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{{short description|Flatbread originating in South Asia}}
{{short description|Flatbread from South Asia}}
{{dist|text=the Indian caste [[Maratha]]}}
{{For|the South Indian version|South Indian parotta}}
{{Distinguish|Maratha}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox prepared food
{{Infobox food
| name             = Paratha
| name               = Paratha
| image           = Alooparatha.jpg
| image             = Triangle paratha (cropped).JPG
| image_size      = 250px
| image_alt          = A triangular flatbread that is brown with some darker spots, served next to yoghurt
| caption         = [[Aloo paratha]]
| caption           = Plain paratha
| alternate_name   =  
| alternate_name     = {{bulleted list|
| country          = [[Indian subcontinent]]<ref name="Banerji2008"/>
|[[Parotta]] (South India)
| region          =
|Porota (Bengal)
| national_cuisine = [[Bangladeshi cuisine|Bangladesh]], [[Fijian cuisine|Fiji]], [[Culture of Guyana#Cuisine|Guyana]], [[Indian cuisine|India]], [[Malaysian cuisine|Malaysia]], [[Maldivian cuisine|Maldives]], [[Burmese cuisine|Myanmar]],<ref name="Cummings">{{cite book|author=Joe Cummings|title=Myanmar (Burma).|year=2000|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L0UuAQAAIAAJ|publisher=Lonely Planet|isbn=9780864427038}}</ref> [[Nepali cuisine|Nepal]], [[Pakistani cuisine|Pakistan]], Gulf countries [[Singaporean cuisine|Singapore]], [[Sri Lankan cuisine|Sri Lanka]], [[Culture of Suriname#Cuisine|Suriname]], [[Trinidad and Tobago cuisine|Trinidad and Tobago]]
|Buss-up-shut (Caribbean)
| creator         =
|Farata (Mauritius)
| course           =
|Palata (Myanmar)
| served           =
|Godamba roti (Nepal)}}
| main_ingredient = [[Atta flour|Atta]], [[ghee]]/[[butter]]/[[cooking oil]] and various [[stuffing]]s
| type              = [[Flatbread]]
| variations      = [[Aloo paratha]], [[Roti Canai]], [[Wrap roti]]
| region            = Northern [[Indian Subcontinent]]
| calories         =
| national_cuisine  = [[Indian cuisine|India]], [[Bangladeshi cuisine|Bangladesh]], [[Pakistani cuisine|Pakistan]], [[Sri Lankan cuisine|Sri Lanka]], [[Maldivian cuisine|Maldives]], [[Mauritian cuisine|Mauritius]], [[Trinidad and Tobago cuisine|Trinidad and Tobago]], [[Burmese cuisine|Myanmar]], [[Malaysian cuisine|Malaysia]]
| other           =
| creator           =  
| course             = [[Breakfast]] or other meal
| served             =  
| main_ingredient   = [[Atta (flour)|Atta]] (or [[maida (flour)|maida]]), [[ghee]] (or oil), water, salt
| minor_ingredient  = Various stuffings (such as potato, cauliflower, or radish)
| variations        = [[Mughlai paratha]], [[Dhakai paratha]], [[kathi roll]], [[paratha roll]]
| similar_dish      = [[Chapati]], [[thepla]]
| calories           =  
| other             =  
}}
}}


'''Paratha''' ({{IPA-all|pəˈɾɑːtʰɑː|pron}}) is a [[flatbread]] native to [[South Asia]],<ref name="Banerji2008">{{cite book|author=Chitrita Banerji|title=Eating India: An Odyssey into the Food and Culture of the Land of Spices|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XfjOQfPtmw0C&pg=PA119|date=10 December 2008|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|isbn=978-1-59691-712-5|pages=119–}}</ref> prevalent throughout the modern-day nations of [[India]], [[Sri Lanka]], [[Pakistan]], [[Nepal]], [[Bangladesh]], [[Maldives]], [[Afghanistan]], [[Myanmar]],<ref name="Cummings"/> [[Malaysia]], [[Singapore]], [[Mauritius]], [[Fiji]], [[Guyana]], [[Suriname]], and [[Trinidad and Tobago]] where wheat is the traditional [[Staple food|staple]]. ''Paratha'' is an amalgamation of the words ''parat'' and ''[[Atta flour|atta]]'', which literally means layers of cooked [[dough]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Rim1x7fHjZgC&q=paratha+indian+cuisine+popular&pg=PA87|title=Mughlai Cook Book|first=Neera|last=Verma|publisher=Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd.|via=Google Books|isbn=9788171825479}}</ref> Alternative spellings and names include ''parantha'', ''parauntha'', ''prontha'', ''parontay'', ''paronthi'' ([[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]), ''porota'' (in [[Bengali language|Bengali]]), ''paratha'' (in [[Odia language|Odia]], [[Urdu]], [[Hindi]]), ''porotta'' (in [[Malayalam]], [[Tamil language|Tamil]]) , ''palata'' ({{IPA-my|pəlàtà|pron}}; in Myanmar),<ref name="Cummings"/> ''porotha'' (in [[Assamese language|Assamese]]), ''forota'' (in [[Sylheti language|Sylheti]]), ''farata'' (in [[Mauritius]] and the [[Maldives]]), ''prata'' (in Southeast Asia), ''paratha'', ''buss-up shut'', ''oil roti'' (in the [[Commonwealth Caribbean|Anglophone Caribbean]]) and [[Roti Canai]] in Malaysia.
'''Paratha''' ({{IPA|hns|pəˈɾaːʈʰaː, pəˈɾãːʈʰaː|ipa}}, also known by [[#Names|other spellings]]) is a [[flatbread]] from the Indian subcontinent, consisting of a wheat dough, typically whole wheat, that is [[Lamination (food)|folded and rolled]] with ghee, forming multiple layers, and [[shallow fried]]. Paratha may be stuffed with various fillings, the most common being potato. Paratha is one of the most popular flatbreads in India. The folded, whole-wheat version is prevalent in the Northern Indian subcontinent, and is distinct from [[South Indian parotta]], which uses refined flour. Variations also exist in the cuisines of [[Burmese cuisine|Myanmar]], [[Mauritian cuisine|Mauritius]], [[Malaysian cuisine|Malaysia]] (where it is known as [[roti canai]]), and [[Caribbean cuisine|the Caribbean]] (where it is known as buss-up-shut).


== History ==
Although paratha is sometimes said to have originated in Punjabi cuisine, it may have evolved from similar flatbreads from regions connected to India via the [[Silk Road]]. Possible origins include the Persian flatbread {{lang|fa-Latn|waraki}} or from breads introduced by [[Arabs in India]]. Sanskrit recipes for versions of paratha appeared in the 12th century. The popularity of paratha increased during the [[Mughal Empire]], which introduced it across the region. During the [[British India|British imperial era]], [[Indian indenture system|indentured workers from India]] introduced paratha to Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and Mauritius. In India, several versions of paratha were popularised after the [[Partition of India|1947 partition]].
The word ''paratha'' is derived from Sanskrit (S. पर, or परा+स्थः, or स्थितः).<ref>{{cite web|url= http://dsalsrv02.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/search3advanced?dbname=platts&query=paratha&matchtype=exact&display=utf8|title= A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English|last= Platts|first= John|date= 1884|website= A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English|publisher= W. H. Allen & Co.|access-date= 2017-03-19|quote= "parāṭhā [S. पर, or परा+स्थः, or स्थितः], s.m. A cake made with butter or ghī, and of several layers, like pie-crust."|archive-date= 2020-06-09|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200609120411/http://dsalsrv02.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/search3advanced?dbname=platts&query=paratha&matchtype=exact&display=utf8|url-status= dead}}</ref> Recipes for various stuffed wheat puranpolis (which Achaya (2003) describes as parathas) are mentioned in ''[[Manasollasa]]'', a 12th-century Sanskrit encyclopedia compiled by [[Someshvara III]], a [[Western Chalukya]] king, who ruled from present-day [[Karnataka]].<ref>{{cite book |author=K. T. Achaya |title=The Story of Our Food |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bk9RHRCqZOkC&pg=PA85 |year=2003 |publisher=Universities Press |isbn=978-81-7371-293-7 |page=85 }}</ref> References to paratha have also been mentioned by Nijjar (1968), in his book ''Panjāb under the Sultāns'', 1000–1526 A.D. when he writes that parathas were common with the nobility and aristocracy in the Punjab.<ref>Nijjer, Bakhshish Singh (1968). ''Panjāb under the sultāns, 1000–1526 A.D.'' Sterling Publishers [https://books.google.com/books?id=QaU5AQAAIAAJ&q=+parautha]</ref>
 
Paratha is eaten as the central component of a meal, with various accompaniments, often including [[dahi (curd)|dahi]] and [[South Asian pickle|pickle]]. Paratha is eaten for any meal; for breakfast, it is commonly paired with tea. Some types of paratha are made with spiraling layers, such as lachha paratha. Stuffed parathas include aloo paratha, using potatoes; gobhi paratha, using cauliflower; mooli paratha, using radish; methi paratha, using [[fenugreek]] leaves, and keema paratha, using [[Keema|minced meat]]. Paratha is also used for [[wrap (food)|wrap]]s, including the [[kathi roll]] and [[paratha roll]].
 
== Names ==
The word ''paratha'' is from Hindi,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ayto |first=John |url=http://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780199640249.001.0001/acref-9780199640249-e-886 |url-access=subscription |title=The Diner's Dictionary |chapter=Paratha |date=2012-01-01 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-964024-9 |edition=2 |language=en |doi=10.1093/acref/9780199640249.001.0001}}</ref> derived from the word {{lang|hi-Latn|para}}, meaning 'layer'.{{sfn|Pant|2013|p=30}} In [[Indian English]], the bread is always referred to by the specific term ''paratha'', rather than ''bread''.{{sfn|Davydova|2011|p=38}}
 
The word for paratha differs across India.<ref name="Maitra Chakraborty" /> Alternative spellings include ''parantha'', ''prantha'',{{sfn|Banerji|2008|p=119}} ''parata'',<ref name="Davidson & Jaine" /> ''prata'', and ''parotta''.<ref name="Groundwater">{{Cite news |last=Groundwater |first=Ben |date=11 August 2025 |title=Many cuisines have a version of flatbread, but this might be the best |url=https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/inspiration/many-cuisines-have-a-version-of-flatbread-but-this-might-be-the-best-20250801-p5mjiv.html |access-date=25 February 2026 |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]}}</ref> It is spelled as {{lang|my-Latn|palata}} ({{IPA|my|pəlàtà|pron}}) in Myanmar{{sfn|Cummings|2000|p=[https://archive.org/details/lonelyplanetmyan00joec/page/218 218]}} and {{lang|mfe|farata}} in Mauritius.{{sfn|Boswell|2019|p=35}} In the [[Gulf countries]], as well as in East Africa, the breads referred to as [[chapati]] are more similar to a paratha.{{sfnm|1a1=Rubel|1y=2011|1p=[https://archive.org/details/breadglobalhisto0000rube/page/143 143]|2a1=Al-Habsi|2a2=Al-Khusaibi|2a3=Rahman|2y=2019|2p=42}}
 
== Preparation ==
[[File:Moong dal stuffed inside wheat flour dough for Paratha.jpg|thumb|alt=A thick circle of dough is folded around a filling of dal and herbs.|Stuffed parathas are made by placing a filling into dough before rolling it out.]]
Like most [[Indian breads]], paratha is wheat-based and [[Unleavened bread|unleavened]].{{sfn|Pant|2010|p=[https://archive.org/details/indiacookbook0000pant/page/590 590]}} The dough is made of [[atta (flour)|atta]] (whole wheat flour), water, and salt, which is covered in [[ghee]].{{sfnm|1a1=Sidhu|1a2=Seibel|1a3=Meyer|1y=1990|1pp=337–338|2a1=Parimala|2a2=Sudha|2y=2015|2p=74}} Oil may be used instead of ghee, and white flour ([[maida (flour)|maida]]) may be used instead of whole wheat;<ref name="Carman">{{Cite news |last=Carman |first=Tim |date=19 March 2020 |title=The 10 best breads in the world |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/voraciously/10-best-breads-in-the-world/?itid=sr_5_b37c764a-9614-4472-8089-2fdf539d273c |access-date=25 February 2026 |work=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> maida is used for more tender, flaky parathas.<ref name="El-Waylly">{{Cite web |last=El-Waylly |first=Sohla |author-link=Sohla El-Waylly |date=8 December 2025 |title=Paratha (Flaky South Asian Flatbread) Recipe |url=https://www.seriouseats.com/paratha-flaky-south-asian-flatbread |access-date=25 February 2026 |website=[[Serious Eats]]}}</ref> Vegetables, herbs, and spices may be added;{{sfn|Sengupta|2012|p=80}} [[ajowan]] is a commonly used spice in plain paratha.{{sfnm|1a1=Malhotra|1y=2012|1p=124|2a1=Kohli|2y=2024|2p=61}}
 
The [[common wheat]], the dominant species of wheat in the northern Indian subcontinent, results in the light, spongy texture of North Indian breads such as paratha.{{sfn|Fuller|2006|p=24}} The flour used in paratha is typically of low [[Flour extraction|extraction]], although high-extraction flour is sometimes used.{{sfn|Qarooni|1996|p=22}} It may also use resultant atta, the coarse byproduct of sifting atta.{{sfn|Haridas Rao|Sai Manohar|2003|p=1034}} In commercial preparations, [[potato flakes]] may be used as a [[binding agent]].{{sfn|Chauhan|Islam|Imran|Ikram|2023|p=5776}}
 
[[File:Cooking paratha in old Dhaka (cropped).jpg|thumb|alt=Seven circles of dough are browning atop a large, convex griddle, and the cook is moving them using a spatula, preparing them as street food.|Paratha is [[shallow fried]] on a [[tava]].]]
The dough is kneaded by hand.{{sfn|Hegde|Nair|Chandran|Irshad|2018|p=20}} It is rolled out with oil or ghee, then folded.{{sfn|Parimala|Sudha|2015|p=70}} This process of [[Laminated dough|lamination]] is performed two or more times. This usually forms a triangle with four to six layers;{{sfn|Indrani|Swetha|Soumya|Rajiv|2011|p=719}} it may also be folded into a circle or square.{{sfn|Banerji|2008|p=119}} [[Stuffing|Stuffed]] versions of paratha are instead made by shaping the dough into balls and placing a filling inside before rolling them out.{{sfn|Ananthanarayan|Dubey|Muley|Singhal|2019|p=135}} Paratha may be rolled out using a [[dough sheeting]] machine that may produce thousands of parathas per hour.{{sfn|Banerji|Ananthanarayan|Lele|2020|p=143}}
 
Both plain and stuffed parathas are [[shallow fried]] on a [[tava]], a type of iron [[griddle]],{{sfnm|1a1=Beranbaum|1y=2003|1p=232|2a1=Ananthanarayan|2a2=Dubey|2a3=Muley|2a4=Singhal|2y=2019|2p=130}} until [[Browning (cooking)|browned]],<ref name="Carman" /> with or without additional ghee.<ref name="Groundwater" /> Sometimes, particularly among street vendors, paratha is fried in a shallow pan filled with oil, thus containing more fat than a paratha cooked on a tawa.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sanghvi |first=Vir |author-link=Vir Sanghvi |date=16 August 2013 |title=Rude Food: fear of frying |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/brunch/rude-food-fear-of-frying/story-eSXMXnuzPFR5Ob4ISByU5I.html |access-date=25 February 2026 |work=[[Hindustan Times]]}}</ref> Some versions are instead baked.{{sfn|Haridas Rao|Sai Manohar|2003|p=1034}} Paratha may be brushed with ghee after serving.{{sfn|Banerji|Ananthanarayan|Lele|2020|p=21}}
 
