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Punjabi · Indian

Mooli paratha

Vegetarian

मूली पराठा · mooli paratha

Peppery grated white radish, squeezed dry and spiced with ajwain, green chilli and coriander, sealed inside soft wheat parathas. The radish juice goes into the dough so nothing is wasted.

Mooli paratha is a Punjabi bread from India, ready in about 1 hour 19 minutes and made with whole-wheat flour and daikon. It serves 6 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
35 min
Cook
24 min
Rest
20 min
Total
1 h 19 min
Serves
6
Level
Intermediate
Calories
249

Ingredients

6 parathas

For the dough

For the filling

For cooking

To serve

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Grate the radish, toss with the salt and leave for 10 minutes. Squeeze it firmly over a bowl and keep the juice.

    Grating on a box grater
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Mix the atta (opens in a new tab) and salt, rub in the oil, then knead with the radish juice, topping up with water only as needed, into a soft, smooth dough. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.

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

  3. Step 3

    Mix the squeezed radish with the chilli, ginger, coriander, ajwain (opens in a new tab), chilli powder and amchur (opens in a new tab).

    • 3 min

  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 16–17 cm round.

    Radish filling is the wettest of the classics: stuff and roll one paratha at a time, just before it goes on the pan.

  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

  6. Step 6

    Serve straight from the pan with a pat of white butter (opens in a new tab).

      A finished dish being plated
      How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

    About this dish

    Origin
    Punjab, India · Commonly attributedEaten through the North Indian winter, when white radishes are in season.Also popular in PakistanMore food from India
    Dish
    Breakfast · Brunch · Lunch · Breads & flatbreads
    Cooking method
    Pan-fried
    Taste
    peppery, savoury, spicy (chilli heat), fresh
    Diet
    Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients
    All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
    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 · Daikon · Green chilli · Fresh ginger · Coriander leaves · Ajwain
    Techniques
    Pan-frying · Kneading

    Allergens

    • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom ghee, butter
    • 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

    249 kcal per serving

    Estimated

    1 serving ≈ 156 g · recipe makes 6

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 11%
    • Carbohydrate 60%
    • Fat 30%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy249 kcal160 kcal
    Protein7.1 g4.6 g
    Carbohydrate39.3 g25.2 g
    Net carbohydrate32.7 g21 g
    Sugars2 g1.3 g
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre6.5 g4.2 g
    Fat8.7 g5.6 g
    Saturated fat4 g2.5 g
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol15 mg10 mg
    Sodium502 mg322 mg
    Salt equivalent1.3 g0.8 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    351 mg
    Calcium
    39 mg
    Iron
    2.1 mg
    Magnesium
    81 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    55 µg
    Vitamin C
    20 mg
    Vitamin D
    0 µg
    Vitamin B12
    0 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    42 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.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: butter.
    • Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): ajwain, amchur (dried mango powder).
    • “—” 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 radish again just before stuffing if more liquid has collected.

    Common mistakes

    • Rolling all the parathas ahead: the radish keeps releasing water and the dough turns soggy.

    Serve with

    • Good with curd, green chutney and hot masala chai.

    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 steps 1, 2

    Baker’s notes

    Customise in Bread & Bakery

    Timeline and readiness cues

    1. Mix and knead · about 59 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 19 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%
    WaterWater160 g53.3%
    Neutral vegetable oilFat9 g3%
    SaltSalt3 g1%
    Total flour
    300 g
    Hydration
    53.3%
    With milk, eggs…
    53.3%
    Wholegrain
    100%

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

    • Stiff dough (under 55% hydration) — firm, easy to roll; typical of bagels, pretzels and many flatbreads.
    • 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

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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