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Indian

Soya paratha

Vegetarian

Soya chunks soaked, squeezed and minced, then cooked with onion, ginger, garlic and garam masala into a dry, keema-like filling for wheat parathas. A high-protein vegetarian paratha.

Soya paratha is an Indian bread, ready in about 1 hour 19 minutes and made with whole-wheat flour and soya chunks. 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
310

Ingredients

6 parathas

For the dough

For the filling

For cooking

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Cover the soya chunks (opens in a new tab) with boiling water and soak for 15 minutes. Drain, cool, squeeze out all the water in handfuls and pulse to a fine mince.

  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

    Heat the oil and fry the onion (opens in a new tab) until golden, then the ginger, garlic (opens in a new tab) and chilli for a minute. Add the minced soya, turmeric (opens in a new tab), chilli powder, garam masala (opens in a new tab), amchur (opens in a new tab) and salt and cook, stirring, until dry and crumbly, about 5 minutes. Cool and mix in the coriander.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  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
India · Origin uncertainA modern home-style paratha made with packaged soya chunks.More food from India
Dish
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner · Breads & flatbreads
Cooking method
Pan-fried, Sautéed
Taste
savoury, spicy (chilli heat), umami
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 · Meal-prep friendly
Cook more with
Whole-wheat flour · Soya chunks · Onion · Fresh ginger · Garlic · Green chilli
Techniques
Pan-frying · Sautéing · Boiling · Kneading

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom ghee
  • Contains: Wheatfrom whole-wheat flour
  • Contains: Glutenfrom whole-wheat flour
  • Contains: Soyfrom soya chunks

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

310 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 125 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 17%
  • Carbohydrate 53%
  • Fat 30%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy310 kcal248 kcal
Protein13.9 g11.1 g
Carbohydrate43.1 g34.5 g
Net carbohydrate34.9 g27.9 g
Sugars3.1 g2.5 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre8.2 g6.5 g
Fat11.1 g8.9 g
Saturated fat4.1 g3.3 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol15 mg12 mg
Sodium491 mg393 mg
Salt equivalent1.2 g1 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
549 mg
Calcium
62 mg
Iron
3.3 mg
Magnesium
112 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
55 µg
Vitamin C
7 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
66 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”): amchur (dried mango powder).
  • Soya chunks: Defatted soy flour (FDC 174275) used as a stand-in: soya chunks are extruded textured protein made from defatted soy flour; values are for the dry product.
  • Garam masala: Curry powder (FDC 170924) used as a stand-in; both are ground blends of similar dried spices used in teaspoon amounts.
  • “—” 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 soaked chunks really well — leftover water dilutes the spices and wets the dough.

Common mistakes

  • Under-seasoning: soya is bland and needs the full amount of salt and spice.

Serve with

  • Serve with curd, sliced onion and lemon.

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

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

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 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%
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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