While frying, paratha forms distinct layers.<ref name="Davidson & Jaine">{{Cite book |last1=Davidson |first1=Alan |author-link1=Alan Davidson (food writer) |last2=Jaine |first2=Tom |url=http://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780199677337.001.0001/acref-9780199677337-e-1772 |url-access=subscription |title=The Oxford Companion to Food |chapter=Parata |date=2014-01-01 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-967733-7 |doi=10.1093/acref/9780199677337.001.0001}}</ref> The lamination of the dough results in a soft, flaky flatbread.{{sfn|Beranbaum|2003|p=232}} Its lamination process and layered texture are much like a [[puff pastry]],{{sfnm|1a1=Rubel|1y=2011|1p=[https://archive.org/details/breadglobalhisto0000rube/page/143 143]|2a1=Pant|2y=2013|2p=30}} but it does not rise as a puff pastry does.<ref name="Carman" /> Frying (rather than baking) results in a slightly [[crispy]] outside,{{sfnm|1a1=Beranbaum|1y=2003|1p=232|2a1=Banerji|2a2=Ananthanarayan|2a3=Lele|2y=2020|2p=43}} and, in the absence of leavening, the formation of steam is responsible for the separation of [[crust and crumb]].{{sfn|Sidhu|Seibel|Meyer|1990|p=338}}
 
Paratha is similar to [[chapati]], with the only difference in physical composition being the use of oil,{{sfn|Banerji|Ananthanarayan|Lele|2020|p=93}} while paratha also has multiple layers.{{sfn|Platel|2020|p=88}} Paratha is slightly thicker{{sfn|Mir|Shah|2019|p=93}} and denser,<ref name="Tan" /> with a more prominent crumb.{{sfn|Haridas Rao|Sai Manohar|2003|p=1033}} The starch properties of the two breads differ as paratha has fat in its crumb as well as fat coverage that causes more thorough [[heat transfer]]. Paratha has starch granules in its crumb that are deformed and shrunken compared to those of chapati.{{sfnm|1a1=Sidhu|1a2=Seibel|1a3=Meyer|1y=1990|1p=338|2a1=Mir|2a2=Shah|2y=2019|2p=93}} The [[Gujarati cuisine|Gujarati]] bread [[thepla]] resembles a cross between paratha and roti.{{sfn|Pant|2013|p=32}}
 
Paratha is the same size as chapati;{{sfn|Rubel|2011|p=[https://archive.org/details/breadglobalhisto0000rube/page/143 143]}} a single paratha weighs about {{convert|140|g|oz}}.<ref name="Bender">{{Cite book |last=Bender |first=David A. |author-link=David A. Bender |url=http://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780191752391.001.0001/acref-9780191752391-e-4006 |url-access=subscription |title=A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition |chapter=Paratha |date=2014-01-01 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-175239-1 |edition=4 |doi=10.1093/acref/9780191752391.001.0001}}</ref> Both plain and stuffed parathas are about {{Convert|15|cm|in}} in diameter and 3&nbsp;mm thick, with plain parathas sometimes ranging to as thin as 2.5&nbsp;mm.{{sfn|Banerji|Ananthanarayan|Lele|2020|pp=5–6}} Paratha has a sturdy texture, enabling it to be served with thick foods.<ref name="Tan" /> Stuffed paratha has a softer texture than plain paratha.{{sfn|Banerji|Ananthanarayan|Lele|2020|p=43}}
 
Paratha is eaten quickly; a study in the journal ''[[Appetite (journal)|Appetite]]'' found that it took about 9 minutes to eat a 250-calorie serving.{{sfn|Pai|Ghugre|Udipi|2005|p=266}} According to a 2020 study in Delhi, the median portion size of paratha is 60&nbsp;grams, averaging 1 paratha for women and 2 parathas for men.{{sfn|Sharma|Chadha|2010|pp=189–190}} According to a 2013 study in the United Kingdom, the mean portion size is 121&nbsp;grams for children and 100&nbsp;grams for adults.{{sfn|Khokhar|Ashkanani|Garduño-Diaz|Husain|2013|p=438}}
 
== Varieties ==
Paratha exists in both plain and stuffed varieties.{{sfn|Banerji|Ananthanarayan|Lele|2020|p=130}} Dozens of varieties are commonly consumed.{{sfn|Rubel|2011|p=[https://archive.org/details/breadglobalhisto0000rube/page/143 143]}} Regional variations differ based on cooking method or filling.<ref name="Groundwater" />
 
=== Plain varieties ===
{{Multiple image
|image1=Lachha parantha in making.jpg|alt1=Several spirals of tightly wrapped dough in a pan.
|image2=Laccha Paratha.JPG|alt2=A round flatbread with flaky layers that come apart.
|footer=Lachha paratha has circular spiraling layers.
}}
India has two categories of paratha: North Indian paratha, made from atta, and [[South Indian parotta]], made from maida.{{sfn|Prasada Rao|Hemalatha|2014|p=287}}<ref name="Tan" /> Both are similarly flaky and layered, but the South Indian version achieves this texture through repeated stretching and coiling rather than rolling and folding.{{sfn|Kohli|2024|p=61}}<ref name="Tan">{{Cite web |last=Tan |first=Alethea |date=August 21, 2019 |title=Beginner's Guide to Indian Breads: 9 Types to Start With |url=https://guide.michelin.com/tw/en/article/dining-out/guide-to-indian-breads-2019 |access-date=1 February 2026 |work=[[Michelin Guide]]}}</ref>
 
Some versions of paratha have spiraling layers, forming a circle or square.{{sfn|Banerji|Ananthanarayan|Lele|2020|p=5}} Lachha paratha ({{lit|layered paratha}}) is a kind of North Indian paratha<ref name="Awal" /> with many circular layers, formed by shaping a circle of dough into a coil before rolling it out again. It has a crispy texture and is the same size as a regular paratha.{{sfn|Banerji|Ananthanarayan|Lele|2020|pp=6, 13}} {{lang|hi-Latn|Ulte tave ke paratha}} is a North Indian paratha cooked on the bottom side of the pan, the same method as [[roomali roti]].<ref name="Ribeiro" />
 
[[Cornmeal]], atta, [[palm sugar]], ajowan, and green chillis are used to make makkai paratha,{{sfn|Bladholm|2000|p=[https://archive.org/details/indiangrocerysto00blad/page/39 39]}} while ginger and chillis are used for {{lang|hi-Latn|adraki mirchi paratha}}.{{sfn|Rubel|2011|p=[https://archive.org/details/breadglobalhisto0000rube/page/143 143]}} [[Sattu]], a type of chickpea flour, is used to make sattu paratha,{{sfn|Kaur|Kaur|Kaur|Rehal|2026|p=1}} a breakfast dish eaten in [[Bihar]], [[Jharkhand]], and part of Uttar Pradesh.{{sfn|Khatiar|2024|p=186}}<ref>{{Cite news |last=Shrivastava |first=Tarishi |date=28 January 2026 |title=Sattu Paratha Recipe A High-Protein Traditional Indian Breakfast That Supports Weight Loss and Lasting Energy |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/recipe/sattu-paratha-recipe-a-high-protein-traditional-indian-breakfast-that-supports-weight-loss-and-lasting-energy-101769583612820.html |access-date=25 February 2026 |work=[[Hindustan Times]]}}</ref> In the [[Eastern Himalayas]], the legume [[Macrotyloma uniflorum|gahat]] is crushed into a paste that is added to paratha dough.{{sfn|Bhattacharyya|Thattantavide|Kumar|2023|p=187}} Paratha has been made with atypical ingredients for nutritional value.{{sfn|Banerji|Ananthanarayan|Lele|2020|p=109}} For example, it may be made with [[mulberry]] leaves as a nutritional supplement,{{sfn|Saini|Rohela|Kumar|Shabnam|2023|p=41}} which also increases shelf stability of the flour.{{sfnm|1a1=Jan|1a2=Parveen|1a3=Zahiruddin|1a4=Khan|1y=2021|1p=3912|2a1=Semwal|2a2=Painuli|2a3=Jamloki|2a4=Rauf|2y=2023|2p=6504}} Other ingredients that may sometimes be used in the dough include [[amaranth]],{{sfnm|1a1=Bhauso Patil|1a2=Jena|1y=2020|1p=1236|2a1=Mani|2y=2024|2p=18}} [[flaxseed]],{{sfn|Parikh|Pierce|2019|p=76}} [[sorghum]] flour,{{sfn|Sen (b)|2024|p=240}} and [[buckwheat flour]].{{sfn|Sharma|Pandey|Manpoong|Vashishth|2023|p=252}}
 
=== Stuffed varieties ===
Many varieties of stuffed paratha exist. The most common is aloo paratha, with a spiced potato filling.{{sfn|Banerji|Ananthanarayan|Lele|2020|p=4}} Aloo paratha uses ingredients such as [[coriander leaf]] and green chilli<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gill |first=Romy |author-link=Romy Gill |date=1 September 2018 |title=How to make Romy Gill's aloo paratha |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/recipes/romy-gill-aloo-paratha-recipe-indian-vegan-cooking-instructions-a8504386.html |access-date=28 February 2026 |work=[[The Independent]]}}</ref> and spices such as [[amchoor]] and [[garam masala]],{{sfn|Basak|Chakraborty|Singhal|2023|p=3}} and its proportion of dough to filling may vary.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Krishna |first=Priya |author-link=Priya Krishna (journalist) |date=13 May 2019 |title=Potatoes — stuffed, roasted, pan-fried and piled on buns — star in Indian cooking |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/voraciously/wp/2019/05/13/potatoes-stuffed-roasted-pan-fried-and-piled-on-buns-star-in-indian-cooking/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220404003204/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/voraciously/wp/2019/05/13/potatoes-stuffed-roasted-pan-fried-and-piled-on-buns-star-in-indian-cooking/ |archive-date=4 April 2022 |access-date=28 February 2026 |work=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> Along with aloo paratha, the stuffed parathas common in [[Punjabi cuisine]] are gobhi paratha, with cauliflower, and mooli paratha, with radish.<ref name="Chatterjee" /> Keema paratha uses [[keema]] (minced meat), such as lamb,<ref name="Groundwater" /> while methi paratha uses [[fenugreek]] leaves.{{efn|Methi paratha may use [[kasuri methi]], an herb related to fenugreek.{{sfn|Ravindran|2024|p=3570}}}} Other common fillings include peas (matar), onions, spinach, and [[paneer]].{{sfnm|Achaya|1998|1p=[https://archive.org/details/indianfoodhistor0000acha/page/138 138]|2a1=Beranbaum|2y=2003|2p=232|3a1=Pant|3y=2013|3p=31|4a1=Ananthanarayan|4a2=Dubey|4a3=Muley|4a4=Singhal|4y=2019|4p=130}} Aloo palak paratha contains both potatoes and spinach.{{sfn|Bladholm|2000|p=[https://archive.org/details/indiangrocerysto00blad/page/38 38]}} Dal paratha is stuffed with cooked [[dal]] such as [[mung bean]]s.{{sfn|Dahiya|Linnemann|Nout|Van Boekel|2014|p=186}} Pudina paratha uses mint.{{sfn|Herbst|2007|p=[https://archive.org/details/newfoodloverscom0000herb/page/488 488]}} Sweet parathas include {{lang|hi-Latn|gurh ka paratha}} ([[jaggery]] paratha).{{sfn|Pant|2013|p=31}}
 
{{Gallery|mode=nolines
| height=128
| width=170
| File:Paratha and Lassi-Chennai-Tamilnadu-IMG 1796 (cropped).jpg |Aloo paratha |alt1=A sliced paratha showing a thin layer of potato inside
| File:Gobhi Parantha (cropped).JPG |Gobhi paratha |alt2=Two thick, brittle, round parathas with pieces of cauliflower and herbs
| File:Keema Paratha by Preeti Tamilarasan (cropped).jpg |Keema paratha |alt3=A round paratha with some meat underneath the dough
| File:Paneer Parantha (cropped).jpg |Paneer paratha |alt4=A round paratha with a piece broken off to show a filling of paneer and herbs
| File:Methi Parathas.JPG |Methi paratha |alt5=A stack of parathas that have a large amount of herbs mixed baked into the dough
}}
 
Anda paratha contains beaten eggs; the paratha may simply be coated in eggs, or it may have a filling of eggs, onions, chillis, coriander seed, and ginger added during frying.{{sfn|Pant|2013|p=32}} Anda paratha is a common Punjabi breakfast.{{sfn|Arora|Singh Kohli|2011|p=[https://archive.org/details/foodofgrandtrunk0000aror/page/42 42]}} Among the [[Sunni Bohra]]s of Gujarat, egg paratha, known as {{lang|gu-Latn|baida paratha}}, is a festive food.{{sfn|Pant|2013|p=32}}
 
In Punjabi cuisine, stuffed parathas are often prepared from leftovers.<ref name="Ghose" /> For example, paratha filled with leftover rice dishes is known as {{lang|pa-Latn|chawal ka paratha}}.<ref name="Chatterjee">{{Cite news |last=Chatterjee |first=Priyadarshini |date=28 August 2023 |title=From Odisha's puri-upma to Punjab's chawal ka paratha, carb-on-carb treats from around India |url=https://www.cntraveller.in/story/from-odishas-puri-upma-to-punjabs-chawal-ka-paratha-carb-on-carb-treats-from-around-india/ |access-date=25 February 2026 |work=[[Condé Nast Traveller]]}}</ref> Bathua paratha has dough mixed with the leaf vegetable [[Chenopodium album|bathua]], which is boiled, and green chillis. This is eaten as breakfast in winter{{sfn|Sarkar|Lohith Kumar|Dhumal|Panigrahi|2015|p=102}} in North India,{{sfn|Prasad|Shivay|2019|p=172}} Paratha stuffed with [[besan]] (chickpea flour) is known as birahi.{{sfnm|1a1=Achaya|1y=1998|1p=[https://archive.org/details/indianfoodhistor0000acha/page/138 138]|2a1=Bladholm|2y=2000|2p=[https://archive.org/details/indiangrocerysto00blad/page/39 39]}} A type of paratha from Chhattisgarh uses a dough with wheat flour, rice flour, and leaf vegetables.{{sfn|Shukla|2021|p=8}} [[Khoa]] (milk solids) may also be a paratha filling.{{sfn|Sen (a)|2024|p=200}} Modern variations of paratha use ingredients such as cheese, mushrooms, or [[Soy protein|soya]],<ref name="Ghose" /> and meat fillings are used for some [[Fusion cuisine|fusion]] versions of paratha.{{sfn|Khara|Ruby|2019|p=2}}
 
=== Regional variants ===
{{See also|South Indian parotta}}
The version eaten in the South Indian cuisines of [[Karnataka cuisine|Karnataka]] and [[Tamil cuisine|Tamil Nadu]] is like a chapati made of maida. South Indian variations called Malabar parotta and Ceylon parotta resemble lachha paratha.{{sfn|Pant|2013|p=32}} Malabar parotta, from the [[cuisine of Kerala]], has layers formed by kneading oil into the dough.<ref name="Ghose" /><ref name="Awal" /> Another preparation from Kerala is [[kothu parotta]], a mixture of chopped parotta with other ingredients. Veechu parotta is a square-shaped parotta eaten in Tamil Nadu. Ceylon parotta is similar to this, with the addition of a minced meat filling. [[Madurai]], Tamil Nadu, has a variant called bun parotta, shaped like a [[bun]].<ref name="Ghose" /> [[Bidar]], Karnataka, is home to the Bidari paratha, distinguished from regular paratha by the addition of a small amount of [[semolina]] flour.{{sfn|Pant|2013|p=32}}
{{Gallery |mode=nolines |align=center
| height=160
| width=240
| title=South Asian parotta
| File:Malabar Porotta (cropped).jpg |Malabar parotta |alt1=
| File:Veechu Rotti.jpg |Veechu parotta |alt2=
| File:Chicken Kottu.jpg |[[Kothu parotta]] |alt3=
}}
 
