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Punjabi · Indian

Paneer paratha

Vegetarian

पनीर पराठा · paneer paratha

Soft wheat parathas filled with grated paneer, a little onion, green chilli, coriander and roasted cumin. Mild, protein-rich and a favourite in North Indian lunchboxes.

Paneer paratha is a Punjabi bread from India, 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
366

Ingredients

6 parathas

For the dough

For the filling

For cooking

To serve

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

    Grate the paneer (opens in a new tab) finely and mix with the onion (opens in a new tab), chilli, coriander, cumin (opens in a new tab), garam masala (opens in a new tab), chilli powder, crushed kasuri methi (opens in a new tab) and salt. Press it together — it should hold in a loose ball.

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

  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 18 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.

    Paneer browns fast; keep the heat at medium once the first side has set.

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

  5. Step 5

    Serve warm with yogurt (opens in a new tab) or raita.

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

    About this dish

    Origin
    North India, India · Commonly attributedMade all over North India, especially in Punjab and Delhi.More food from India
    Dish
    Breakfast · Brunch · Lunch · Breads & flatbreads
    Cooking method
    Pan-fried
    Taste
    savoury, creamy, mild, buttery
    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
    Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Everyday · Child-friendly · Portable / lunchbox
    Cook more with
    Whole-wheat flour · Paneer · Onion · Green chilli · Coriander leaves · Cumin
    Techniques
    Pan-frying · Kneading

    Allergens

    • Contains: Milkfrom paneer, ghee, yogurt
    • 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

    366 kcal per serving

    Estimated

    1 serving ≈ 145 g · recipe makes 6

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 15%
    • Carbohydrate 41%
    • Fat 44%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy366 kcal253 kcal
    Protein14.4 g10 g
    Carbohydrate38.6 g26.7 g
    Net carbohydrate32.9 g22.8 g
    Sugars1.7 g1.2 g
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre5.7 g3.9 g
    Fat18.6 g12.9 g
    Saturated fat9.3 g6.5 g
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol44 mg30 mg
    Sodium704 mg487 mg
    Salt equivalent1.8 g1.2 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    268 mg
    Calcium
    262 mg
    Iron
    2.1 mg
    Magnesium
    82 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    149 µg
    Vitamin C
    6 mg
    Vitamin D
    1.1 µg
    Vitamin B12
    0.7 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    28 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: yogurt.
    • Paneer: Queso fresco (FDC 172223) used as a stand-in: both are fresh, acid-set, unaged cheeses with similar fat and protein.
    • Garam masala: Curry powder (FDC 170924) used as a stand-in; both are ground blends of similar dried spices used in teaspoon amounts.
    • Dried fenugreek leaves: Fenugreek seed (FDC 171324) used as a stand-in for dried leaves; used in pinches.
    • “—” 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

    • Grate cold paneer — it crumbles evenly and makes a filling without lumps.

    Common mistakes

    • Big chunks of onion tear the dough; chop it as fine as you can.

    Serve with

    • Pair with pudina raita or a simple onion-cucumber salad.

    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

    Masalas in this recipe

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

    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 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

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

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