Methi Palak Paratha Recipe

Methi Palak Paratha is an unleavened Indian flatbread made using whole wheat flour, fenugreek leaves, spinach, ginger, green chilies, herbs, and mild spices to add flavor. It can be served for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner.

I generally make methi thepla and parathas. Today I thought of combining palak leaves and it tasted very yummy. Named it Methi Palak Paratha.

The aroma of the delicious ghee or butter-scented smoke from the hot tava still brings back beautiful childhood memories. Also, it was fun to see mom making the paratha in different shapes – triangle, square, and circle.

Triangle shape parathas are my favorite. Just when you tear it, there are three layers from one paratha.

These instant and easy parathas are a healthy and delicious option to plain layered parathas. If you love North Indian food, I hope you will enjoy this methi palak paratha recipe I have for you today.

What is Indian Flatbread (Paratha)?

For those who are not familiar with parathas, it is an unleavened Indian flatbread (without yeast) made with whole wheat flour.

Parathas are associated with the North Indian state of Punjab and are pronounced parantha there. Whether stuffed or plain, parathas are a regular in most Punjabi households. The soil of the Indian Punjab, known as the ‘Granary of India’ or ‘India’s Bread-basket,’ is suitable for growing wheat and rice (basmati).

The flatbread in India comes in different sizes, shapes, thicknesses, and colors. They can be stuffed or plain, layered, unleavened, or just simply rounded off. 

About Methi Palak Paratha Recipe

Methi is the Hindi word for fenugreek, palak for spinach, and paratha means Indian flatbread with unleavened dough.

This is not a stuffed paratha. Compared to stuffed parathas, this recipe is much easier and quicker. You have to incorporate all of the ingredients, including the leafy greens in the flour itself. We knead the dough with water and then roll out the dough into triangular-shaped layers.

The rolled bread is shallow fried on a griddle or tawa, then brushed with fat (oil, ghee, or butter) and served while still warm.

A well-made paratha should puff when roasted, which gives it two or three layers, making it crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

These leafy parathas are an excellent way to include the goodness of methi and palak in your family’s diet. The parathas are soft and chewy and also have flakes coming off the surface. 

Fenugreek leaves have a little bitterness, so spinach leaves are added to balance the bitterness and make the parathas tastier.

Because of the rich blend of spices and diverse ingredients, the methi palak paratha has a distinct flavor profile that is both strong and flavorful.

Lovely aroma of roasted parathas will fill your kitchen and tantalize your taste buds.

Reasons to try

Super healthy.

Nutrients rich.

No blanching, pureeing or stuffing.

Without the fuss of stuffing.

Taste absolutely flavorsome.

Can be eaten for any meal.

A great option to pack for school and office lunch boxes.

Tastes great on their own.

Does not need a side dish.

Diabetic-friendly paratha.

Wholesome.

Pro Tips

Knead the dough until soft, pliable, non-sticky, and without any cracks.

Rest the dough for at least 30 minutes, it will activate the gluten. It will yield soft parathas.

The key to making the best triangular paratha (crisp outside and soft inside) is hidden in the folding technique.

Stack the cooked parathas after smearing oil/ghee on a soft towel or casserole. This way the paratha stays soft for a long time.

Ingredients

Flour: I have used Whole Wheat Four, also called atta. It is the kind of flour used to make Indian flatbreads like parathas, rotis, and phulkas. The flour is easily available online or at Indian grocery stores.

Leafy vegetables: Methi and palak leaves.

Aromatic & spice: Ginger and green chilies.

Fat: Punjabis enjoy their parathas fried in desi ghee. However, you can use oil, clarified butter (ghee), or butter.

Spices: To give the parathas a spicy and tangy flavor, a few Indian spice powders are added to the dough. You will need ajwain, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, and chat masala.

Ajwain (carom seeds) adds a special flavor and is a great digestive.

How to make Methi Palak Paratha

Prepping the Methi & Palak leaves

1. If you buy fenugreek leaves from the local market, you need to wash them well.

First, pluck the methi leaves and discard the hard stems from the palak leaves. In a bowl, soak both leaves with enough water. Gently mix with your fingers and drain the water using a colander.

Add enough fresh water and gently move the leaves again. This will remove any soil or mud particles that are on the leaves.

Drain the water and repeat the process until the water is clean.

Finely chop the leaves and set them aside.

Kneading Dough

2. In a wide mixing bowl or parat (an Indian utensil), add 2 cups of whole wheat flour, chopped methi and palak leaves, mint leaves, ginger-green chilies paste, red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, chat masala, and carom seeds.

3. Add water little by little and with your fingers bring all the ingredients together.

Do not add all the water at once. The water quantity will vary depending on the water content in the leaves and the variety of flour.

4. Keep adding water until the dough starts to form. Knead the dough with your fist. If you feel the dough is dry or hard, wet your hand and knead until the dough is soft, pliable, and smooth.

The more you knead the better will the parathas will be.