In [[Bengali cuisine]], the typical paratha—or {{lang|bn-Latn|porota}}—is triangular and usually combines atta and maida.<ref name="Maitra Chakraborty">{{Cite news |last=Maitra Chakraborty |first=Barnini |date=9 March 2022 |title=Beaten to perfection: The pull of the 'petai porota' |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/my-kolkata/lifestyle/kolkatas-petai-porota-or-petai-paratha-is-a-special-street-food-dish/cid/1855209 |access-date=25 February 2026 |work=[[The Telegraph (India)|The Telegraph]]}}</ref> This is common among both [[Bengali Hindus|Hindu]] and [[Bengali Muslims|Muslim Bengalis]].{{sfn|Banerji|1997|p=[https://archive.org/details/bengalicookingse0000bane/page/28 28]}} Circular parathas also exist in the region, with five or six layers.{{sfnm|1a1=Banerji|1a2=1997|1p=[https://archive.org/details/bengalicookingse0000bane/page/28 28]|2a1=Bladholm|2y=2000|2p=[https://archive.org/details/indiangrocerysto00blad/page/38 38]}} The [[Dhakai paratha]] is deep-fried and has many layers, with a hollow centre.<ref name="Ghose" /> Taking its name from [[Dhaka]], Bangladesh,{{sfn|Banerji|2008|p=119}} it is also found in Kolkata, India.{{sfn|Pant|2013|p=32}} [[Mughlai paratha]], a dish from Kolkata, which is prepared by folding a paratha over a filling with beaten eggs and chopped onions,<ref name="Ghose" /> sometimes with minced meat.{{sfn|Pant|2013|p=32}} It is one of the more complex forms of stuffed paratha.<ref name="El-Waylly" /> Another Bengali version, petai porota ({{lit|beaten paratha}}), is tossed and torn apart after cooking,<ref name="Maitra Chakraborty" /> resembling kothu parotta.<ref name="Ghose" /> It is a common street food meal, served with [[ghugni]] or [[aloo dum]], and is eaten for breakfast.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Alexander |first=Jaismita |date=8 June 2025 |title=The pull of petai porota: Kolkata's breakfast dish that is beaten to perfection — quite literally |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/my-kolkata/food/why-kolkatas-petai-porota-is-the-citys-og-streetside-breakfast-photogallery/cid/2116678 |access-date=25 February 2026 |work=[[The Telegraph (India)|The Telegraph]]}}</ref> Vendors sell petai porota by weight.<ref name="Maitra Chakraborty" />
{{Gallery |mode=nolines |align=center
| height=160
| width=240
| title=Paratha in Bengali cuisine
| File:Mughlai Kheema Paratha.JPG |[[Mughlai paratha]] |alt1=
| File:Dhakai Paratha with Bengal Gram.JPG |[[Dhakai paratha]] |alt2=
| File:Smash Paratha - Howrah 2014-04-14 0217.JPG |Petai porota |alt3=
}}
 
Some regions of India serve unique forms of paratha.{{sfn|Pant|2013|p=31}} {{lang|ur-Latn|Warqi paratha}} ({{lit|layered paratha}}) is a variant in [[Awadhi cuisine]], originating in Lucknow. It is made of white flour and a large amount of ghee, sometimes with sugar and [[saffron]], and it is folded and rolled.{{sfn|Kohli|2024|pp=62–63}} A type of paratha in [[eastern Uttar Pradesh]] and Bihar is called {{lang|bho-Latn|makhuni}}.{{sfn|Pant|2013|p=32}} Dulhan paratha, originating from [[Hyderabad, Pakistan]], is named for its elaborate presentation, which is reminiscent of the ornate appearance of a [[bride]] ({{lang|ur-Latn|dulhan}} in Urdu); this dish is known for its combination of flavorful ingredients.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hyderabad's Famous Dulhan Paratha: The Paratha Queen - Dr. Saba Noor |url=https://www.youlinmagazine.com/article/hyderabad-famous-dulhan-paratha-the-paratha-queen/MjMyMg== |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=Youlin Magazine |language=en}}</ref>
 
Versions of paratha exist beyond the Indian subcontinent.<ref name="Ghose" /> Caribbean cuisine features parathas that are milk-based and crispy, known as [[buss-up-shut]].{{sfn|Afroz|2000|p=285}} In Trinidad and Tobago, this is classified as a [[roti]], distinguished from other rotis by using more oil.{{sfn|Jayaram|2022|p=272}} The roti served in Suriname also evolved from paratha.{{sfn|Kraig|Sen|2013|p=333}} The [[Malaysian cuisine|Malaysian]] version of paratha is known as [[roti canai]], named after the Indian city of [[Chennai]],{{sfn|Ray|2024|p=217}} and is a type of South Indian parotta.<ref name="Tan" /> The [[Burmese cuisine|Burmese]] version, {{lang|my-latn|palata}}, may use whole-wheat dough with a filling of peas, served with [[fried onion]]s on top. It is eaten using [[chopsticks]].<ref name="Varma">{{Cite news |last=Varma |first=Anshika |date=21 November 2022 |title=Eating paratha with chopsticks and such other Indian-ish stories in Burma |url=https://www.harpersbazaar.in/travel-food/story/eating-paratha-with-chopsticks-and-such-other-stories-564754-2022-11-20 |access-date=25 February 2026 |work=[[Harper's Bazaar India]]}}</ref> Other Burmese versions include a banana-stuffed version and a [[pigeon pea]]-stuffed version known as {{lang|my-Latn|bei palata}}.{{sfn|Cummings|2000|p=[https://archive.org/details/lonelyplanetmyan00joec/page/218 218]}} The [[Afghan cuisine|Afghan]] version, known as {{lang|fa-Latn|naun-i-parauta}}, is leavened and cooked on a griddle.{{sfn|Buell|Anderson|de Pablo Moya|Oskenbay|2020|p=207}} In [[Sri Lankan cuisine]], paratha is known as {{lang|si-Latn|godamba roti}}.{{sfn|Liyanage|2020|p=130}} Similar breads are eaten in Nepal.<ref name="Davidson & Jaine" />
 
{{Gallery |mode=nolines |align=center
| height=160
| width=240
| title=Versions of paratha from beyond the Indian subcontinent
| File:Roti chanai at Lepak Victoria Park (cropped).jpg |Malaysian [[roti canai]] |alt1=
| File:Paratharoti.jpg |Trinidadian [[buss-up-shut]] |alt2=
| Palatha, Myanmar (cropped).jpg |Burmese {{lang|my-Latn|palata}} |alt3=
}}
 
== Serving ==
[[File:Mooli Paratha.jpg|thumb|alt=|Mooli paratha with [[dahi (curd)|dahi]] and [[South Asian pickle|pickle]], common pairings with paratha]]
Paratha may be served for any meal.<ref name="Carman" /><ref name="Imtiaz" /> Like other flatbreads in [[North Indian cuisine]], it is served as the central component of a typical meal;{{sfn|Platel|2020|p=88}} the bread is eaten by using the hands to tear the bread and pick up the accompanying food.{{sfnm|1a1=Beranbaum|1y=2003|1p=232|2a1=Hegde|2a2=Nair|2a3=Chandran|2a4=Irshad|2y=2018|2p=20}} A stuffed paratha may be a full meal.<ref name="Lewis" />
 
A wide range of foods may be served with paratha.<ref name="Imtiaz" /> Common accompaniments include [[curries]], [[sabzi (food)|sabzi]], [[South Asian pickle|pickle]], and [[dahi (curd)|dahi]] (curd).{{sfn|Ananthanarayan|Dubey|Muley|Singhal|2019|pp=130, 135}} Likewise, stuffed parathas such as aloo paratha are commonly served with curd or pickle.{{sfnm|1a1=Arora|1a2=Singh Kohli|1y=2011|1p=[https://archive.org/details/foodofgrandtrunk0000aror/page/104 104]|2a1=Banerji|2a2=Ananthanarayan|2a3=Lele|2y=2020|2p=7}} When served by vendors, paratha often comes with dahi or pickle included.{{sfn|Pant|2013|p=31}} A paratha may also be served with tea or [[raita]], with which it can be rolled up and dipped.<ref name="El-Waylly" /> As a dessert, paratha may be eaten with [[brown sugar]].<ref name="Imtiaz" />
 
Although rice is the staple in [[Kashmiri cuisine]], parathas paired with [[kofta]] are a common dish served to guests.{{sfn|Pant|2013|p=32}} In middle-class [[Bangladeshi cuisine]], parata is eaten for breakfast or, less commonly, for dinner, while rice is more common for lunch.{{sfn|Islam|1982|p=12}} In the [[cuisine of Odisha]], paratha is eaten with [[egg curry]] for dinner.{{sfn|Custodio|Ynion|Samaddar|Cuevas|2021|p=8}} In the [[cuisine of Haryana]], it may be eaten with [[mung bean]]s.{{sfn|Dahiya|Linnemann|Nout|Van Boekel|2014|p=184}} Parotta served with beef is a culturally significant dish in Kerala.<ref name="Ghose" />


According to Banerji (2010), parathas are associated with Punjabi and North Indian cooking. The Punjabi method is to stuff parathas with a variety of stuffings. However, Banerji states, Mughals were also fond of parathas which gave raise to the Dhakai paratha, multilayered and flaky, taking its name from [[Dhaka]] in [[Bangladesh]].<ref>Banerji, Chitrita (2010). [https://books.google.com/books?id=c9lJnCpfEDoC&dq=punjabi+paratha+associate&pg=PT77 ''Eating India: Exploring the Food and Culture of the Land of Spices'']. Bloomsbury.</ref> O'Brien (2003) suggests that it is not correct to state that the Punjabi paratha was popularised in Delhi after the 1947 [[partition of India]], as the Punjabi item was prevalent in Delhi before then.<ref>O'Brien, Charmaine (2003). [https://books.google.com/books?id=xeSXAAAAQBAJ&dq=punjabi+parantha&pg=PT129 ''Flavours Of Delhi: A Food Lover's Guide'']. Penguin.</ref>
[[File:Teaparatha.jpg|thumb|Paratha served with tea in Pakistan]]
Paratha is frequently part of a breakfast in North India.{{sfn|Platel|2020|p=89}} A common breakfast in India and Pakistan consists of paratha, butter, and tea,{{sfn|Butt|Sultan|2009|p=1279}} and it may also be eaten alongside eggs.{{sfn|Fox|2015|p=701}} In [[Karachi]], breakfast the phrase "chai-paratha" is synonymous with breakfast, and a 1987 survey found that paratha is the most common breakfast food.<ref name="Imtiaz">{{Cite news |last=Imtiaz |first=Saba |date=9 November 2015 |title=The Under‑Appreciated Cousin of the World‑Famous Naan |url=https://roadsandkingdoms.com/2015/the-under-appreciated-cousin-of-the-world-famous-naan/ |access-date=25 February 2026 |work=[[Roads & Kingdoms]]}}</ref> Paratha with pickle and curd is also a common breakfast.<ref name="Ribeiro" /> A typical breakfast in [[Uttar Pradesh cuisine|Uttar Pradeshi Hindu cuisine]] may pair paratha with a vegetable dish or sweet [[halva]].{{sfn|Sen|2009|p=404}} In [[Hyderabadi cuisine|Hyderabadi Muslim cuisine]], paratha may be paired with eggs or [[minced meat]] for breakfast or with a meat dish for lunch.{{sfn|Sen|2009|p=407}} Stuffed parathas such as aloo paratha, as well as plain parathas, are commonly eaten for breakfast in [[Punjabi cuisine]].{{sfnm|1a1=Benson|1a2=Helzer|1y=2017|1p=73|2a1=Rani|2a2=Dharaiya|2a3=Singh|2y=2021|2p=30|3a1=Kaur Sidhu|3y=2024|3p=299}}


==Plain and stuffed varieties==
Paratha may be used for [[wrap (food)|wrap]]s, commonly with [[kebab]]s.{{sfn|Kraig|Sen|2013|p=172}} The [[kathi roll]], originating in Kolkata, is a wrap with a kebab served on an egg-covered paratha;{{sfn|Pant|2013|p=32}} other versions use various toppings.{{sfn|Kraig|Sen|2013|p=180}} This egg-covered paratha in a kathi roll differs from anda paratha, with the egg being scrambled on top of the paratha as it cooks.{{sfn|Arora|Singh Kohli|2011|p=[https://archive.org/details/foodofgrandtrunk0000aror/page/42 42]}} In Pakistan, particularly in Karachi, a kebab wrapped in paratha is known as a [[paratha roll]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Imtiaz |first=Aysha |date=19 July 2023 |title=Why KFC failed to master Karachi's famed paratha rolls |url=https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20230718-why-kfc-failed-to-master-karachis-famed-paratha-rolls |access-date=28 February 2026 |work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref> In [[Lucknow]], {{lang|hi-Latn|ulte tave ke paratha}} may be served as a crispy cone, and is the typical pairing with [[galouti kebab]].{{sfn|Pant|2013|p=31}} The [[frankie (food)|frankie]] is another wrap using paratha, with various fillings, served as street food in Indian cities.{{sfn|Sapra|Bhattacharyya|2024|p=360}} In the United Arab Emirates, paratha is used to make a wrap with potato chips of the brand [[Chips Oman]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Zacharias |first=Anna |date=27 November 2013 |title=UAE National Day: in search of the Chips Oman sandwich |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/uae-national-day-in-search-of-the-chips-oman-sandwich-1.291962 |access-date=25 February 2026 |work=[[The National (Abu Dhabi)|The National]]}}</ref> The paratha burger—a [[hamburger]] using paratha rather than a hamburger bun—originated in Dubai, at the restaurant Klay by Karak House.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Khan |first=Bushra |date=15 September 2025 |title=Viral and trending: Dubai's Paratha Burger arrives in Hyderabad |url=https://www.siasat.com/viral-and-trending-dubais-paratha-burger-arrives-in-hyderabad-3271335/ |access-date=25 February 2026 |work=[[The Siasat Daily]]}}</ref>


== Nutrition and chemistry ==
{{nutritionalvalue
{{nutritionalvalue
| name = Paratha, whole wheat, commercially prepared, Frozen
| name = Paratha, whole wheat, commercially prepared, Frozen
Line 55: Line 166:
| vitK_ug = 3.4
| vitK_ug = 3.4
| source_usda = 1
| source_usda = 1
| note = [https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/174076/nutrients Link to USDA Database entry]
| note = [https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/174076/nutrients Link to USDA Database entry]
}}
{{Infobox nutritional value
| name = Aloo paratha (fresh, unfortified)
| fat = 3.3 g
| protein = 6.1 g
| sugars = 6.0 g
| iron_mg = 3.2
| zinc_mg = 2.0
| water = 58 g
| opt1v = 2 g
| opt1n = Ash
| source = {{sfn|Kaul|Kaur|Kaur|Kaur|2022|p=7217}}
}}
{{Infobox nutritional value
| name = Methi paratha (fresh)
| carbs = 42.38 g
| fat = 7.03 g
| protein = 10.0 g
| starch = 0.49 g
| fiber = 10.39 g
| water = 27.19 g
| opt1v = 2.96 g
| opt1n = Ash
| noRDA = yes
| source = {{sfn|Shobana|Geetha|Ramya Bai|Vijayalakshmi|2022|p=58}}
}}
}}


Parathas are one of the most popular [[leavening agent|unleavened]] flatbreads in the [[Indian subcontinent]], made with [[wheat]] dough from finely ground wholemeal ([[atta flour|atta]]) and/or white flour ([[Maida (flour)|maida]]), sometimes incorporating egg or [[ghee]].  Plain parathas are thicker and more substantial than [[chapati]]s/[[roti]]s because they have been layered by coating with ghee or oil and folded repeatedly, much like the method used for [[puff pastry]] or a [[laminated dough]] technique, and as a result have a flaky consistency. Stuffed parathas may include a wide variety of ingredients and be made with a variety of preparation styles, traditionally depending on region of origin, and may not use a folded dough techniques.
Paratha contains wheat, which provides calories, protein, and minerals{{sfn|Baig|Chandio|Kazi|Afridi|2023|p=3558}} and is a major source of carbohydrates.{{sfn|Ray|Prakash|Jyothi Lakshmi|Dasappa|2018|p=2}} As parathas are fried in oil, they have a higher fat content than other flatbreads,{{sfnm|1a1=Ali|1a2=Al-Nassri|1a3=Al-Rasasi|1a4=Akhtar|1y=2010|1p=204|2a1=Boukid|2y=2022|2p=3}} The fat content of aloo paratha is about 3.3%, while that of leaf vegetable stuffed parathas has been measured at 5%.{{sfn|Kaul|Kaur|Kaur|Kaur|2022|p=7216}} The sodium content may be high, based on the amount of salt added according to consumer preferences.{{sfn|Baig|Chandio|Kazi|Afridi|2023|p=3559}} A 2018 study in Malaysia found high amounts of added sugar in restaurant paratha.{{sfn|Zainal Arifen|Shahar|Trieu|Abdul Majid|2024|p=2}}


