Dal Paratha Recipe: Protein-Rich Indian Flatbread

Amount of calories per serving of dal paratha: 181 calories.

• Take chana dal in a large bowl and wash it 3-4 times under running water until the water is clear.
• Put the washed dal in a bowl and soak it in enough water for 3-4 hours or overnight.
• Once soaked, drain the water and add the dal with fresh water to an instant pot or a pressure cooker. Add salt, turmeric, and hing and pressure cook it for 3 to 5 whistles till the dal is completely cooked and the grains are separate. Make sure the dal doesn’t become mushy.
• Open the lid, strain the dal using a sieve, and let it sit for 15-20 minutes to drain all the water. There should be no water in the cooked dal.
• Using the back of a spoon, mash the cooked dal a little while it is still warm. But do not make it too mushy or paste-like. Keep it a little crumbly.
• If you are using leftover dal, make sure the dal is thick. If the dal is too runny, it will not be possible to make dal parathas from it. You can cook the runny dal on low heat to reduce the water before mashing it. Using leftover dal makes making the dal paratha easy and enhances the flavors as the spices have had time to meld.
• Take the dal in a bowl and add the rest of the stuffing ingredients. Mix everything well.

• Take a little dough from the prepared dough.
• Dust a little dry flour on the rolling board and roll the dough into a small circle of 3 or 4 inches.
• Put a spoonful of the dal stuffing in the middle of the rolled dough. Make sure that you do not overstuff the paratha as then it will be difficult to roll it.
• Bring all the edges of the paratha together and join them at the center.
• Dust a little dry flour and roll the paratha again.
• The chana dal stuffing may come out slightly, but it is okay.
• Place the rolled dal paratha on a hot tawa or griddle on a medium-high flame.
• Roast the paratha with ghee or oil on both sides till nicely golden-brown.
• Your dal paratha is ready!

You can serve the dal parathas with a lot of different things like:

• Raita or yogurt. (For extra nutrition and flavors, you can also make a mixed vegetable, roasted tomato, or butternut raita.)
• Any Indian curry or vegetables like rajma, aloo-gobi, bhindi sabji, paneer matar, etc.
• Any type of chutney like garlic, green, or tomato chutney.
• Different pickles, including mango or garlic pickles.
• Just a dollop of ghee or butter.
• A cup of hot tea, it makes a great evening snack.

The good thing about dal parathas is they are convenient to store and can be prepared in advance or as a part of batch booking.

• Fridge: You can easily keep the cooked dal parathas in an airtight container or wrapped in foil for 2 days in the fridge.
• Freezer: If you have a lot of leftover dal parathas or have made a large batch of them, you can store them in the freezer. Wrap the dal parathas in aluminum foil or parchment paper and put them in a ziplock bag or a freezer-safe container. The parathas will stay good for up to two months in the freezer.
• Reheat: You can reheat dal parathas in the microwave or on a griddle until they are warm. If the parathas are frozen, thaw them overnight in the fridge. Then, heat them on a tawa or skillet for 1-2 minutes per side until they are warm and crispy.

Here are some tips to make the stuffed dal parathas easily:

• Make sure the dal stuffing has a lightly moist consistency—not too dry or pasty. It should hold together well enough to form a soft, small ball.
• Always roll the paratha gently to prevent the dough from sticking to the rolling pin, tearing, or causing the stuffing to spill out.
• You can sprinkle a little dry flour while rolling to prevent sticking, but avoid using too much, as excess flour can cling to the paratha's surface and create black specks when frying.