3–5% or use a stronger flour
  • Collapsed or sunken middle

    Likely causes

    • Oven door opened too early
    • Too much leavening or sugar
    • Under-baked centre
    • Over-proofed yeast dough

    What to do

    • Don't open the oven for the first two-thirds of baking
    • Measure leaveners exactly with spoons, levelled
    • Test the centre before removing
    • Proof less
  • 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
  • Cracked or domed top

    Likely causes

    • Oven too hot (crust sets before the centre rises)
    • Too much leavening
    • Overmixed batter

    What to do

    • Lower the oven 10–15 °C
    • Use the exact leavening amount
    • Fold just until combined
  • Big holes or tunnels

    Likely causes

    • Overmixed batter (cakes, muffins)
    • Air trapped while shaping bread
    • Uneven proof

    What to do

    • Mix quick breads only until no dry flour shows
    • Degas gently and shape tightly
    • Proof covered in an even, warm place
  • Dry or crumbly

    Likely causes

    • Too much flour (scooped, not weighed)
    • Over-baked
    • Too little fat or sugar

    What to do

    • Weigh flour, or spoon it into the cup and level
    • Check 5 minutes early
    • Don't cut fat or sugar by more than a quarter without another moisture source

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