To achieve the  [[laminated dough|layered dough]] for plain parathas, a number of different traditional techniques exist.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wgtdzu2GXh8C&q=paratha+indian+cuisine+popular&pg=PA130|title=Climbing the Mango Trees: A Memoir of a Childhood in India|first=Madhur|last=Jaffrey|date=18 December 2008|publisher=Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group|via=Google Books|isbn=9780307517692}}</ref>  These include covering the thinly rolled out pastry with oil, folding back and forth like a paper fan and coiling the resulting strip into a round shape before rolling flat, baking on a [[tava]] and/or shallow frying. Another method is to cut a circle of dough from the center to its circumference along its radius, oiling the dough and starting at the cut edge rolling so as to form a cone which is then squashed into a disc shape and rolled out. The method of oiling and repeatedly folding the dough as in western puff pastry also exists, and this is combined with folding patterns that give traditional geometrical shapes to the finished parathas.  Parathas can be round, heptagonal, square, or triangular.{{fact|date=April 2023}}
The average commercially produced paratha provides 306 [[dietary calorie]]s per 100&nbsp;grams. This portion contains 44.97&nbsp;g carbohydrates (including 3.41&nbsp;g sugar), 11.37&nbsp;g fat (including 5.23&nbsp;g [[saturated fat]]), 6.92&nbsp;g protein, 3.96&nbsp;g fibre, and 371.28&nbsp;mg salt.{{sfn|Boukid|2022|p=4}} A 100&nbsp;g serving of a homemade paratha—using the recipe published by the [[Ministry of Health of Oman]]—has 394 calories and 13.8&nbsp;g fat.{{sfn|Ali|Al-Nassri|Al-Rasasi|Akhtar|2010|pp=200–201}} Parathas have a high [[trans fat]] content of about 7.8%.{{sfn|Butt|Sultan|2009|p=1279}} The fat content of paratha may contribute to a lower [[glycemic index]] than other breads. The aforementioned homemade paratha has a glycemic index of 32,{{sfn|Ali|Al-Nassri|Al-Rasasi|Akhtar|2010|pp=203–204}} while methi paratha made with curd and oil has a glycemic index of about 60, lower than that of roti.{{sfn|Shobana|Geetha|Ramya Bai|Vijayalakshmi|2022|p=62}}


Common stuffed varieties include mashed spiced potatoes ([[aloo paratha]]), [[dal]], cauliflower ([[gobi paratha]]), and minced lamb ([[Keema matar|keema]] paratha).  Less common stuffing ingredients include mixed vegetables, green beans, carrots, other meats, [[leaf vegetable]]s, [[radish]]es, and [[paneer]]. A Rajasthani mung bean paratha uses both the layering technique together with mung dal mixed into the dough. Some stuffed parathas are not layered, lacking in the flakiness of plain parathas, and instead resemble a filled pie squashed flat and shallow-fried, using two discs of dough sealed around the edges. Alternatively, they can be made by using a single disc of dough to encase a ball of filling and sealed with a series of pleats pinched into the dough around the top, they are gently flattened with the palm against the working surface before being rolled into a circle.{{fact|date=April 2023}}
Paratha contains a high amount of the vitamin [[retinol]], in part due to the use of ghee.{{sfn|Khokhar|Ashkanani|Garduño-Diaz|Husain|2013|pp=437}} It is also high in iron and [[vitamin A]];<ref name="Bender" /> the use of [[palm oil]] has been shown to increase vitamin A content.{{sfn|Parimala|Sudha|2015|p=76}} The micronutrient content, based on samples from the United Kingdom, is as follows:{{sfn|Khokhar|Ashkanani|Garduño-Diaz|Husain|2013|pp=439}}


== Serving ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Vitamins and minerals{{sfn|Khokhar|Ashkanani|Garduño-Diaz|Husain|2013|pp=439}}
! Vitamin !! Per 100&nbsp;g !! Mineral !! Per 100&nbsp;g
|-
| [[Retinol]] || 153&nbsp;μg || [[Sodium]] || 99&nbsp;mg
|-
| [[Beta-carotene]] || 97&nbsp;μg || [[Magnesium]] || 51&nbsp;mg
|-
| [[Thiamine]] || 0.18&nbsp;μg || [[Potassium]] || 160&nbsp;mg
|-
| [[Riboflavin]] || 0.05&nbsp;mg || [[Calcium]] || 85&nbsp;mg
|-
| [[Niacin]] || 4.1&nbsp;mg || [[Iron]] || 2&nbsp;mg
|-
| [[Vitamin B6]] || 0.14&nbsp;mg || [[Zinc]] || 1.2&nbsp;mg
|-
| [[Folate]] || 16&nbsp;μg
|-
| [[Vitamin B12]] || Trace
|-
| [[Vitamin C]] || Trace
|-
| [[Vitamin D]] || 0.1&nbsp;μg
|}
 
Paratha with additional ingredients can be more nutritionally balanced.{{sfn|Kaul|Kaur|Kaur|Kaur|2022|p=7214}} Methi paratha is high in fibre and [[carotenoid]]s, while bathua paratha is especially high in iron and carotene.{{sfn|Banerji|Ananthanarayan|Lele|2020|p=110}}
 
The moisture content of paratha is over 40%.{{sfn|Kaul|Kaur|Kaur|Kaur|2022|p=7214}} Due to its short cooking time, paratha experiences low loss of moisture{{sfn|Pai|Ghugre|Udipi|2005|p=267}} and low deterioration of protein.{{sfn|Eggum|Duggal|1977|p=1056}} It loses about 40% of its weight during cooking.{{sfn|Pai|Ghugre|Udipi|2005|p=267}} The use of composite flours has been shown to produce acceptable parathas with increased nutrition.{{sfnm|1a1=Bhargava|1a2=Jyothi Lakshmi|1a3=Indrani|1y=2012|1p=254|2a1=Ray|2a2=Prakash|2a3=Jyothi Lakshmi|2a4=Dasappa|2y=2018|2p=5}}
 
Parathas, including stuffed parathas, are very perishable due to a high moisture content.{{sfnm|1a1=Khan|1a2=Mahesh|1a3=Semwal|1a4=Sharma|1y=2014|1p=2190|2a1=Kaul|2a2=Kaur|2a3=Kaur|2a4=Kaur|2y=2022|2p=7214}} Stuffed parathas experience mold growth in twelve to twenty-four hours.{{sfn|Khan|Mahesh|Semwal|Sharma|2014|pp=2189–2190}} [[Thermal processing]] has been shown to increase the shelf life;{{sfn|Banerji|Ananthanarayan|Lele|2020|p=132}} however, this may result in hardening, discoloration, and loss of shape. [[Food irradiation|Irradiation]] has been shown to preserve paratha for over six months.{{sfn|Khan|Mahesh|Semwal|Sharma|2014|pp=2189–2190}} Other preservation methods include [[vacuum packing]] and additives such as [[sorbic acid]].{{sfn|Haridas Rao|Sai Manohar|2003|p=1043}}
{{clear}}
 
== History ==
[[File:Historical spread of paratha.svg|thumb|center|upright=5|alt=Map with arrows and labels. Paratha, in North India, comes from similar flatbreads via Silk Road, including waraki, in Persia. Parotta, in South India, comes from maritime trade routes from around Persia. The Mughals move east within India. Paratha's introduction by Indian indentured labourers leads to farata, in Mauritius; roti canai, in Malaysia; and buss up shut, in the Caribbean.|Map showing the possible historical spread of paratha, according to [[Sonal Ved]]'s theory that the dish evolved from the Persian {{lang|fa-Latn|waraki}} and [[Kurush Dalal]]'s theory that the South Indian version was introduced via maritime trade routes]]
[[File:Spring onion pancake 2013.JPG|thumb|alt=A scallion pancake|Foods similar to paratha include the Chinese [[scallion pancake]], which may have spread to India through the [[Silk Road]].]]
Historian [[Pushpesh Pant]] writes that there is no evidence of paratha in [[Ancient India]],{{sfn|Pant|2013|p=30}} while historian [[Chitrita Banerji]] writes that it "has probably been around in some form or another since antiquity."{{sfn|Banerji|2008|p=119}} A theory that paratha originated in [[Punjabi cuisine]] is commonly held among Punjabis.<ref name="Ghose" /><ref name="Groundwater" />{{efn|Food historian Charmaine O'Brien supports the statement that paratha originated in Punjab.{{sfn|O'Brien|2003|p=[https://archive.org/details/flavoursofdelhif0000obri/page/97 97]}}}} Banerji writes that, despite its association with Punjabi and [[North Indian cuisine]], paratha is often said to be related to [[poli (food)|poli]], a flatbread in [[Maharashtrian cuisine|Maharashtrian]] and [[Gujarati cuisine]].{{sfn|Banerji|2008|p=119}} According to Megha Kohli in ''The Bloomsbury Handbook of Indian cuisine'', paratha originated in [[Peshawar]], Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.{{sfn|Kohli|2024|p=61}}
 
Trade routes to India, such as the [[Silk Road]], may have introduced flatbreads from Persia and Central Asia, as well as the [[scallion pancake]] of Chinese and [[Uyghur cuisine]], which resemble paratha.<ref name="Ghose" /><ref name="Groundwater" /> The book ''[[Whose Samosa Is It Anyway?]]'' by [[Sonal Ved]] suggests that paratha was adapted from the Persian {{lang|fa-Latn|waraki}}, a milk-based flatbread with separating layers.<ref name="Ghose" /> A theory supported by Pant states that paratha was invented after the arrival of [[Arabs in India]], who merged flatbreads introduced by the Arabs, like roomali and [[Khamiri roti|khamiri]], with the local [[puri (food)|puri]].{{sfn|Pant|2013|p=30}} Culinary anthropologist [[Kurush Dalal]] stated that South Asian parotta came from Central Asia—through maritime trade routes with the [[Malabar Coast]]—rather than from North India. Paratha also entered [[Sri Lankan cuisine]] from South India.<ref name="Ghose">{{Cite news |last=Ghose |first=Sandip |date=27 August 2023 |title=Paratha, parotta, prata: How a humble flatbread went global |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/web-only/2023/Aug/19/paratha-parotta-prata-how-a-humble-flatbread-went-global-2606881.html |access-date=25 February 2026 |work=[[The New Indian Express]]}}</ref>
 
Recipes for various parathas are mentioned in ''[[Manasollasa]]'', a 12th-century Sanskrit reference work compiled by [[Someshvara III]], a [[Western Chalukya]] king who ruled from present-day [[Karnataka]]. According to historian [[K. T. Achaya]], the parathas listed in this book were more similar to the modern [[manda roti]].{{sfn|Achaya|1998|p=[https://archive.org/details/indianfoodhistor0000acha/page/88 88]}} These included {{lang|sa-Latn|purana}}, which Achaya describes as the modern-day [[puran poli]], as well as stuffed parathas called {{lang|sa-Latn|manda}}, {{lang|sa-Latn|vestika}}, and {{lang|sa-Latn|pahalika}},{{sfn|Achaya|2003|p=85}} the latter being a sweet version.{{sfn|Sen (c)|2024|p=406}} In Bengal, food historian Jayanta Sengupta attributes the introduction of wheat breads like paratha to the thirteenth-century [[Ghurid conquest of Bengal|Turkic conquest]].{{sfn|Sengupta|2023|p=132}} During the [[Muslim period in the Indian subcontinent|Islamic era]], parathas were common with the Muslim nobility and Hindu aristocracy in [[Punjab]],{{sfn|Nijjar|1968|p=162}} and paratha was also eaten in the [[Delhi Sultanate]].{{sfn|Sen (c)|2024|p=406}}
 
The [[Mughal Empire]] introduced more complex ingredients to [[Mughlai cuisine|the cuisine of the era]], being used for foods such as paratha.{{sfnm|1a1=Sengupta|1y=2012|1p=74|2a1=Sengupta|2y=2023|2p=134}} Mughal cookbooks included recipes for paratha;{{sfn|O'Brien|2003|p=[https://archive.org/details/flavoursofdelhif0000obri/page/97 97]}} it does not appear in the {{lang|fa-Latn|Nushka-e-Shahjahani}}, indicating that it was not yet present.{{sfn|Antani|Mahapatra|2022|p=7}} Banerji states that the Mughals were introduced to parathas during their conquests of Punjab.{{sfn|O'Brien|2003|p=[https://archive.org/details/flavoursofdelhif0000obri/page/149 149]}} Banerji states that the paratha was popular among Mughal leadership, and it later became popular in [[Islamic Indian cuisine]].{{sfn|Banerji|2008|p=119}} It and other flatbreads spread to [[Dhaka]], in Bengal, during this time.{{sfn|Sengupta|2023|p=135}} Sweet parathas were also eaten during the Mughal era.{{sfn|Sengupta|2023|p=137}}
 
People from India [[Indian indenture system|were sent as indentured workers]] to Southeast Asia, Mauritius, the Maldives, and the Caribbean, where they introduced paratha.<ref name="Ghose" /> This included [[British West Indies|the British colony in Trinidad]], where Indians sent as workers began using white flour for paratha and other flatbreads as a result of European imports.{{sfn|Jayaram|2022|p=272}} On migrant ships to the Caribbean, cooks began using tavas to make large parathas portioned for several people, originating the variation known as paratha roti.{{sfn|Samaroo|2021|p=32}}
 
In 19th-century [[British India]], North Indian snack foods such as paratha were eaten as [[tiffin]] snacks as part of an early form of [[Indian fast food]].{{sfn|Nandy|2004|pp=12–13}} A similar flatbread, [[sheermal]], is said to have been created as a type of paratha in Lucknow in the 19th century, although it may have originated in Persia.{{sfn|Kohli|2024|p=62}} In Bengal, wheat-based foods such as paratha and [[luchi]] were primarily for special occasions (such as [[Ekadashi]]) before wheat became a staple food, alongside rice, during the [[Bengal famine of 1943|1943 famine]].{{sfn|Mukherjee|Biswakarma|2025|p=172}}
 
During the 1947 [[partition of India]], Punjabi refugees propagated various stuffed parathas, including aloo, gobhi, mooli, methi, and matar, with paneer and keema stuffed versions appearing later. Pant writes that [[tandoor]]-baked paratha was introduced to India during the partition, out of a desire for roti to be less chewy and cold, and that it originated from [[Amritsari kulcha]]. Parathas became a common item at [[dhaba]] establishments; Pant writes that roadside dhabas invented lachha and pudina parathas.{{sfn|Pant|2013|p=31}} Some state that the paratha was popularised in Delhi after the partition. However, O'Brien suggests this item was prevalent among Punjabis in Delhi before then, and paratha vendors at the [[Paranthe Wali Gali]] claim to have been present since the 1880s.{{sfn|O'Brien|2003|p=[https://archive.org/details/flavoursofdelhif0000obri/page/149 149]}} In the Caribbean, paratha was one of several dishes from [[Mughlai cuisine]] to be widely popularised in the late 20th century.{{sfn|Afroz|2000|p=285}}
 
The world record for the largest paratha, as recognised by the ''[[Guinness World Records]]'', was set in February 2024 in [[Amritsar]], when chefs from the Taj Swarna hotel created a methi paratha weighing {{Convert|35|kg|lb}}.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Saini |first=Neha |date=29 February 2024 |title=Guinness World Record for largest parantha made in holy city Amritsar |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/amritsar/world-record-for-largest-parantha-made-in-holy-city-595729/ |access-date=25 February 2026 |work=[[The Tribune (India)|The Tribune]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=<!--not stated--> |date=29 February 2024 |title=Was it heavy! 37-kg parantha makes it to Guinness Book |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/108092278.cms |access-date=25 February 2026 |work=[[Times of India]]}}</ref>
 
