Palak Paratha (Spinach Paratha)
Updated: August 31, 2022, By Swasthi
Palak Paratha are Indian flatbreads made with whole wheat flour, spinach and spices. ‘Palak’ is the Hindi word for ‘spinach’ and Paratha are Indian flatbreads made with unleavened dough. So Palak Paratha are nothing but spinach flatbreads. These are healthy, delicious & easy to make. Serve them with chutney, dal or curry. Wrap them with your favorite fillings and make kathi rolls, vegetable wraps or Spinach Wraps.
Palak paratha are great to enjoy anytime of the day for a meal. They also go well in a school/ office lunch box. These are my kids’ favourite and they love these in their school box, rolled with some paneer bhurji & fresh veggies. I love experimenting with different kinds of stuffings in these palak parathas.
Regular use of spinach helps us to prevent iron deficiency and boosts our immunity. I always found this to be the best way to include spinach for picky eaters since the leaves are lightly cooked so most nutrients are still preserved.
As I said these go wonderfully well with any chutney, simple dal or vegetable curry. This time I made these with beetroot chutney and vegetable salad.
There are 2 kinds of parathas made in Indian cuisine – plain and stuffed. These are the plain, non-stuffed parathas so they are kind of easy to make and requires no preparation. Just puree the spinach leaves and add it to the flour. Spice up to suit your taste and form the dough.
The dough needs no resting so it can be rolled immediately to parathas. Again you can make these the way I showed or make triangle and square parathas like I made these Plain parathas.
These palak parathas are so good and flavorful so even the normal rolled ones taste great. If you have fussy kids who don’t not like greens then give this recipe a try.
More Palak Recipes
Spinach Curry
Palak Paneer
Chana Palak
Aloo palak
Photo Guide
How to Make Palak Paratha (Stepwise Photos)
Preparation
1. Pluck each leaf of spinach, check for worms. Add them to a large pot filled with water. Once done, sprinkle some crystal salt and leave it for a while. This helps to get rid of pesticide residues. Then rinse them a few times in fresh water. Drain off to a colander completely. I used about 125 to 150 grams spinach weighted without stalks. More or less is just fine.
2. Add them to a blender jar with half inch ginger or garlic and 1 green chilli. Skip chili for kids. I usually add 1 to 2 tbsp. water to the jar since i drain the spinach completely. This helps to blend to a smooth puree. Adding too much water will make the dough sticky and you may need to add more flour.
3. Add 1½ cups whole wheat flour, palak puree, ¼ teaspoon garam masala and ½ teaspoon salt. You can also use any other spices you like kasuri methi, carom seeds etc.
4. Mix all the ingredients and form a soft non-sticky dough. If required add more water. If the dough is too sticky then add little more flour. Add 1 tablespoon oil (optional).
5. Knead until the dough is soft and pliable. Smear few drops of oil. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes.
6. Divide the dough to equal sized balls and set aside. You will get about 6 to 7 parathas depending on the size and thickness.
Make palak paratha
7. Sprinkle little flour over the rolling area and then over the ball as well. Flatten a bit and roll them. Lightly sprinkle flour as needed to prevent the paratha from sticking. Roll to a neither too thick or too thin palak paratha. If you want to make layered paratha you can check this post on plain parathas.
8. Heat a tawa or griddle on a high flame. When the griddle is hot enough, gently lift the palak paratha and dust off all the excess flour and transfer it to the griddle.
9. Very soon you will begin to see bubbles.
10. Flip the palak paratha to the other side and gently press down with a spatula so the paratha puffs well. Smear 1 teaspoon ghee over the paratha.
11. Gently press the paratha to help it puff up. It may not puff if it is too thin or doesn’t get enough heat. Clean up the tawa to remove any dry flour before you begin to roast the next one.
Lastly stack spinach paratha to keep them soft. Place them over a kitchen towel. When they cool down, place them in a box to keep them soft for hours.
Pro Tips
- I prefer to puree the palak first and then add it to the flour. However you can also add them finely chopped. Since I have fussy kids I do prefer to blend them.
- Avoid adding stalks of spinach as they sometimes lend a bitter or metallic taste.
- I do not blanch the palak or any leaf greens. But if you are on a low oxalate diet, then yes do add the spinach to boiling water and leave for 1 to 2 mins. Then add them to cold water. Drain and use them.
- Adjust the amount of spice powders to suit your taste. The recipe below is to make mildly spiced palak paratha.
- You can also substitute little multi grain flour for whole wheat flour in the recipe.
