Oats Paratha
- 15 min prep
- 50 min
- Pan-fry
- Serves 3
- 375 kcal
- 10 g protein
A soft, spiced paratha with oat flour kneaded into the atta along with carrot, onion and ajwain. No stuffing, no tearing, and good with anything from pickle to dal.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (90 g) quick oats
- 1 cup (120 g) whole wheat flour (atta), plus 2 tbsp for dusting
- ¼ cup (40 g) onion, very finely chopped
- ½ cup (50 g) carrot, finely grated
- 3 tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped
- 1 green chilli (4 g), finely chopped
- 1 tsp (5 g) ginger, grated
- ½ tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp red chilli powder
- Salt, to taste (about ¾ tsp)
- 1 tsp (5 ml) oil, for the dough
- About ½ cup (120 ml) water, for kneading
- About 2 tbsp (30 ml) oil, for cooking
Method
- 1Grind the oats to a fine powder in a dry mixer jar. Tip into a wide bowl with the atta, ajwain (rubbed between your palms), cumin powder, turmeric, chilli powder and salt. Mix.
- 2Add the onion, carrot, coriander, green chilli, ginger and 1 tsp oil. Rub everything together with your fingers; the vegetables release some moisture.
- 3Add water a little at a time and knead into a soft, smooth dough that does not stick to your hands. It should be slightly softer than chapati dough. Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
- 4Knead the dough briefly and divide it into 6 equal balls. Dust one with atta, flatten it and roll into a 6-inch (15 cm) round, dusting as needed. Roll gently; the vegetables make it a little delicate.
- 5Heat a tawa on medium-high. Place the paratha on it and cook for about 1 minute until small bubbles appear on top.
- 6Flip, brush the top with ½ tsp oil, flip again and brush the other side. Press with a flat spatula and cook until both sides have golden-brown spots, about 1 minute per side.
- 7Stack the cooked parathas in a cloth-lined box to keep them soft while you cook the rest.
Notes from the Department
- Grind the oats fine. Whole flakes make the dough crumbly and the paratha tear at the edges.
- Grate the carrot finely and chop the onion very small for easy rolling.
- Rest the dough. Oat flour absorbs water slowly, so a dough that feels sticky at first firms up nicely after 15 minutes.
- For a softer paratha, knead in 2 tbsp curd instead of some of the water; it will no longer be vegan.
Nutrition per serving
- Energy
- 375 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbohydrate
- 57 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
- Sugars
- 2 g
Why this works
Oat flour has no gluten of its own, so on its own it makes a crumbly flatbread. Mixing it roughly half and half with whole wheat atta gives you the best of both: the atta provides stretch so the dough rolls without cracking, and the oats bring a softer bite, a mild nutty flavour and their soluble fibre. Kneading the vegetables directly into the dough skips the fiddly stuffing step and gives an evenly flavoured paratha every time.
Resting the dough is the quiet hero here. Oats take longer to hydrate than wheat, and the 15-minute rest turns a slightly tacky dough into one that rolls smoothly. The Department of Rolling Pins considers this rest non-negotiable.
Swaps
Rolled oats work if ground to a fine flour. Swap the carrot for grated cabbage, finely chopped methi leaves, spinach or boiled mashed potato, which also makes the paratha softer. Add 2 tbsp ground flax seeds for extra fibre. Ghee or butter for cooking is traditional and delicious, but use oil to keep it vegan. This paratha is not gluten-free because of the atta.
Serving and storage
Serve hot with curd, pickle, a pat of white butter or a bowl of dal. For lunch boxes, pair with a dry sabzi and a small pot of raita.
The dough keeps for a day in the fridge, though the onion softens it over time. Cooked parathas keep for 2 days in a closed box or up to a month frozen between sheets of baking paper. Reheat on a hot tawa for 30 seconds a side.
Questions people ask
- Can I make oats paratha with only oats flour?
- Not easily. Oat flour has no gluten, so the dough cracks when rolled. You need some atta, or a binder like mashed potato, to hold it together.
- Why does my oats paratha tear while rolling?
- The oats are too coarse, the vegetables too chunky, or the dough was not rested. Grind the oats fine, chop everything small and rest the dough for 15 minutes.
- Can I make the dough the night before?
- Yes. Leave out the onion, refrigerate the dough in a closed box, and knead in the onion in the morning. The dough may need a little extra atta.
- Is oats paratha good for a lunch box?
- Yes. It stays soft for hours if wrapped in foil or a cloth while still warm.
Inspired by Tarla Dalal. Method, notes and photograph by the Ministry of Oats.
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