== Prevalence ==
[[File:A man who is cooking parathas.JPG|thumb|alt=A cook at a stall with a large griddle, cooking six parathas, with paratha dough behind him.|Paratha is commonly served by vendors.]]
Paratha is one of the most common flatbreads in India—alongside chapati and [[naan]]{{sfn|Banerji|Ananthanarayan|Lele|2020|p=11}}—and is the most common that is shallow-fried.{{sfn|Achaya|1998|p=[https://archive.org/details/indianfoodhistor0000acha/page/138 138]}} It is associated with [[North Indian cuisine]], in which wheat is the predominant [[Staple food|staple]]{{sfn|Bharati|Kulkarni|2020|p=44}} and atta is particularly common.<ref name="Ribeiro">{{Cite news |last=Ribeiro |first=Mini |date=6 June 2019 |title=What's in a bread? The story of the Indian bread basket |url=https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/food/whats-in-a-bread/article27564796.ece |access-date=25 February 2026 |work=[[The Hindu]]}}</ref> A 2022 study in the South Indian city of [[Hyderabad]] found that the average adult consumes 1 paratha, or 40&nbsp;grams, per day.{{sfn|Baig|Chandio|Kazi|Afridi|2023|p=3559}}
 
Like chapati and [[puri (food)|puri]], paratha is often homemade,{{sfn|Banerji|Ananthanarayan|Lele|2020|p=9}} as tavas are a common household item.<ref name="Lewis">{{Cite news |last=Lewis |first=Sarina |date=11 October 2011 |title=Knead to know your dough |url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/knead-to-know-your-dough-20111008-1leb5.html |access-date=25 February 2026 |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]}}</ref> Ready-to-eat parathas, sold as a [[convenience food]], are a common product in India,{{sfnm|1a1=Ghosh-Jerath|1a2=Khandpur|1a3=Kumar|1a4=Kohli|1y=2024|1p=27|2a1=Bhargava|2a2=Jyothi Lakshmi|2a3=Indrani|2y=2012|2p=247}} including several types of frozen stuffed paratha.{{sfn|Banerji|Ananthanarayan|Lele|2020|p=154}} Stores also sell [[ready-to-cook]] parathas from brands such as Fingerlix.{{sfn|Ananthanarayan|Dubey|Muley|Singhal|2019|p=173}}
 
Paratha is frequently sold by vendors at marketplaces, roadsides, and transit stations, as a consistently affordable meal.{{sfn|Pant|2013|p=31}} It is served by vendors next to mosques in North India to break the fast on [[Eid-al-Fitr]]; they prepare very large parathas that are served as slices with [[halwa]].{{sfn|Kraig|Sen|2013|pp=175–176}} Paratha is also a typical offering at Punjabi [[dhaba]]s, a type of establishment on highways.{{sfn|Bhattacharyya|2024|p=125}} It is less common among chefs, except for unusual stuffed versions, according to food writer [[Vir Sanghvi]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sanghvi |first=Vir |author-link=Vir Sanghvi |date=25 February 2026 |title=Have your loaf and eat it too! |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/have-your-loaf-and-eat-it-too/story-e23JGLx8K2FZsDZU3cX1cO.html |access-date=25 February 2026 |work=[[Hindustan Times]]}}</ref>
 
In North Indian Hindu traditions, paratha is classified as [[Kaccha and pukka food|pukka]], a type of food that is made with ghee, which is associated with purity, and is served when hosting guests or during festivals.{{sfn|Sen|2009|p=404}} Historically, orthodox Hindus adhered to a pukka diet; those who wanted to limit oil (for health or financial reasons) would cook parathas like rotis, with only a very thin layer of oil applied using a cloth wrapped around a coin.{{sfn|Pant|2013|p=31}} In Uttarakhand, aloo paratha is seen as an energy booster and, when cooked without oil, a cure for a sore throat.{{sfn|Kala|Nautiyal|2023|p=40}}
 
=== By region ===
Paratha is commonly included in meals in both [[Punjab, India|Indian]] and [[Punjab, Pakistan|Pakistani Punjab]],{{sfn|Sen (b)|2012}} but it is not as common in Gujarat{{sfn|Gilbert|Khokhar|2008|p=206}} or in North India east of [[Kanpur]].{{sfn|Pant|2013|pp=21–22}} According to Banerji, stuffed parathas are associated with North Indian cooking but have spread to every Indian city.{{sfn|Banerji|2008|p=36}} Aloo paratha is served across India between Punjab and Bengal.{{sfn|Arora|Singh Kohli|2011|p=[https://archive.org/details/foodofgrandtrunk0000aror/page/104 104]}} It is also common in parts of Pakistan, except in the highlands.{{sfn|Miller|2022|p=50}} Mooli paratha is common in North India and [[Kashmir]].{{sfn|Saberi|2024|p=302}}
 
[[File:Cooking paratha in ghee at a shop in parathe wali gali, Delhi, India.jpg|thumb|alt=A vendor deep-fries two parathas, standing behind various bulk ingredients.|At [[Paranthe Wali Gali]] in Delhi, parathas are deep-fried and are made with many fillings.]]
Paratha is served by many establishments in Delhi.<ref name="Awal">{{Cite news |last=Awal |first=Vernika |date=3 January 2024 |title=Peeling the many layers of parathas across India |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/lifestyle/food/2024/Jan/04/peeling-the-many-layers-of-parathas-across-india-2647639.html |access-date=25 February 2026 |work=[[The New Indian Express]]}}</ref> The city has parathas that are baked, then fried, which are large enough to serve multiple people.{{sfn|Pant|2010|p=[https://archive.org/details/indiacookbook0000pant/page/16 16]}} [[Old Delhi]] houses the [[Paranthe Wali Gali]] ({{lit|Alley of Paratha Makers}}), a small lane primarily dedicated to paratha restaurants,{{sfnm|1a1=O'Brien|1y=2003|1p=[https://archive.org/details/flavoursofdelhif0000obri/page/149 149]|2a1=Banerji|2y=2008|2p=117|3a1=Kohli|3y=2024|3p=61}} where parathas are always stuffed,{{sfn|Banerji|2008|p=119}} using ingredients including tomato, lemon, peppers, and [[papad]] inside the parathas. They are deep-fried in ghee,{{sfn|Pant|2013|p=31}} more similar to stuffed puri or [[bedmi]] than typical parathas.{{sfn|Jaffrey|2008|pp=[https://archive.org/details/climbingmangotre0000jaff/page/122 121–122]}}


The paratha is an important part of a traditional breakfast and other meals on the Indian subcontinent. Often a paratha is eaten with butter, chutney, pickles, ketchup, [[yogurt]], or [[raita]] as condiments.  Dishes often eaten with paratha are meat or vegetable [[Curry|curries]], fried egg, omelette, [[keema matar]], [[nihari]], [[jeera aloo]], and [[dal]]. Some roll a plain paratha into a tube and eat it with tea ([[tiffin]]), optionally dipping the paratha in the tea.{{fact|date=April 2023}}
Dhabas of [[Haryana]] on the [[Grand Trunk Road]] are famous for their parathas, including Sukhdev Dhaba and Gulshan Dhaba in [[Murthal]].{{sfn|Bhattacharyya|2024|pp=125–126}}<ref name="Balasubramaniam">{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/food-safari-in-search-of-murthal-ke-paranthe/article4364734.ece|title=Food Safari: In search of Murthal Paratha The Hindu newspaper, 2-Feb-2013|newspaper=The Hindu|date=2013-02-02|last1=Balasubramaniam|first1=Chitra}}</ref> These dhabas serve Murthal paratha, a version that is deep-fried.<ref name="Ghose" /><ref name="Balasubramaniam" /> In [[Agra]], Uttar Pradesh, an establishment called Ramababu Paratha Bhandhar serves very large parathas, weighing 35&nbsp;kilograms.{{sfn|Pant|2013|p=32}}


== Types ==
In Mauritius, paratha ({{langx|mfe|farata}}) is eaten across all ethnic groups and is known as a homemade [[comfort food]], particularly as a warm food during rainy weather.{{sfn|Boswell|2019|p=35}} In Myanmar, paratha is served at Indian tea shops.{{sfn|Cummings|2000|p=[https://archive.org/details/lonelyplanetmyan00joec/page/218 218]}}<ref name="Varma" /> People in Myanmar eat it on [[Martyrs' Day (Myanmar)|Martyrs' Day]], as it was known to be a favorite food of [[Aung San]], whom the holiday celebrates.{{sfn|Girke|2018|p=150}} In the Caribbean, paratha, particularly aloo paratha, is among several Indian fast food dishes in the region.{{sfn|Lal|2013|p=108}}
[[File:Parathas being made.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Image showing parathas being made.]]
* [[Aloo paratha]] (stuffed with spicy boiled potato and onions mix).
* Chili parotha or mirchi paratha (incorporating small, spicy shredded pieces)
* [[Gobi paratha]] (stuffed with flavoured cauliflower)
* [[Mughlai paratha]] (a deep-fried stuffed paratha filled with egg and minced meat from Bangladesh and West Bengal of India)
* Murthal Paratha, deep-fried, [[Dhaba]]s of [[Haryana]] and specially at [[Murthal]] on [[Grand Trunk Road]] are famous for this<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040327/windows/main1.htm|title=The Tribune - Magazine section - Windows|website=www.tribuneindia.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/food-safari-in-search-of-murthal-ke-paranthe/article4364734.ece|title=Food Safari: In search of Murthal Paratha The Hindu newspaper, 2-Feb-2013|newspaper=The Hindu|date=2013-02-02|last1=Balasubramaniam|first1=Chitra}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Highway-Bites-Dhabas-Vs-food-chains/articleshow/48843912.cms|title=Highway Bites: Dhabas Vs food chains - Times of India|website=[[The Times of India]] |date=6 September 2015 }}</ref>
* [[Pashti]]
* [[Roti prata]] (Singapore)
* [[Roti canai]] (Malaysia)
* Buss-up-shut (Trinidad; the name is [[Trinidadian Creole]] for "busted-up shirt", for the resemblance of the shreddy bread to ragged old clothes)


<gallery mode="packed">
Many [[Pakistanis in Norway]] and [[Pakistanis in Denmark|in Denmark]] shift toward eating parathas as a special breakfast on weekends, rather than daily, upon immigrating, in part due to health concerns amid changing lifestyles.{{sfnm|1a1=Mellin-Olsen|1a2=Wandel|1y=2005|1pp=319–321, 334|2a1=Halkier|2a2=Jensen|2y=2011|2p=477}} [[British Pakistanis|Pakistani migrants to the United Kingdom]] also eat paratha for breakfast, though some members of the community view it as a holdover from Pakistan.{{sfn|Charsley|Bolognani|2017|p=53}} Among [[Indian Americans|Indians in the United States]], store-bought parathas are common due to busy lifestyles.{{sfnm|1a1=Sen (a)|1y=2012|2a1=Trivedi-Grenier|2y=2012}} Paratha is a widespread food in the [[cuisine of Oman]], where it is associated with [[Indians in Oman|Omani–Indian]] culture rather than a specific region of India.{{sfn|Jacob|Sharma|2018|p=107}} Aloo paratha is commonly served at South Asian dining establishments in the United Kingdom{{sfn|Khokhar|Roe|Swan|2012|p=168}} and Pakistani restaurants in South Africa.{{sfn|Connor|Charway|2020|p=265
File:Aloo Paratha with Butter from India.jpg|[[Punjabi cuisine|Punjabi]] Aloo Paratha served with Butter, from India
}}
File:Mughlai Kheema Paratha.JPG|[[Mughlai Paratha]] from [[Kolkata, India]].
File:Dhakai Paratha with Bengal Gram.JPG|Dhakai Paratha from West Bengal, India
File:Alooparatha.jpg|Aloo paratha from northern India
File:Teaparatha.jpg|Paratha served with tea in a Pakistani Hotel
File:Paranthamumbai.jpg|Stuffed [[Bengali cuisine|Bengali]]-style paratha served in a restaurant in [[Mumbai]], [[India]]
File:Paratharoti.jpg|[[Trinidad and Tobago|Trinidadian]]-style roti paratha (buss-up shut)
File:Palatha, Myanmar.jpg|In [[Burmese cuisine|Myanmar]], paratha is commonly eaten as a dessert, sprinkled with sugar
File:Smash Paratha - Howrah 2014-04-14 0217.JPG|Petai Paratha (Smashed Paratha), a West Bengal variant served with light vegetable curry
File:Lachha-paratha.jpg|Lachha Paratha
File:Porotta and beef.jpg|Kerala style porotta and iracchi curry
</gallery>


== See also ==
== See also ==
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Indian bread]]
* [[Gali Paranthe Wali]]
* [[Paratha roll]]
* [[Roti canai]], a variant from Southeast Asia
* [[Bolani]]{{snd}}a similar stuffed bread from Afghanistan{{sfn|Buell|Anderson|de Pablo Moya|Oskenbay|2020|p=206}}
* [[Scallion pancake]]
 
* [[Cōng yóu bǐng]], a similar Chinese flatbread stuffed with minced scallions
== Notes ==
* [[Naan]]
{{Notelist}}
* [[List of bread dishes]]
* [[List of Indian breads]]
{{div col end}}