Related Recipes
Recipe Card
Palak Paratha (Spinach Paratha)
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 1½ cups Whole wheat flour (atta)
- 1½ cups (125 to 150 grams) chopped spinach (palak, avoid the stalks)
- ½ inch ginger or 1 to 2 garlic cloves
- ¼ tsp garam masala (optional)
- 1 small green chili (optional, skip for kids)
- ½ tsp salt (adjust to taste)
- 1 to 2 tbsp water to blend palak (optional)
- 1 tbsp Oil for kneading
- 2 tbsp Ghee for toasting
Instructions
Preparation
- Wash spinach and drain completely.
- Add them to a blender with chili, ginger or garlic and make a fine puree with the help of 1 to 2 tbsp water. Use water only if needed.
- Add the puree to the flour along with salt and spice powders.
- Knead together to make a dough.
- If the dough turns sticky, just sprinkle more flour & knead to a non sticky dough.
- If the dough turns too dry then, sprinkle water & knead.
- Add little oil and knead well to make a soft pliable dough.
- Set this aside for 20 to 30 minutes. Make 8 equal sized balls. Cover them.
How to make Palak Paratha
- Flour the rolling area and flatten a ball. Sprinkle flour.
- Roll it to make slightly thick palak paratha.
- Sprinkle flour over the paratha as needed to prevent sticking. It has to be slightly thicker than roti.
- Heat a tawa until hot enough. Transfer a paratha to the tawa.
- When the paratha begins to get bubbles over it.
- Flip it to the other side. Gently press down the paratha with a spatula to puff it. Cook until golden spots appear.
- Once done smear little ghee.
- Place a kitchen tissue on a plate. Stack the palak parathas to keep them soft.
- Serve palak paratha with chutney, dal or curry. Or use them to wrap as rolls with veggie or egg fillings.
Notes
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
About Swasthi
I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me
Follow Swasthi’s Recipes
Comments
I love your recepies
Simple, tasty and heathy.
I have recently started cooking myself regularly. You are my go-to buddy whenever I want to cook anything be it breakfast, snacks, lunch or dinner.
Thanks
That’s really nice to know Shahida. Thank you for writing! This makes me really happy
Made palak rotis for the first time. We never had one, and was quite dicy about it. To my surprise, it turned out amazing. Never going back to the plain rotis now. Thank you ❤️
Thanks for letting me know Pooja. That makes me happy!
I just made tonight. Perfect way to eat more green vegetables. By the way, I was put off by spinach in the past because of a metallic taste sometimes, I didn’t know what caused it, but now I know it’s from the stalks! I will carefully pluck my spinach from now on!
Glad you like them Hanna. Yes a perfect way to eat more greens. Thank you for sharing back how they turned out.
I always love your recipe’s.
Every time when i wish to make new food i just check only your recipe.
Keep posting ?
Hello Vijaya,
Thank you so much! So glad to know!
Yes sure will keep posting.
🙂
Hi mam. Can we chop palak n knead dough, like we do in me methi ka thepla?
Hi Tabassum,
Yes you can do it.
I like your recipes very much. It is easy and tasty. I’m not Indian that is why sometimes it is difficult to find some ingredients ?
I wanted to ask will the paratha puff without adding any yeast?
Thank you so much ☺️
Hello Ola
You are welcome. Yes they will puff well. We don’t use yeast or any kind of leavening for our regular flatbreads. They will still puff. You can check the picture of the puffed paratha in the step by step pictures below. Hope this helps. Thank you
Very healthy recipe. I try to make It as often as possible.
Thanks for sharing.
Welcome Gayathri
I think it is better for children and everyone forhealthy life
Yes indeed it is healthy
Loved it… Thanks for Sharing nice recipe
Welcome Megha
Glad you loved them.
Loved it. Thank you so much for sharing.
Welcome Vanshika
Thanks for rating the recipe.
No need to cook the palak with hot water?
Hi Sree,
Yes don’t need to boil it. It will get cooked in the paratha
Hi Swasthi,
As you mentioned I also added 1 potato to the parathas. Wow so soft and yummy. My lo loved them though he couldn’t eat much.
Hi Raima,
Thanks for the comment. Glad to know your lo liked it.
Love these recipe..
My kid likes it…. Good way to eat veggies…
Thank you so much
You are welcome Priya
Thanks for trying
Love these very much. I make these often . Thanks for the recipe
Love to watch ur recipes n love to try out for my kiddo n family .. tried out Palak paratha for my kiddo n she had it without hassle … happy cooking ..
Thank u so much
Welcome Swapna
Glad to know your kid liked them. Thanks for the comment
🙂
So good! The puree gives a very nice soft texture
Love it, for someone who hates greens, this is a perfect way to incorporate it into ones meal.
Thanks Jasinta. Yes you are right.
🙂
Your recipes are very easy to understand and easy to make. They are very delicious too. Thanks so much for taking the effort to post these recipes.
Welcome Rekha
Happy to know the recipes are useful. Thank you
Very good information
Thanks shruti
Very very good recipi I love it
thanks Lata
Good
Thank you