Who says parathas only make you put on the pounds? As long as you take care of the carbs and fat which go into making the Indian breakfast staple, it can be both nutritious and tasty meal. Palak lachcha paratha for instance is packed with nutrients and taste.

Some tips – while preparing the paratha, use multigrain atta as it has more fiber, protein and vitamins than refined wheat. Also, use less ghee/oil and instead of butter, serve with curd.

To make your paratha rich in fiber and protein, try stuffing it with spinach. Spinach, rich in iron, helps restore energy, increase vitality and improve the quality of the blood. It is also an excellent source of vitamin K, A, C, B2 and folic acid as well of manganese and magnesium. Vitamin K is important for maintaining bone health and it is difficult to find vegetables richer in vitamin K than spinach.

Palak Lachha Paratha Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups atta/whole wheat flour

A pinch of salt (optional)

1 cup spinach puree (wash, blanch and puree 2 bunches of spinach)

½ to ¾ tsp red chili powder

½ tsp dhania (coriander) powder

¾ tsp ajwain (carom) seeds

Salt to taste

Method

1. Prepare soft pliable dough of the whole wheat flour, palak puree, ajwain, red chili powder, dhania powder and salt. Add little water if necessary while preparing the dough.
2. Pinch lemon-sized balls from the dough. Dust some flour on the working surface and roll each ball to about 5-6 inches in diameter. Drizzle a few drops of ghee or oil and spread it around the paratha.
3. Use a knife, cut 3 inches from the center of the paratha to one end of the rolled out paratha. Take the cut end of the paratha and roll it towards the other end of the paratha (towards the cut side).
4. Flatten it lightly with your palm. Dust the working surface and roll out a thick paratha.
5. Heat a tawa and place on high flame. Cook the paratha on the tawa on both sides till you see brown spots, indicating the paratha is cooked. Drizzle ghee on both sides and serve hot. Eaten with dal tadka, yogurt, salad and green chutney, it can also make a complete meal.

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Written by Neha Jain

She may have multiple degrees to back her expertise, but Neha Jain believes there’s nothing complex about nutrition. There is no magic formula for a healthy diet – the trick lies in balancing a variety of food groups and ensuring you’re eating the right portion size. With an MSc in Food and Nutrition from Delhi University and diplomas in naturopathy and yogic sciences, Neha is also a certified diabetes educator with extensive experience in endocrinological disorders and weight reduction, having worked with renowned endocrinologist Dr Ambrish Mithal in Delhi. Her goal is to help people find easy ways to make healthy choices, and believes HealthifyMe has simplified her task with its technology. Neha’s made the right choices for her family – she’s helped her husband control his high cholesterol levels and borderline diabetes by changing the meal plan at home, and introducing him to regular exercise – and now she’s hoping to ‘healthify’ you too.