== References ==
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
=== Works cited ===
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* <!--Kaur et al--> {{Cite journal |last=Kaur |first=Taranpreet |last2=Kaur |first2=Kamaljit |last3=Kaur |first3=Jaspreet |last4=Rehal |first4=Jagbir |last5=Kaur |first5=Simarjit |date=January 2026 |title=Unlocking nutritional and shelf-life potential: Impact of germination on quality attributes of hulless barley based sattu |journal=Journal of Stored Products Research |volume=115 |article-number=102831 |doi=10.1016/j.jspr.2025.102831}}
* <!--Khan et al--> {{Cite journal |last=Khan |first=Mohammed Ayub |last2=Mahesh |first2=Chitrashekarachar |last3=Semwal |first3=Anil Dutt |last4=Sharma |first4=Gopal Kumar |last5=Srihari |first5=Somashekharan Pandit |last6=Jayaprahash |first6=Chellappa |last7=Srihari |first7=Kadaba Anantharaman |date=September 2014 |title=Studies on the shelf-life enhancement of potato stuffed parotha using thermal processing |journal=[[Journal of Food Science and Technology]] |volume=51 |issue=9 |pages=2190–2196 |doi=10.1007/s13197-014-1269-y |issn=0022-1155 |pmc=4152521 |pmid=25190882}}
* <!--Khara & Ruby--> {{Cite journal |last=Khara |first=Tani |last2=Ruby |first2=Matthew B. |date=2019-04-24 |title=Meat Eating and the Transition from Plant-Based Diets among Urban Indians |url=https://journal.media-culture.org.au/index.php/mcjournal/article/view/1509 |journal=M/C Journal |volume=22 |issue=2 |doi=10.5204/mcj.1509 |doi-access=free |issn=1441-2616}}
* <!--Khokhar et al--> {{Cite journal |last=Khokhar |first=Santosh |last2=Ashkanani |first2=Fatemah |last3=Garduño-Diaz |first3=Sara D. |last4=Husain |first4=Wafaa |date=October 2013 |title=Application of ethnic food composition data for understanding the diet and nutrition of South Asians in the UK |journal=[[Food Chemistry (journal)|Food Chemistry]] |volume=140 |issue=3 |pages=436–442 |doi=10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.10.034}}
* <!--Khokhar, Roe, & Swan--> {{Cite journal |last=Khokhar |first=Santosh |last2=Roe |first2=Mark |last3=Swan |first3=Gillian |date=March 2012 |title=Carotenoid and retinol composition of South Asian foods commonly consumed in the UK |journal=[[Journal of Food Composition and Analysis]] |volume=25 |issue=2 |pages=166–172 |doi=10.1016/j.jfca.2011.11.005}}
* <!--Kraig & Sen--> {{Cite book |last1=Kraig |first1=Bruce |last2=Sen |first2=Colleen Taylor |author2-link=Colleen Taylor Sen |year=2013 |title=Street Food Around the World: An Encyclopedia of Food and Culture |publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]] |page=124 |isbn=978-1-59884-954-7}}
* <!--Lal--> {{Cite book |last=Lal |first=Brij V. |author-link=Brij Lal (historian) |url=https://www.jstor.org/content/oa_chapter_monograph/j.ctt2tt17g.9 |title=Mr. Tulsi's Store: A Fijian Journey |publisher=[[Australian National University Press]] |year=2013}}
* <!--Malhotra--> {{Cite book |last=Malhotra |first=S.K. |chapter=Ajowan |date=2012 |title=Handbook of Herbs and Spices |pages=118–137 |publisher=[[Elsevier]] |doi=10.1533/9780857095688.118 |isbn=978-0-85709-040-9}}
* <!--Mellin-Olsen & Wandel--> {{Cite journal |last=Mellin-Olsen |first=Tonje |last2=Wandel |first2=Margareta |date=November 2005 |title=Changes in Food Habits among Pakistani Immigrant Women in Oslo, Norway |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13557850500145238 |journal=[[Ethnicity & Health]] |volume=10 |issue=4 |pages=311–339 |doi=10.1080/13557850500145238 |issn=1355-7858|url-access=subscription }}
* <!--Miller--> {{Cite book |last=Miller |first=Katherine J. L. |chapter=On the Meanings of Pleasure: Work, Ethics, and Freedom in the Hunza Valley |date=2022-12-31 |title=Work, Society, and the Ethical Self |pages=49–69 |editor-last=Hann |editor-first=Chris |editor-link=Chris Hann |publisher=[[Berghahn Books]] |doi=10.1515/9781800732261-004 |isbn=978-1-80073-226-1}}
* <!--Mir--> {{Cite book |last=Mir |first=Shabir Ahmad |chapter=Indian Flatbreads: How Structure Influences Properties |date=2019 |title=Encyclopedia of Food Chemistry |pages=90–95 |publisher=[[Elsevier]] |doi=10.1016/b978-0-08-100596-5.21697-1 |isbn=978-0-12-814045-1 |last2=Shah |first2=Manzoor Ahmad}}
* <!--Mukherjee & Biswakarma--> {{Cite book |last=Mukherjee |first=Rituparna |last2=Biswakarma |first2=Juthika |url=https://brill.com/view/title/71007 |title=Memory Studies in India: Texts and Contexts |chapter=Constructing the Ontology of Food Narratives during the Bengal Famine 1943 through Postmemory Practices |pages=169–181 |editor-last=Parui |editor-first=Avishek |editor-last2=Raj |editor-first2=Merin Simi |date=2025-04-28 |publisher=[[Brill Publishers]] |isbn=978-90-04-72248-4 |doi=10.1163/9789004722514_012}}
* <!--Nandy--> {{Cite journal |last=Nandy |first=Ashis |date=May 2004 |title=The Changing Popular Culture of Indian Food: Preliminary Notes |url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0262728004042760 |journal=[[South Asia Research]] |volume=24 |issue=1 |pages=9–19 |doi=10.1177/0262728004042760 |issn=0262-7280|url-access=subscription }}
* <!--Nijjar--> {{Cite book |last=Nijjar |first=Bakhshish Singh |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.129971 |title=Panjāb under the sultāns, 1000–1526 A.D. |publisher=[[Sterling Publishers]] |year=1968 |location=Delhi |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}
* <!--O'Brien--> {{Cite book |last=O'Brien |first=Charmaine |url=https://archive.org/details/flavoursofdelhif0000obri |title=Flavours Of Delhi: A Food Lover's Guide |publisher=[[Penguin Books]] |year=2003 |isbn=0-14-302936-3 |location=New York |url-access=registration |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}
* <!--Pai, Ghugre, & Udipi--> {{Cite journal |last=Pai |first=Sangita |last2=Ghugre |first2=P.S. |last3=Udipi |first3=S.A. |date=June 2005 |title=Satiety from rice-based, wheat-based and rice–pulse combination preparations |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0195666305000073 |journal=[[Appetite (journal)|Appetite]] |volume=44 |issue=3 |pages=263–271 |doi=10.1016/j.appet.2005.01.004|url-access=subscription }}
* <!--Pant 2010--> {{Cite book |last=Pant |first=Pushpesh |url=http://archive.org/details/indiacookbook0000pant |title=India Cookbook |year=2010 |publisher=[[Phaidon Press|Phaidon]] |isbn=978-0-7148-5902-6 |url-access=registration |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}
* <!--Pant 2013--> {{Cite journal |last=Pant |first=Pushpesh |date=2013 |title=INDIA: Food and the Making of the Nation |journal=India International Centre Quarterly |volume=40 |issue=2 |pages=1–34 |issn=0376-9771 |jstor=24393273}}
* <!--Parikh & Pierce--> {{Cite journal |last=Parikh |first=Mihir |last2=Pierce |first2=Grant N. |date=February 2019 |title=Dietary flaxseed: what we know and don't know about its effects on cardiovascular disease |journal=Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology |volume=97 |issue=2 |pages=75–81 |doi=10.1139/cjpp-2018-0547 |issn=0008-4212}}
* <!--Parimala & Sudha--> {{Cite journal |last=Parimala |first=K. R. |last2=Sudha |first2=M. L. |date=2015-01-02 |title=Wheat-Based Traditional Flat Breads of India |journal=[[Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition]] |volume=55 |issue=1 |pages=67–81 |doi=10.1080/10408398.2011.647121 |issn=1040-8398}}
* {{Cite book |editor-last1=Prakash |editor-first1=Jamuna |editor-last2=Waisundara |editor-first2=Viduranga |editor-last3=Prakash |editor-first3=V. |title=Nutritional and health aspects of food in South Asian countries |date=2020 |publisher=[[Academic Press]] |isbn=978-0-12-820011-7 |series=Elsevier traditional and ethnic food series |location=London}}
** <!--Bharati & Kulkarni--> {{harvc |last1=Bharati |first1=Pushpa |last2=Kulkarni |first2=Uma N. |c=Nutritional sufficiency of traditional meal patterns |in1=Prakash |in2=Waisundara |in3=Prakash |year=2020}}
** <!--Platel--> {{harvc |last=Platel |first=Kalpana |c=Functional foods in Indian tradition and their significance for health |in1=Prakash |in2=Waisundara |in3=Prakash |year=2020}}
** <!--Liyanage--> {{harvc |last=Liyanage |first=Chathudina J. |c=Traditional and ethnic foods of Sri Lanka—safety aspects |in1=Prakash |in2=Waisundara |in3=Prakash |year=2020}}
* <!--Prasad & Shivay--> {{Cite journal |last=Prasad |first=Rajendra |last2=Shivay |first2=Yashbir Singh |date=2019 |title=Chenopodium species: from weeds to a healthy food grain 'quinoa' |journal=[[Current Science]] |volume=116 |issue=2 |pages=171–173 |issn=0011-3891 |jstor=27137816}}
* <!--Prasada Rao--> {{Cite book |last=Prasada Rao |first=U. J. S. |chapter=Enzymes |date=2014-07-11 |title=Bakery Products Science and Technology |pages=275–294 |editor-last=Zhou |editor-first=Weibiao |edition=1 |publisher=[[Wiley (publisher)|Wiley]] |doi=10.1002/9781118792001.ch15 |isbn=978-1-119-96715-6 |last2=Hemalatha |first2=M. S. |editor2-last=Hui |editor2-first=Y. H. |editor3-last=De Leyn |editor3-first=I. |editor4-last=Pagani |editor4-first=M. A.}}
* <!--Qarooni--> {{Cite book |last=Qarooni |first=Jalal |chapter=Cereal Milling and Flour Production for Flat Breads |date=1996 |title=Flat Bread Technology |pages=19–36 |place=Boston |publisher=[[Springer US]] |doi=10.1007/978-1-4613-1175-1_2 |isbn=978-1-4612-8498-7}}
* <!--Rani, Dharaiya, & Singh--> {{Cite journal |last=Rani |first=Rekha |last2=Dharaiya |first2=Chetan N. |last3=Singh |first3=Bhopal |date=January 2021 |title=Importance of not skipping breakfast: a review |journal=International Journal of Food Science & Technology |volume=56 |issue=1 |pages=28–38 |doi=10.1111/ijfs.14742 |issn=0950-5423}}
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* <!--Ray--> {{Cite journal |last=Ray |first=Krishnendu |date=September 2024 |title=Touching food: On finding the tech‐tile |journal=[[Anthropology of Consciousness]] |volume=35 |issue=2 |pages=213–225 |doi=10.1111/anoc.12230 |issn=1053-4202}}
* <!--Ray et al--> {{Cite journal |last=Ray |first=Amrita |last2=Prakash |first2=Pavan K. |last3=Jyothi Lakshmi |first3=A. |last4=Dasappa |first4=Indrani |date=September 2018 |title=Modulation of Carbohydrate Digestibility of North Indian Parotta Using Protein and Dietary Fiber Based Functional Ingredients |journal=Starch - Stärke |volume=70 |issue=9-10 |doi=10.1002/star.201700269 |issn=0038-9056}}
* <!--Rubel--> {{Cite book |last=Rubel |first=William |url=http://archive.org/details/breadglobalhisto0000rube |title=Bread: a global history |year=2011 |publisher=[[Reaktion Books]] |location=London |via=[[Internet Archive]] |url-access=registration |isbn=978-1-86189-854-8}}
* <!--Saini--> {{Cite book |last=Saini |first=Pawan |chapter=Cultivation, Utilization, and Economic Benefits of Mulberry |date=2023 |title=The Mulberry Genome |pages=13–56 |editor-last=Gnanesh |editor-first=Belaghihalli N. |place=Cham |publisher=[[Springer International Publishing]] |doi=10.1007/978-3-031-28478-6_2 |isbn=978-3-031-28477-9 |last2=Rohela |first2=Gulab Khan |last3=Kumar |first3=Jalaja S. |last4=Shabnam |first4=Aftab A. |last5=Kumar |first5=Amit |editor2-last=Vijayan |editor2-first=Kunjupillai}}
* <!--Samaroo--> {{Cite journal |last=Samaroo |first=Brinsley |author-link=Brinsley Samaroo |date=2021 |title=Changing Caribbean geographies: connections in flora, fauna and patterns of settlement from Indian inheritances |journal=Journal of Indentureship and Its Legacies |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=16–35 |doi=10.13169/jofstudindentleg.1.1.0016 |issn=2634-1999|doi-access=free }}
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* <!--Semwal et al--> {{Cite journal |last=Semwal |first=Prabhakar |last2=Painuli |first2=Sakshi |last3=Jamloki |first3=Abhishek |last4=Rauf |first4=Abdur |last5=Rahman |first5=Md. Mominur |last6=Olatunde |first6=Ahmed |last7=Hemeg |first7=Hassan A. |last8=Abu-Izneid |first8=Tareq |last9=Naz |first9=Saima |last10=Punia Bangar |first10=Sneh |last11=Lorenzo |first11=Jose M. |last12=Simal-Gandara |first12=Jesus |date=2023-10-03 |title=Himalayan Wild Fruits as a Strong Source of Nutraceuticals, Therapeutics, Food and Nutrition Security |journal=Food Reviews International |volume=39 |issue=9 |pages=6500–6536 |doi=10.1080/87559129.2022.2121407 |issn=8755-9129}}
* <!--Sen 2009--> {{Cite book |last=Sen |first=Colleen Taylor |author-link=Colleen Taylor Sen |chapter=Indian meals |date=2009 |title=Meals in Science and Practice |pages=394–412 |publisher=[[Elsevier]] |doi=10.1533/9781845695712.6.394 |isbn=978-1-84569-403-6}}
* {{Cite book |title=The Bloomsbury Handbook of Indian cuisine |year=2024 |publisher=[[Bloomsbury Academic]] |isbn=978-1-350-12864-4 |editor-last=Sen |editor-first=Colleen Taylor |editor-link=Colleen Taylor Sen |editor-last2=Bhattacharyya |editor-first2=Sourish |editor-last3=Saberi |editor-first3=Helen}}
** <!--Mani--> {{harvc |last=Mani |first=Priya |c=Amaranth |in1=Sen |in2=Bhattacharyya |in3=Saberi |year=2024}}
** <!--Kohli--> {{harvc |last=Kohli |first=Megha |c=Breads |in1=Sen |in2=Bhattacharyya |in3=Saberi |year=2024}}
** <!--Bhattacharyya--> {{harvc |last=Bhattacharyya |first=Sourish |c=Dhaba |in1=Sen |in2=Bhattacharyya |in3=Saberi |year=2024}}
** <!--Khatiar--> {{harvc |last=Khatiar |first=Anurag |c=Jharkhand |in1=Sen |in2=Bhattacharyya |in3=Saberi |year=2024}}
** <!--Sen (a) 2009--> {{harvc |last=Sen (a) |first=Colleen Taylor |c=Khoya |in1=Sen |in2=Bhattacharyya |in3=Saberi |year=2024}}
** <!--Sen (b) 2009--> {{harvc |last=Sen (b) |first=Colleen Taylor |c=Millets |in1=Sen |in2=Bhattacharyya |in3=Saberi |year=2024}}
** <!--Kaur Sidhu--> {{harvc |last=Kaur Sidhu |first=Puneetinder |c=Punjab |in1=Sen |in2=Bhattacharyya |in3=Saberi |year=2024}}
** <!--Saberi--> {{harvc |last=Saberi |first=Helen |c=Radish |in1=Sen |in2=Bhattacharyya |in3=Saberi |year=2024}}
** <!--Sapra & Bhattacharyya--> {{harvc |last1=Sapra |first1=Anubhav |last2=Bhattacharyya |first2=Sourish |c=Street food |in1=Sen |in2=Bhattacharyya |in3=Saberi |year=2024}}
** <!--Sen (c) 2009--> {{harvc |last=Sen (c) |first=Colleen Taylor |c=Wheat |in1=Sen |in2=Bhattacharyya |in3=Saberi |year=2024}}
* <!--Sengupta 2012--> {{Cite book |last=Sengupta |first=Jayanta |title=Food in Time and Place: The American Historical Association Companion to Food History |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-520-95934-7 |editor-last=Freedman |editor-first=Paul |editor-link=Paul Freedman |pages=68–94 |chapter=Food in Time and Place: The American Historical Association Companion to Food History |id={{Project MUSE|35637}} |editor-last2=Chaplin |editor-first2=Joyce E |editor-link2=Joyce Chaplin |editor-last3=Albala |editor-first3=Ken |editor-link3=Ken Albala}}
* <!--Sengupta 2023--> {{Cite journal |last=Sengupta |first=Jayanta |date=2023-05-04 |title=Bengali Mughlai Platter on the Table: Muslim and Indo-Persian Food Culture in Bengal |journal=Global Food History |volume=9 |issue=2 |pages=130–148 |doi=10.1080/20549547.2023.2191491 |issn=2054-9547}}
* <!--Sharma & Chadha--> {{Cite journal |last=Sharma |first=Vidisha |last2=Chadha |first2=Ravinder |date=2010 |title=Assessment of Portion Sizes of Food Items Commonly Consumed by Urban Indian Adults: A Preliminary Study |url=http://www.foodandnutritionjournal.org/volume8number1/assessment-of-portion-sizes-of-food-items-commonly-consumed-by-urban-indian-adults-a-preliminary-study/ |journal=Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science Journal |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=182–196 |doi=10.12944/CRNFSJ.8.1.17 |doi-access=free}}
* <!--Sharma et al--> {{Cite journal |last=Sharma |first=Avinash |last2=Pandey |first2=Himanshu |last3=Manpoong |first3=Chowlani |last4=Vashishth |first4=Amit |last5=Singh |first5=Devendra |last6=Bang |first6=Nguyen Tran Hai |date=June 2023 |title=Biometric analysis, biosynthetic pathway and multipurpose uses of buckwheat local varieties in Namsai district of eastern Himalayas in India |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0924224423001371 |journal=[[Trends in Food Science & Technology]] |volume=136 |pages=251–267 |doi=10.1016/j.tifs.2023.04.020|url-access=subscription }}
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** <!--Sen (a) 2012--> {{harvc |last=Sen (a) |first=Colleen Taylor |c=Indian American Food |in=Smith |year=2012}}
** <!--Trivedi-Grenier--> {{harvc |last=Trivedi-Grenier |first=Leena |c=Hindu Dietary Laws |in=Smith |year=2012}}
** <!--Sen (b) 2012--> {{harvc |last=Sen (b) |first=Colleen Taylor |c=Pakistani American Food |in=Smith |year=2012}}
* <!--Sidhu, Seibel, & Meyer--> {{Cite journal |last=Sidhu |first=Jiwan S. |last2=Seibel |first2=Wilfried |last3=Meyer |first3=Dietrich |date=January 1990 |title=Gelatinization of Starch During Preparation of Indian Unleaved Flat Breads |journal=Starch - Stärke |volume=42 |issue=9 |pages=336–341 |doi=10.1002/star.19900420904 |issn=0038-9056}}
* <!--Zainal Arifen et al--> {{Cite journal |last=Zainal Arifen |first=Zainorain Natasha |last2=Shahar |first2=Suzana |last3=Trieu |first3=Kathy |last4=Abdul Majid |first4=Hazreen |last5=Md Noh |first5=Mohd Fairulnizal |last6=Haron |first6=Hasnah |date=August 2024 |title=Individual and total sugar contents of street foods in Malaysia – Should we be concerned? |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0308814624009373 |journal=[[Food Chemistry (journal)|Food Chemistry]] |volume=450 |article-number=139288 |doi=10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.139288|url-access=subscription }}
{{refend}}


