Methi Paratha
Jan 19, 2021
Whole wheat flatbread made with fresh fenugreek leaves. These Methi Paratha are vegan and make a great breakfast! They are also vegan.
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Whole wheat flatbreads with fresh fenugreek leaves, this Methi Paratha is especially popular in northern India during winters.
Best enjoyed with white butter and a cup of chai!
Winters in Delhi are very specific food wise. There are certain things which you would see in every household only during winters – like gajar halwa , maaki ki roti & sarson ka saag & these methi paratha!
Fresh methi (fenugreek) leaves are in abundance during winters and so they are used in a numbers of recipes during this time of the year. Methi leaves are rich in vitamins and minerals and are also known to have a positive effect on cholesterol and sugar levels.
Aloo methi (potatoes with fenugreek leaves) is pretty common but my favorite way to enjoy methi is these parathas.
My love for paratha is never ending, I like them all. Whether it’s stuffed paratha or plain paratha, I grew up eating all types and now I make them very often in my kitchen.
The weekends are almost always fixed for paratha in my house and since I spotted very fresh methi at Indian store recently, I had to make methi parathas for our weekend brunch.
Methi paratha can be made in different ways. I like mine very basic – I hardly add anything to my parathas because I really love the taste of fresh methi and don’t want anything to overpower it.
My mother-in-law grinds the methi to a paste and then kneads the dough with that paste. So those parathas turn out very green.
I like to chop the methi and add to the dough, simply because that’s how it was made in my home so I am just used to it. You can make these in anyway you like. Some people also add yogurt to the dough.
When you get fresh methi, it’s quite dirty and so it needs to be washed well. I first pluck the leaves only and then wash 2-3 times in a bowl of water. Then let the water drain and then chop the leaves.
I like to chop methi leaves by hand and not use a food processor but you may use one.
Ingredients
I do not use a lot of ingredients for these parathas. I like to keep it simple so that the flavor the of the methi shines through.
Methi (fresh fenugreek leaves)– for these parathas you need fresh methi, that’s what gives the parathas their flavor.
You can find methi at Indian grocery stores when they are in season.
Atta (whole wheat flour)– the everyday atta that we use in India to make rotis is what we also use for making parathas.
Garam Masala– this is only powdered spice that I use for these spices and I use a very little amount.
Ajwain (carom seeds)– I love adding ajwain to all my parathas and so I add a bit here as well.
Green chili– this is used for flavor and spice. You can adjust this to taste.
Other ingredients that you can add to these parathas include cumin seeds, ginger, garlic, red chili powder etc.
Like I said, I keep it very simple since that’s how it was made in my house. My mother-in-law in fact doesn’t add anything to her methi parathas except salt and fresh methi leaves.
It’s the flavor of the greens that has to shine through here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these parathas vegan?
Yes, these are vegan since I like cooking my parathas with oil. They won’t be vegan if you use ghee to cook them.
Can I use kasuri methi (dried frenugreek leaves) to make these parathas?
You may if that’s your only option but in my opinion it’s no match for the parathas made with fresh methi.
How to serve methi paratha?
I love them with achar (pickle), however Sarvesh grew up eating them with white butter (in true punjabi style)!
You can also serve them with yogurt and of course a cup of chai is must!
Method
1- To a large bowl, add all the ingredients- atta, chopped methi leaves, garam masala, ajwain, chopped green chili, salt and 2 teaspoons oil.
2- Add water little by little to knead to a smooth and soft dough. You will need 1/2 to 3/4 cup water (depending on the quality of the atta you are using). Cover and rest the dough for 20 minutes.
3- Then divide it into 8 equal parts, each weighing around 65-67 grams. Meanwhile heat the tawa or iron skillet on medium-high heat.
4- Take one dough ball (keep all other covered so that they don’t dry out), and roll it between your palms to make a round circle. Then flatten it and start rolling using a roller.
Dust with dry atta as needed and roll evenly to a circle of around 6-7 inches in diameter. Make sure that the paratha is rolled evenly.
5- Then place the rolled paratha on to the hot tawa. Cook the side for around a minute and then flip over.
6- Apply oil, round 1/4 teaspoon on the half-cooked side and then flip again.
7- Now apply oil on the other side as well. Press with a spatula and cook the paratha until both sides have golden brown spots on them.
8- Repeat with the remaining dough balls and make all parathas similarly.
Serve methi paratha with pickle, yogurt and a cup of chai.
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This post has been updated from the recipe archives, first published in November 2017.
Methi Paratha
Ingredients
- 2 cups atta 260 grams, whole wheat flour
- 2 cups chopped methi leaves around 50-60 grams (weight of leaves only)
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon ajwain carom seeds
- 1 green chili finely chopped
- 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 2 teaspoons oil + more to cook the parathas, I used avocado oil
- water to knead the dough, around 1/2 to 3/4 cup
Instructions
- To a large bowl, add all the ingredients- atta, chopped methi leaves, garam masala, ajwain, chopped green chili, salt and 2 teaspoons oil.
- Add water little by little to knead to a smooth and soft dough. You will need 1/2 to 3/4 cup water (depending on the quality of the atta you are using). CoverĀ and rest the dough for 20 minutes.
- Then divide it into 8 equal parts, each weighing around 65-67 grams. Meanwhile heat the tawa or iron skillet on medium-high heat.
- Take one dough ball (keep all other covered so that they don't dry out), and roll it between your palms to make a round circle. Then flatten it and start rolling using a roller.Dust with dry atta as needed and roll evenly to a circle of around 6-7 inches in diameter. Make sure that the paratha is rolled evenly.
- Then place the rolled paratha on to the hot tawa. Cook the side for around a minute and then flip over. Apply oil, round 1/4 teaspoon on the half-cooked side and then flip again.
- Now apply oil on the other side as well. Press with a spatula and cook the paratha until both sides have golden brown spots on them.Repeat with the remaining dough balls and make all parathas similarly. Serve methi paratha with pickle, yogurt and a cup of chai.
Notes
- Remember to use the methi leaves only for the paratha, don't use the stalk.
- You can use ghee to cook the parathas, I prefer oil.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These are delicious! My first time trying this recipe, and methi is now a new favorite. My daughter and I loved them. Thanks so much, Manali. (I’ve just purchased some Deep brand atta, imported from India, and it makes all the difference in the softness of making this type of flat bread. The whole wheat flour commonly found in U.S. stores is coarse and gave me chapati nightmares! For anyone having issues, I recommend finding an Indian market and grabbing some flour there if possible.)
glad you liked it!
Hi, loved this recipe! Since we don’t get fresh methi throughout the year, is it possible to freeze these parathas? If yes, how?
I have never tried freezing, but maybe half cook them and then stack between parchment paper and freeze. You can then cook them completely once you take them out of the freezer
Thanks for sharing this. No bitter taste. All my family members loved it.
Thanks for sharing. It was nice. Kids loved it. But parata was not too soft little hard. May be could have added more water. Any tips to make it soft.
Hi Sunsa, if you don’t make paratha often or are new to it, then it’s a skill that takes time. I will write a post on how to make the perfect paratha soon, meanwhile check this post on roti: https://www.cookwithmanali.com/roti-recipe/ a lot of things are same, the right dough is important, it needs to rest, it needs to be rolled well and then cooked right. My guess is you overcooked the paratha, make sure the skillet is quite hot when you put the paratha on it . If that’s not the case, then it takes a lot of time to cook and becomes hard in the process. You can also add some yogurt in this methi paratha dough to make it softer.
Do you salt and leave aside the methi before using it?
I don’t, the methi that I get here isn’t all that bitter. If the methi you have is very bitter, you may.