Methi Paratha
Layered whole wheat flatbreads with fresh fenugreek leaves, ajwain and spices, folded into triangles and cooked with ghee.
Photograph credit: Methi (fenugreek) parathas by Rupamdas75 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · this resized copy is shared under the same licence
Where This Goes Wrong
Do not add too much flour when rolling; it dries the layers.
Use the back of a spoon to press down any bubbles.
Add a pinch of sugar to balance the bitterness.
How to Make Methi Paratha
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Mix the flour, fenugreek, ajwain, cumin, chilli powder, salt and oil. Add the water gradually and knead for 5 minutes to a soft dough. Rest for 20 minutes.
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Divide into 8 balls. Roll each to 12 cm, brush with ghee, fold in half, brush again and fold into a triangle. Roll to about 15 cm.
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Cook on a hot griddle for 2 minutes on one side. Flip, brush with ghee and cook for 2 minutes more until golden with brown spots.
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Wrap in a cloth to keep warm.
Why the Method Works
A breakfast for a table of four on a morning with a bunch of fresh fenugreek in the fridge. Methi paratha is a layered flatbread, and what separates it from a thepla is the folding and the ghee: the dough is rolled, brushed with ghee, folded into a triangle, and rolled again.
Fresh fenugreek has a bitter, grassy flavour that mellows when cooked. Pick the leaves from the stems, wash them, and chop them fine. If they taste too sharp, sprinkle with a little salt and leave for 10 minutes before squeezing out the liquid. Dry leaves also work, in a smaller amount. Use 2 tablespoons of dried fenugreek in place of the fresh.
Knead the dough with the leaves, a little oil, ajwain, cumin and chilli powder. Rest it for 20 minutes. Divide into balls, roll out thin, brush with ghee, fold in half and then in half again to make a triangle, and roll to 15 cm.
Cook on a hot griddle with ghee for 2 minutes a side. The layers puff slightly and the surface turns golden with brown spots.
After You've Cooked It
Keeps wrapped for 1 day. Reheat on a griddle.
What to Serve Alongside
- Plain yoghurt
- Pickle
- Butter
- Aloo sabzi
Still Wondering?
How long does Methi Paratha take to make?
25 minutes of preparation and 20 minutes of cooking, plus 20 minutes of resting, so allow 1 hour 5 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 4.
The Numbers per Serving
Per serving, an approximate calculation from the ingredient list. Treat it as a rough guide: part of the energy comes from foods, or weights per item, with no recorded source. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked.
First published ; last changed .
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