{{Bangladeshi dishes}}
{{Bangladeshi dishes}}
{{Indian Dishes}}
{{Indian Dishes}}
{{Indian bread}}
{{Cuisine of India}}
{{Cuisine of India}}
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{{Flatbreads}}
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[[Category:Paratha| ]]
[[Category:Flatbreads]]
[[Category:Unleavened breads]]
[[Category:South Asian breads]]
[[Category:Pakistani breads]]
[[Category:Indian breads]]
[[Category:Balochi cuisine]]
[[Category:Balochi cuisine]]
[[Category:Bengali cuisine]]
[[Category:Bengali cuisine]]
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[[Category:Bihari cuisine]]
[[Category:Bihari cuisine]]
[[Category:Burmese cuisine]]
[[Category:Burmese cuisine]]
[[Category:Flatbreads]]
[[Category:Hindu cuisine]]
[[Category:Pakistani breads]]
[[Category:Indian breads]]
[[Category:Indian cuisine]]
[[Category:Kashmiri cuisine]]
[[Category:Kashmiri cuisine]]
[[Category:Nepalese cuisine]]
[[Category:Nepalese cuisine]]
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[[Category:Fijian cuisine]]
[[Category:Fijian cuisine]]
[[Category:Sindhi cuisine]]
[[Category:Sindhi cuisine]]
[[Category:Mauritian cuisine]]
[[Category:Trinidad and Tobago cuisine]]
[[Category:Trinidad and Tobago cuisine]]
[[Category:Unleavened breads]]
[[Category:Uttar Pradeshi cuisine]]
[[Category:Uttar Pradeshi cuisine]]
[[Category:Vegetarian dishes of India]]
[[Category:Stuffed dishes]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]
[[Category:Stuffed dishes]]
[[Category:South Indian cuisine]]
[[Category:Tamil cuisine]]
[[Category:Kerala cuisine]]
[[Category:Karnataka cuisine]]

Latest revision as of 05:41, 27 March 2026


Paratha
A triangular flatbread that is brown with some darker spots, served next to yoghurt
Plain paratha
Alternative names
  • Parotta (South India)
  • Porota (Bengal)
  • Buss-up-shut (Caribbean)
  • Farata (Mauritius)
  • Palata (Myanmar)
  • Godamba roti (Nepal)
TypeFlatbread
CourseBreakfast or other meal
Region or stateNorthern Indian Subcontinent
Associated national cuisineIndia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius, Trinidad and Tobago, Myanmar, Malaysia
Main ingredientsAtta (or maida), ghee (or oil), water, salt
Ingredients generally usedVarious stuffings (such as potato, cauliflower, or radish)
VariationsMughlai paratha, Dhakai paratha, kathi roll, paratha roll
Similar dishesChapati, thepla

Paratha (hns, also known by other spellings) is a flatbread from the Indian subcontinent, consisting of a wheat dough, typically whole wheat, that is folded and rolled with ghee, forming multiple layers, and shallow fried. Paratha may be stuffed with various fillings, the most common being potato. Paratha is one of the most popular flatbreads in India. The folded, whole-wheat version is prevalent in the Northern Indian subcontinent, and is distinct from South Indian parotta, which uses refined flour. Variations also exist in the cuisines of Myanmar, Mauritius, Malaysia (where it is known as roti canai), and the Caribbean (where it is known as buss-up-shut).

Although paratha is sometimes said to have originated in Punjabi cuisine, it may have evolved from similar flatbreads from regions connected to India via the Silk Road. Possible origins include the Persian flatbread waraki or from breads introduced by Arabs in India. Sanskrit recipes for versions of paratha appeared in the 12th century. The popularity of paratha increased during the Mughal Empire, which introduced it across the region. During the British imperial era, indentured workers from India introduced paratha to Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and Mauritius. In India, several versions of paratha were popularised after the 1947 partition.

Paratha is eaten as the central component of a meal, with various accompaniments, often including dahi and pickle. Paratha is eaten for any meal; for breakfast, it is commonly paired with tea. Some types of paratha are made with spiraling layers, such as lachha paratha. Stuffed parathas include aloo paratha, using potatoes; gobhi paratha, using cauliflower; mooli paratha, using radish; methi paratha, using fenugreek leaves, and keema paratha, using minced meat. Paratha is also used for wraps, including the kathi roll and paratha roll.

Names[edit | edit source]

The word paratha is from Hindi,[1] derived from the word para, meaning 'layer'.[2] In Indian English, the bread is always referred to by the specific term paratha, rather than bread.[3]

The word for paratha differs across India.[4] Alternative spellings include parantha, prantha,[5] parata,[6] prata, and parotta.[7] It is spelled as palata (my) in Myanmar[8] and farata in Mauritius.[9] In the Gulf countries, as well as in East Africa, the breads referred to as chapati are more similar to a paratha.[10]

Preparation[edit | edit source]

A thick circle of dough is folded around a filling of dal and herbs.
Stuffed parathas are made by placing a filling into dough before rolling it out.

Like most Indian breads, paratha is wheat-based and unleavened.[11] The dough is made of atta (whole wheat flour), water, and salt, which is covered in ghee.[12] Oil may be used instead of ghee, and white flour (maida) may be used instead of whole wheat;[13] maida is used for more tender, flaky parathas.[14] Vegetables, herbs, and spices may be added;[15] ajowan is a commonly used spice in plain paratha.[16]

The common wheat, the dominant species of wheat in the northern Indian subcontinent, results in the light, spongy texture of North Indian breads such as paratha.[17] The flour used in paratha is typically of low extraction, although high-extraction flour is sometimes used.[18] It may also use resultant atta, the coarse byproduct of sifting atta.[19] In commercial preparations, potato flakes may be used as a binding agent.[20]

Seven circles of dough are browning atop a large, convex griddle, and the cook is moving them using a spatula, preparing them as street food.
Paratha is shallow fried on a tava.

The dough is kneaded by hand.[21] It is rolled out with oil or ghee, then folded.[22] This process of lamination is performed two or more times. This usually forms a triangle with four to six layers;[23] it may also be folded into a circle or square.[5] Stuffed versions of paratha are instead made by shaping the dough into balls and placing a filling inside before rolling them out.[24] Paratha may be rolled out using a dough sheeting machine that may produce thousands of parathas per hour.[25]

Both plain and stuffed parathas are shallow fried on a tava, a type of iron griddle,[26] until browned,[13] with or without additional ghee.[7] Sometimes, particularly among street vendors, paratha is fried in a shallow pan filled with oil, thus containing more fat than a paratha cooked on a tawa.[27] Some versions are instead baked.[19] Paratha may be brushed with ghee after serving.[28]

While frying, paratha forms distinct layers.[6] The lamination of the dough results in a soft, flaky flatbread.[29] Its lamination process and layered texture are much like a puff pastry,[30] but it does not rise as a puff pastry does.[13] Frying (rather than baking) results in a slightly crispy outside,[31] and, in the absence of leavening, the formation of steam is responsible for the separation of crust and crumb.[32]

Paratha is similar to chapati, with the only difference in physical composition being the use of oil,[33] while paratha also has multiple layers.[34] Paratha is slightly thicker[35] and denser,[36] with a more prominent crumb.[37] The starch properties of the two breads differ as paratha has fat in its crumb as well as fat coverage that causes more thorough heat transfer. Paratha has starch granules in its crumb that are deformed and shrunken compared to those of chapati.[38] The Gujarati bread thepla resembles a cross between paratha and roti.[39]

Paratha is the same size as chapati;[40] a single paratha weighs about 140 grams (4.9 oz).[41] Both plain and stuffed parathas are about 15 centimetres (5.9 in) in diameter and 3 mm thick, with plain parathas sometimes ranging to as thin as 2.5 mm.[42] Paratha has a sturdy texture, enabling it to be served with thick foods.[36] Stuffed paratha has a softer texture than plain paratha.[43]

Paratha is eaten quickly; a study in the journal Appetite found that it took about 9 minutes to eat a 250-calorie serving.[44] According to a 2020 study in Delhi, the median portion size of paratha is 60 grams, averaging 1 paratha for women and 2 parathas for men.[45] According to a 2013 study in the United Kingdom, the mean portion size is 121 grams for children and 100 grams for adults.[46]

Varieties[edit | edit source]

Paratha exists in both plain and stuffed varieties.[47] Dozens of varieties are commonly consumed.[40] Regional variations differ based on cooking method or filling.[7]

Plain varieties[edit | edit source]

Several spirals of tightly wrapped dough in a pan.
A round flatbread with flaky layers that come apart.
Lachha paratha has circular spiraling layers.

India has two categories of paratha: North Indian paratha, made from atta, and South Indian parotta, made from maida.[48][36] Both are similarly flaky and layered, but the South Indian version achieves this texture through repeated stretching and coiling rather than rolling and folding.[49][36]

Some versions of paratha have spiraling layers, forming a circle or square.[50] Lachha paratha (lit. 'layered paratha') is a kind of North Indian paratha[51] with many circular layers, formed by shaping a circle of dough into a coil before rolling it out again. It has a crispy texture and is the same size as a regular paratha.[52] Ulte tave ke paratha is a North Indian paratha cooked on the bottom side of the pan, the same method as roomali roti.[53]

Cornmeal, atta, palm sugar, ajowan, and green chillis are used to make makkai paratha,[54] while ginger and chillis are used for adraki mirchi paratha.[40] Sattu, a type of chickpea flour, is used to make sattu paratha,[55] a breakfast dish eaten in Bihar, Jharkhand, and part of Uttar Pradesh.[56][57] In the Eastern Himalayas, the legume gahat is crushed into a paste that is added to paratha dough.[58] Paratha has been made with atypical ingredients for nutritional value.[59] For example, it may be made with mulberry leaves as a nutritional supplement,[60] which also increases shelf stability of the flour.[61] Other ingredients that may sometimes be used in the dough include amaranth,[62] flaxseed,[63] sorghum flour,[64] and buckwheat flour.[65]

Stuffed varieties[edit | edit source]

Many varieties of stuffed paratha exist. The most common is aloo paratha, with a spiced potato filling.[66] Aloo paratha uses ingredients such as coriander leaf and green chilli[67] and spices such as amchoor and garam masala,[68] and its proportion of dough to filling may vary.[69] Along with aloo paratha, the stuffed parathas common in Punjabi cuisine are gobhi paratha, with cauliflower, and mooli paratha, with radish.[70] Keema paratha uses keema (minced meat), such as lamb,[7] while methi paratha uses fenugreek leaves.[lower-alpha 1] Other common fillings include peas (matar), onions, spinach, and paneer.[72] Aloo palak paratha contains both potatoes and spinach.[73] Dal paratha is stuffed with cooked dal such as mung beans.[74] Pudina paratha uses mint.[75] Sweet parathas include gurh ka paratha (jaggery paratha).[76]

Anda paratha contains beaten eggs; the paratha may simply be coated in eggs, or it may have a filling of eggs, onions, chillis, coriander seed, and ginger added during frying.[39] Anda paratha is a common Punjabi breakfast.[77] Among the Sunni Bohras of Gujarat, egg paratha, known as baida paratha, is a festive food.[39]

In Punjabi cuisine, stuffed parathas are often prepared from leftovers.[78] For example, paratha filled with leftover rice dishes is known as chawal ka paratha.[70] Bathua paratha has dough mixed with the leaf vegetable bathua, which is boiled, and green chillis. This is eaten as breakfast in winter[79] in North India,[80] Paratha stuffed with besan (chickpea flour) is known as birahi.[81] A type of paratha from Chhattisgarh uses a dough with wheat flour, rice flour, and leaf vegetables.[82] Khoa (milk solids) may also be a paratha filling.[83] Modern variations of paratha use ingredients such as cheese, mushrooms, or soya,[78] and meat fillings are used for some fusion versions of paratha.[84]

Regional variants[edit | edit source]

The version eaten in the South Indian cuisines of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu is like a chapati made of maida. South Indian variations called Malabar parotta and Ceylon parotta resemble lachha paratha.[39] Malabar parotta, from the cuisine of Kerala, has layers formed by kneading oil into the dough.[78][51] Another preparation from Kerala is kothu parotta, a mixture of chopped parotta with other ingredients. Veechu parotta is a square-shaped parotta eaten in Tamil Nadu. Ceylon parotta is similar to this, with the addition of a minced meat filling. Madurai, Tamil Nadu, has a variant called bun parotta, shaped like a bun.[78] Bidar, Karnataka, is home to the Bidari paratha, distinguished from regular paratha by the addition of a small amount of semolina flour.[39]

In Bengali cuisine, the typical paratha—or porota—is triangular and usually combines atta and maida.[4] This is common among both Hindu and Muslim Bengalis.[85] Circular parathas also exist in the region, with five or six layers.[86] The Dhakai paratha is deep-fried and has many layers, with a hollow centre.[78] Taking its name from Dhaka, Bangladesh,[5] it is also found in Kolkata, India.[39] Mughlai paratha, a dish from Kolkata, which is prepared by folding a paratha over a filling with beaten eggs and chopped onions,[78] sometimes with minced meat.[39] It is one of the more complex forms of stuffed paratha.[14] Another Bengali version, petai porota (lit. 'beaten paratha'), is tossed and torn apart after cooking,[4] resembling kothu parotta.[78] It is a common street food meal, served with ghugni or aloo dum, and is eaten for breakfast.[87] Vendors sell petai porota by weight.[4]

Some regions of India serve unique forms of paratha.[76] Warqi paratha (lit. 'layered paratha') is a variant in Awadhi cuisine, originating in Lucknow. It is made of white flour and a large amount of ghee, sometimes with sugar and saffron, and it is folded and rolled.[88] A type of paratha in eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar is called makhuni.[39] Dulhan paratha, originating from Hyderabad, Pakistan, is named for its elaborate presentation, which is reminiscent of the ornate appearance of a bride (dulhan in Urdu); this dish is known for its combination of flavorful ingredients.[89]

Versions of paratha exist beyond the Indian subcontinent.[78] Caribbean cuisine features parathas that are milk-based and crispy, known as buss-up-shut.[90] In Trinidad and Tobago, this is classified as a roti, distinguished from other rotis by using more oil.[91] The roti served in Suriname also evolved from paratha.[92] The Malaysian version of paratha is known as roti canai, named after the Indian city of Chennai,[93] and is a type of South Indian parotta.[36] The Burmese version, palata, may use whole-wheat dough with a filling of peas, served with fried onions on top. It is eaten using chopsticks.[94] Other Burmese versions include a banana-stuffed version and a pigeon pea-stuffed version known as bei palata.[8] The Afghan version, known as naun-i-parauta, is leavened and cooked on a griddle.[95] In Sri Lankan cuisine, paratha is known as godamba roti.[96] Similar breads are eaten in Nepal.[6]

