Dal Paratha

Moong Dal Paratha

Vegetarian●●●Origin PunjabPrep 40 minutes, plus standing timeCook 15 minutesMakes 8

These wholesome flatbreads incorporate cooked lentils directly into the dough along with fresh herbs and spices. Fried in butter, they turn crisp on the outside while remaining tender and savoury within.

Dough spices

6 gMixed into the dough with the lentils (step 2)

Chilli powder · Lal Mirch Powder

2.6 g1 teaspoon

spice

Ground turmeric · Haldi

3 g1 teaspoon

spice

Stir together to combine.

Everything else

Split mung beans · Moong Dalrinsed and drained

200 g

legume

Wholemeal flour · Atta

400 g

flour

Coriander leaf · Hara Dhaniachopped

15 g

herb

Onion · Pyazchopped

30 g

vegetable

Green chilli · Hari Mirchchopped

10 g1 tablespoon

vegetable

Salt · Namak

~0.3 gpinch

salt

Butter · Makhanmelted

200 g

dairy

Method

Boil 200 g moong dal in plenty of water for 30 minutes, or until completely tender, then drain thoroughly.
Put 400 g flour into a wide mixing bowl and hollow out the middle. Add the drained lentils, the dough spices, 15 g coriander leaf, 30 g onion, 9.9 g green chilli, and 0.3 g salt. Gradually bring the ingredients together, pouring in splash by splash of water only as needed, until a cohesive, soft dough forms.
Dust a clean worktop with flour and knead the dough vigorously for 5 minutes. Place it in a lightly greased bowl, drape with a damp kitchen towel, and leave to rest in a warm spot for 30 minutes.
Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces and roll each between your palms into a smooth ball. On a floured surface, roll each ball out thinly to a circle roughly 20–23 cm (8–9 inches) across.
Set a tawa or heavy skillet over low heat. Lay in a paratha and par-cook for 1 minute, flipping halfway through.
Spoon some of the 200 g butter around the edges and onto the surface, then fry for 1 minute more, turning occasionally, until both sides are speckled golden-brown. Transfer to a plate, keep warm, and cook the remaining flatbreads the same way.

Don't have something?

Moong dal

Red lentils
Use equal weight. It cooks in about the same time and breaks down to a similar soft, creamy consistency, though the colour will be slightly pinkish-orange.
Pigeon peas
Use equal weight. Requires longer soaking and cooking time, and produces a slightly earthier, denser dal.

Wholemeal flour

Whole wheat flour
Use the same weight; it is almost the same, though slightly finer, so add water gradually.
Plain flour
Use the same weight but reduce water by about 10%; the result is lighter and less nutty.
Flour
Use the same weight as plain flour; reduce water slightly and expect less bran and colour.

Chilli powder

Red chilli powder
Use 100% of the weight. Provides direct, sharp heat and red colour in equal measure.
Kashmiri chilli powder
Use 150% to 200% of the weight if matching colour, but add a pinch of black pepper or hot chilli if you need equivalent fiery heat.
Cayenne pepper
Use 75% to 100% of the weight. Offers a sharp, clean heat with slightly less earthy depth and less crimson colour.

Ground turmeric

Ground ginger
Use 50% of the weight. Mimics turmeric's warm, earthy, rhizome background, but provides none of the golden-yellow colour.
Saffron
Steep a tiny pinch (0.1 g per 2 g turmeric) in 2 tbsp warm water; use to match the rich golden hue. Contributes an aristocratic, honeyed floral flavour rather than earthy bitterness.

Coriander leaf

Coriander
Use equal weight finely chopped; this is the exact same fresh herb.
Mint
Use half the weight finely chopped; provides vibrant green freshness, though the flavour profile becomes noticeably cooler and sharper.

Onion

Shallot
Use equal weight, finely sliced. Shallots soften and brown faster, giving a slightly sweeter and more delicate base to curries.
Cabbage
Use 80% of the weight, finely shredded and browned slowly with a pinch of asafoetida. Replicates the bulk and natural sweetness in gravies without allium.

Green chilli

Chilli powder
Use 10 to 15% of the weight (about 1/4 teaspoon per chilli); imparts dry pungent heat and reddens the dish without the grassy crunch.
Dried red chilli
Use 1 dried pod per fresh green chilli; snap in half and temper in hot oil for a deeper, toastier heat.

Butter

Unsalted butter
Use 100% of the weight. If the original recipe relies on salted table butter, add a pinch of salt to balance.
Ghee
Use 80% to 85% of the weight. Ghee is pure butterfat with moisture removed; it yields a deeper, nuttier flavour and handles high heat better.
Vegetable oil
Use 80% of the weight for frying or tempering. The dish loses sweet dairy richness but remains glossy and light.

Similar dishes

Missi Roti

Lentil Bread

Missi Roti has a sharper, spicier bite from the added ginger and extra green chillies, but lacks the rich, buttery flavor of this dish.

Same: Missi Roti is also a flatbread made by kneading cooked lentils with onion, green chillies, coriander leaves, turmeric, and chilli powder.
Different: Missi Roti combines chana dal with moong dal and adds fresh ginger, but it contains far fewer coriander leaves and omits the butter used to fry this dish.

Bervin Poori

Poori Stuffed with Urad Dal

Bervin Poori is crunchier and scented with sweet aniseed and ginger, whereas this dish has a softer texture with a sharper, buttery bite from fresh green chillies and onions.

Same: Bervin Poori is also a spiced lentil flatbread made with dairy fat, chilli powder, and coriander.
Different: Instead of kneading moong dal into the dough and pan-frying it in butter, Bervin Poori is stuffed with urad dal and deep-fried in ghee, using ginger, coriander seeds, and aniseed rather than onion, turmeric, and fresh green chillies.

Bervin Roti

Plain Stuffed Bread

Bervin Roti is earthier and milder with just black pepper, lacking the sharp chilli heat, pungent onion, and fresh herb notes of this dish.

Same: Like this dish, Bervin Roti is a flatbread made with dal and cooked in dairy fat.
Different: Bervin Roti encases a seasoned chana dal filling cooked in ghee, whereas this dish kneads moong dal directly into the dough alongside onion, coriander leaf, turmeric, and chillies before frying in butter.

Bervin Poori

Poori Filled with Black Lentils

Bervin Poori has a warmer, more pungent spice flavour from the ginger and Valsadi Masala, lacking the buttery richness, fresh coriander, and sharp green chilli heat of this dish.

Same: Both are spiced, lentil-based Indian breads seasoned with chilli powder.
Different: Bervin Poori stuffs urad dal spiced with ginger, coriander seeds, and Valsadi Masala into dough to deep-fry in vegetable oil, whereas this dish kneads moong dal, onion, fresh coriander, turmeric, and green chilli directly into the dough and fries it in butter.