Note: if by mistake, the dough looks soft and sticky at this stage, then add some dry flour and knead well again.

5. Add 1 tbsp oil and knead the dough for a minute.

6. Apply a thin layer of oil to prevent it from drying.

7. Cover with a lid or damp cloth and let it rest for at least 15 mins or upto 30mins.

The rest period will help gluten to release and makes the dough softer.

8. After 15 minutes, knead the dough once again for a minute. This will make the dough elastic.

Pinch medium-sized portions from the dough. Roll the dough between your palms to make a neat and smooth round ball of dough.

Rolling the Dough

Keep a bowl of dry flour and a bowl of fat (oil or ghee) to apply on the paratha once it is ready. You want to roll and cook the parathas at the same time, so the rolled dough does not become dry.

9. Take a dough ball and lightly flatten it on the rolling board. Lightly dust the dough ball and the rolling board with some flour.

10. Start rolling to make a 5-inch circle. Apply oil or ghee on the top and sprinkle dry flour.

11. Fold to make a semi-circle. Smear more oil on the top and sprinkle little dry flour again.

12. Fold again to form a triangle shape and gently press the corners and edges together.

If you want to make square parathas, check out this plain paratha recipe.

13. Dust the surface with some dry flour. Using a rolling pin, roll it with gentle hands to make a thickly layered paratha.

Roasting the Parathas

14. Place the paratha on a hot tawa over medium flame and cook one side till you start observing small bubbles.

15. With the help of a flat spatula, flip the paratha. Cook for 10 seconds.

16. Flip again. Cook for 5-10 seconds.

Partially cook the paratha on both sides before smearing fat.

17. Smear oil on the surface. Then, flip the paratha again.

18. Smear oil on the other side as well and flip. Small brownish patches will start appearing on the paratha as it gets cooked.

19. Gently press the paratha with a flat spatula to cook it evenly from all sides. Roast the paratha till it becomes slightly brown and crispy on both sides.

20. When done, transfer the cooked paratha onto a plate. Repeat the process with the rest of the dough balls. Store the parathas in an insulated container. Stack the parathas one over the other to keep the soft. Also, keep them covered until you serve.

Serve hot with curd, green chutney, or your choice of curry or sabzi.

Serving Suggestions

This methi palak paratha is so flavorful that you can devour these parathas simply with yogurt/curd or with some pickle. The other side dish options are raita varieties, chutney, or a choice of Indian curry (gravy) or sabzi (dry). A few popular curry and sabzi recipes added to the blog are aloo masala, aloo fry, mix veg dry, palak paneer, dum aloo, gobhi fry, aloo gobi matar.

You can also relish the parathas with a dollop of butter as a snack with a hot cup of chai/tea.

Storage Suggestions

These parathas taste the best when eaten fresh, but you can also store the leftovers.

Once your methi palak parathas have been cooled down completely, they can be left unrefrigerated for 1-2 days in an air-tight container, depending on climatic conditions.

You can also store the leftover parathas in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. For longer storage, store them in the freezer. Separate them by placing parchment paper between two parathas or they will stick together.

If you prefer to prep the meals ahead of time, you can refrigerate or freeze the methi palak parathas. It will save time on busy days and a quick meal will be ready in no time. 

How to refrigerate or freeze methi palak parathas?

Refrigerator: Half cook the methi palak parathas without using any fat. Remove them onto a plate and cool them down. Stack the parathas one above the other with a layer of wax/butter paper. Pack with aluminum foil or put the complete batch in a Ziploc bag. Remove any air pockets and seal them properly before refrigerating. It will last in the fridge for up to a week.

Reheat before serving: Let the parathas come to room temperature. Place the paratha on the hot pan. Cook on medium flame until brown spots start appearing all over. Apply oil or ghee on both sides and continue to cook until the parathas are nicely browned.

Freezer: Follow the above steps and place the Ziploc bag in the freezer. The parathas will last for at least one month or even more.

Reheating a frozen paratha: First, defrost the frozen paratha for 30-60 minutes in advance. Follow the above instructions.

Variations

1. Personally, I like the combination of spinach and fenugreek leaves in this paratha recipe. But, if you want to make only palak paratha then feel free to skip methi leaves from the recipe. Or, if you want to make methi paratha skip palak from the recipe.

2. Alternately, you can puree the palak leaves and use it for kneading the dough. I will not suggest pureeing the methi leaves as it turns bitter on grinding. Always add the chopped methi leaves to the dough.

3. In the winter season add Sesame seeds. They add a really wonderful flavor and texture.

4. You can add chopped onions if you like an extra crunch. But take care while kneading the dough as onions too will release water.

5. Add 2-3 tbsp chickpea flour (gram flour/besan) to make parathas crispier.

6. For a spicy paratha, add garam masala.

If you’ve tried this Methi Palak Paratha Recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! Feedback and suggestions are highly appreciated. Also, please share the recipes with your friends and family members.

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