Serving[edit | edit source]

Mooli paratha with dahi and pickle, common pairings with paratha

Paratha may be served for any meal.[13][97] Like other flatbreads in North Indian cuisine, it is served as the central component of a typical meal;[34] the bread is eaten by using the hands to tear the bread and pick up the accompanying food.[98] A stuffed paratha may be a full meal.[99]

A wide range of foods may be served with paratha.[97] Common accompaniments include curries, sabzi, pickle, and dahi (curd).[100] Likewise, stuffed parathas such as aloo paratha are commonly served with curd or pickle.[101] When served by vendors, paratha often comes with dahi or pickle included.[76] A paratha may also be served with tea or raita, with which it can be rolled up and dipped.[14] As a dessert, paratha may be eaten with brown sugar.[97]

Although rice is the staple in Kashmiri cuisine, parathas paired with kofta are a common dish served to guests.[39] In middle-class Bangladeshi cuisine, parata is eaten for breakfast or, less commonly, for dinner, while rice is more common for lunch.[102] In the cuisine of Odisha, paratha is eaten with egg curry for dinner.[103] In the cuisine of Haryana, it may be eaten with mung beans.[104] Parotta served with beef is a culturally significant dish in Kerala.[78]

Paratha served with tea in Pakistan

Paratha is frequently part of a breakfast in North India.[105] A common breakfast in India and Pakistan consists of paratha, butter, and tea,[106] and it may also be eaten alongside eggs.[107] In Karachi, breakfast the phrase "chai-paratha" is synonymous with breakfast, and a 1987 survey found that paratha is the most common breakfast food.[97] Paratha with pickle and curd is also a common breakfast.[53] A typical breakfast in Uttar Pradeshi Hindu cuisine may pair paratha with a vegetable dish or sweet halva.[108] In Hyderabadi Muslim cuisine, paratha may be paired with eggs or minced meat for breakfast or with a meat dish for lunch.[109] Stuffed parathas such as aloo paratha, as well as plain parathas, are commonly eaten for breakfast in Punjabi cuisine.[110]

Paratha may be used for wraps, commonly with kebabs.[111] The kathi roll, originating in Kolkata, is a wrap with a kebab served on an egg-covered paratha;[39] other versions use various toppings.[112] This egg-covered paratha in a kathi roll differs from anda paratha, with the egg being scrambled on top of the paratha as it cooks.[77] In Pakistan, particularly in Karachi, a kebab wrapped in paratha is known as a paratha roll.[113] In Lucknow, ulte tave ke paratha may be served as a crispy cone, and is the typical pairing with galouti kebab.[76] The frankie is another wrap using paratha, with various fillings, served as street food in Indian cities.[114] In the United Arab Emirates, paratha is used to make a wrap with potato chips of the brand Chips Oman.[115] The paratha burger—a hamburger using paratha rather than a hamburger bun—originated in Dubai, at the restaurant Klay by Karak House.[116]

Nutrition and chemistry[edit | edit source]

Template:Nutritionalvalue Template:Infobox nutritional value Template:Infobox nutritional value

Paratha contains wheat, which provides calories, protein, and minerals[117] and is a major source of carbohydrates.[118] As parathas are fried in oil, they have a higher fat content than other flatbreads,[119] The fat content of aloo paratha is about 3.3%, while that of leaf vegetable stuffed parathas has been measured at 5%.[120] The sodium content may be high, based on the amount of salt added according to consumer preferences.[121] A 2018 study in Malaysia found high amounts of added sugar in restaurant paratha.[122]

The average commercially produced paratha provides 306 dietary calories per 100 grams. This portion contains 44.97 g carbohydrates (including 3.41 g sugar), 11.37 g fat (including 5.23 g saturated fat), 6.92 g protein, 3.96 g fibre, and 371.28 mg salt.[123] A 100 g serving of a homemade paratha—using the recipe published by the Ministry of Health of Oman—has 394 calories and 13.8 g fat.[124] Parathas have a high trans fat content of about 7.8%.[106] The fat content of paratha may contribute to a lower glycemic index than other breads. The aforementioned homemade paratha has a glycemic index of 32,[125] while methi paratha made with curd and oil has a glycemic index of about 60, lower than that of roti.[126]

Paratha contains a high amount of the vitamin retinol, in part due to the use of ghee.[127] It is also high in iron and vitamin A;[41] the use of palm oil has been shown to increase vitamin A content.[128] The micronutrient content, based on samples from the United Kingdom, is as follows:[129]

Vitamins and minerals[129]
Vitamin Per 100 g Mineral Per 100 g
Retinol 153 μg Sodium 99 mg
Beta-carotene 97 μg Magnesium 51 mg
Thiamine 0.18 μg Potassium 160 mg
Riboflavin 0.05 mg Calcium 85 mg
Niacin 4.1 mg Iron 2 mg
Vitamin B6 0.14 mg Zinc 1.2 mg
Folate 16 μg
Vitamin B12 Trace
Vitamin C Trace
Vitamin D 0.1 μg

Paratha with additional ingredients can be more nutritionally balanced.[130] Methi paratha is high in fibre and carotenoids, while bathua paratha is especially high in iron and carotene.[131]

The moisture content of paratha is over 40%.[130] Due to its short cooking time, paratha experiences low loss of moisture[132] and low deterioration of protein.[133] It loses about 40% of its weight during cooking.[132] The use of composite flours has been shown to produce acceptable parathas with increased nutrition.[134]

Parathas, including stuffed parathas, are very perishable due to a high moisture content.[135] Stuffed parathas experience mold growth in twelve to twenty-four hours.[136] Thermal processing has been shown to increase the shelf life;[137] however, this may result in hardening, discoloration, and loss of shape. Irradiation has been shown to preserve paratha for over six months.[136] Other preservation methods include vacuum packing and additives such as sorbic acid.[138]

History[edit | edit source]

Map with arrows and labels. Paratha, in North India, comes from similar flatbreads via Silk Road, including waraki, in Persia. Parotta, in South India, comes from maritime trade routes from around Persia. The Mughals move east within India. Paratha's introduction by Indian indentured labourers leads to farata, in Mauritius; roti canai, in Malaysia; and buss up shut, in the Caribbean.
Map showing the possible historical spread of paratha, according to Sonal Ved's theory that the dish evolved from the Persian waraki and Kurush Dalal's theory that the South Indian version was introduced via maritime trade routes
A scallion pancake
Foods similar to paratha include the Chinese scallion pancake, which may have spread to India through the Silk Road.

Historian Pushpesh Pant writes that there is no evidence of paratha in Ancient India,[2] while historian Chitrita Banerji writes that it "has probably been around in some form or another since antiquity."[5] A theory that paratha originated in Punjabi cuisine is commonly held among Punjabis.[78][7][lower-alpha 2] Banerji writes that, despite its association with Punjabi and North Indian cuisine, paratha is often said to be related to poli, a flatbread in Maharashtrian and Gujarati cuisine.[5] According to Megha Kohli in The Bloomsbury Handbook of Indian cuisine, paratha originated in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.[49]

Trade routes to India, such as the Silk Road, may have introduced flatbreads from Persia and Central Asia, as well as the scallion pancake of Chinese and Uyghur cuisine, which resemble paratha.[78][7] The book Whose Samosa Is It Anyway? by Sonal Ved suggests that paratha was adapted from the Persian waraki, a milk-based flatbread with separating layers.[78] A theory supported by Pant states that paratha was invented after the arrival of Arabs in India, who merged flatbreads introduced by the Arabs, like roomali and khamiri, with the local puri.[2] Culinary anthropologist Kurush Dalal stated that South Asian parotta came from Central Asia—through maritime trade routes with the Malabar Coast—rather than from North India. Paratha also entered Sri Lankan cuisine from South India.[78]

Recipes for various parathas are mentioned in Manasollasa, a 12th-century Sanskrit reference work compiled by Someshvara III, a Western Chalukya king who ruled from present-day Karnataka. According to historian K. T. Achaya, the parathas listed in this book were more similar to the modern manda roti.[140] These included purana, which Achaya describes as the modern-day puran poli, as well as stuffed parathas called manda, vestika, and pahalika,[141] the latter being a sweet version.[142] In Bengal, food historian Jayanta Sengupta attributes the introduction of wheat breads like paratha to the thirteenth-century Turkic conquest.[143] During the Islamic era, parathas were common with the Muslim nobility and Hindu aristocracy in Punjab,[144] and paratha was also eaten in the Delhi Sultanate.[142]

The Mughal Empire introduced more complex ingredients to the cuisine of the era, being used for foods such as paratha.[145] Mughal cookbooks included recipes for paratha;[139] it does not appear in the Nushka-e-Shahjahani, indicating that it was not yet present.[146] Banerji states that the Mughals were introduced to parathas during their conquests of Punjab.[147] Banerji states that the paratha was popular among Mughal leadership, and it later became popular in Islamic Indian cuisine.[5] It and other flatbreads spread to Dhaka, in Bengal, during this time.[148] Sweet parathas were also eaten during the Mughal era.[149]

People from India were sent as indentured workers to Southeast Asia, Mauritius, the Maldives, and the Caribbean, where they introduced paratha.[78] This included the British colony in Trinidad, where Indians sent as workers began using white flour for paratha and other flatbreads as a result of European imports.[91] On migrant ships to the Caribbean, cooks began using tavas to make large parathas portioned for several people, originating the variation known as paratha roti.[150]

In 19th-century British India, North Indian snack foods such as paratha were eaten as tiffin snacks as part of an early form of Indian fast food.[151] A similar flatbread, sheermal, is said to have been created as a type of paratha in Lucknow in the 19th century, although it may have originated in Persia.[152] In Bengal, wheat-based foods such as paratha and luchi were primarily for special occasions (such as Ekadashi) before wheat became a staple food, alongside rice, during the 1943 famine.[153]

During the 1947 partition of India, Punjabi refugees propagated various stuffed parathas, including aloo, gobhi, mooli, methi, and matar, with paneer and keema stuffed versions appearing later. Pant writes that tandoor-baked paratha was introduced to India during the partition, out of a desire for roti to be less chewy and cold, and that it originated from Amritsari kulcha. Parathas became a common item at dhaba establishments; Pant writes that roadside dhabas invented lachha and pudina parathas.[76] Some state that the paratha was popularised in Delhi after the partition. However, O'Brien suggests this item was prevalent among Punjabis in Delhi before then, and paratha vendors at the Paranthe Wali Gali claim to have been present since the 1880s.[147] In the Caribbean, paratha was one of several dishes from Mughlai cuisine to be widely popularised in the late 20th century.[90]

The world record for the largest paratha, as recognised by the Guinness World Records, was set in February 2024 in Amritsar, when chefs from the Taj Swarna hotel created a methi paratha weighing 35 kilograms (77 lb).[154][155]

Prevalence[edit | edit source]

A cook at a stall with a large griddle, cooking six parathas, with paratha dough behind him.
Paratha is commonly served by vendors.

Paratha is one of the most common flatbreads in India—alongside chapati and naan[156]—and is the most common that is shallow-fried.[157] It is associated with North Indian cuisine, in which wheat is the predominant staple[158] and atta is particularly common.[53] A 2022 study in the South Indian city of Hyderabad found that the average adult consumes 1 paratha, or 40 grams, per day.[121]

Like chapati and puri, paratha is often homemade,[159] as tavas are a common household item.[99] Ready-to-eat parathas, sold as a convenience food, are a common product in India,[160] including several types of frozen stuffed paratha.[161] Stores also sell ready-to-cook parathas from brands such as Fingerlix.[162]

Paratha is frequently sold by vendors at marketplaces, roadsides, and transit stations, as a consistently affordable meal.[76] It is served by vendors next to mosques in North India to break the fast on Eid-al-Fitr; they prepare very large parathas that are served as slices with halwa.[163] Paratha is also a typical offering at Punjabi dhabas, a type of establishment on highways.[164] It is less common among chefs, except for unusual stuffed versions, according to food writer Vir Sanghvi.[165]

In North Indian Hindu traditions, paratha is classified as pukka, a type of food that is made with ghee, which is associated with purity, and is served when hosting guests or during festivals.[108] Historically, orthodox Hindus adhered to a pukka diet; those who wanted to limit oil (for health or financial reasons) would cook parathas like rotis, with only a very thin layer of oil applied using a cloth wrapped around a coin.[76] In Uttarakhand, aloo paratha is seen as an energy booster and, when cooked without oil, a cure for a sore throat.[166]

By region[edit | edit source]

Paratha is commonly included in meals in both Indian and Pakistani Punjab,[167] but it is not as common in Gujarat[168] or in North India east of Kanpur.[169] According to Banerji, stuffed parathas are associated with North Indian cooking but have spread to every Indian city.[170] Aloo paratha is served across India between Punjab and Bengal.[171] It is also common in parts of Pakistan, except in the highlands.[172] Mooli paratha is common in North India and Kashmir.[173]

A vendor deep-fries two parathas, standing behind various bulk ingredients.
At Paranthe Wali Gali in Delhi, parathas are deep-fried and are made with many fillings.

Paratha is served by many establishments in Delhi.[51] The city has parathas that are baked, then fried, which are large enough to serve multiple people.[174] Old Delhi houses the Paranthe Wali Gali (lit. 'Alley of Paratha Makers'), a small lane primarily dedicated to paratha restaurants,[175] where parathas are always stuffed,[5] using ingredients including tomato, lemon, peppers, and papad inside the parathas. They are deep-fried in ghee,[76] more similar to stuffed puri or bedmi than typical parathas.[176]

Dhabas of Haryana on the Grand Trunk Road are famous for their parathas, including Sukhdev Dhaba and Gulshan Dhaba in Murthal.[177][178] These dhabas serve Murthal paratha, a version that is deep-fried.[78][178] In Agra, Uttar Pradesh, an establishment called Ramababu Paratha Bhandhar serves very large parathas, weighing 35 kilograms.[39]

In Mauritius, paratha (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.) is eaten across all ethnic groups and is known as a homemade comfort food, particularly as a warm food during rainy weather.[9] In Myanmar, paratha is served at Indian tea shops.[8][94] People in Myanmar eat it on Martyrs' Day, as it was known to be a favorite food of Aung San, whom the holiday celebrates.[179] In the Caribbean, paratha, particularly aloo paratha, is among several Indian fast food dishes in the region.[180]

Many Pakistanis in Norway and in Denmark shift toward eating parathas as a special breakfast on weekends, rather than daily, upon immigrating, in part due to health concerns amid changing lifestyles.[181] Pakistani migrants to the United Kingdom also eat paratha for breakfast, though some members of the community view it as a holdover from Pakistan.[182] Among Indians in the United States, store-bought parathas are common due to busy lifestyles.[183] Paratha is a widespread food in the cuisine of Oman, where it is associated with Omani–Indian culture rather than a specific region of India.[184] Aloo paratha is commonly served at South Asian dining establishments in the United Kingdom[185] and Pakistani restaurants in South Africa.[186]

See also[edit | edit source]

Notes[edit | edit source]

  1. Methi paratha may use kasuri methi, an herb related to fenugreek.[71]
  2. Food historian Charmaine O'Brien supports the statement that paratha originated in Punjab.[139]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. Ayto, John (1 January 2012). "Paratha". The Diner's Dictionary (2 ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780199640249.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-964024-9.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Pant 2013, p. 30.
  3. Davydova 2011, p. 38.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Maitra Chakraborty, Barnini (9 March 2022). "Beaten to perfection: The pull of the 'petai porota'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Banerji 2008, p. 119.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Davidson, Alan; Jaine, Tom (1 January 2014). "Parata". The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780199677337.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-967733-7.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 Groundwater, Ben (11 August 2025). "Many cuisines have a version of flatbread, but this might be the best". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
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Works cited[edit | edit source]

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