Broccoli Paratha | Broccoli Flatbreads

Broccoli paratha is healthy and tasty variant of stuffed paratha or whole wheat flatbread stuffed with a spiced and savory broccoli filling. The broccoli stuffing is also made without onion and garlic. Make these broccoli paratha for breakfast or snack and surprise everyone.

A variation to the regular stuffed paratha is this broccoli paratha. They taste good and even folks who do not like broccoli will like these parathas. This is a nice way to use broccoli if you have picky eaters.

If you like cauliflower paratha then most probably you will like these parathas as well. For best taste use broccoli that is fresh and green. It should not be wilted or discolored.

It is one of the healthiest veggies but I don’t know why it is the least consumed veggie at my place. With broccoli, I usually make this paratha or use it to make cutlet, Broccoli Stir Fry, Sauteed Broccoli, and Broccoli Soup.

Among all the recipes I make with broccoli, this is my favorite way to include it in our diet. Also it is a good way to use any leftover broccoli after using it in other recipes.

These broccoli paratha can be served hot or warm with a pickle or with curd (yogurt) or any raita of your choice. They taste good even without any accompaniment. You can also pack them in the kids’ tiffin box or have them for lunch or as an evening snack.

If making for breakfast or tiffin, then you can knead the dough the night before and refrigerate. The broccoli stuffing can also be made the night before and refrigerated.

How to make Broccoli Paratha

Preparing the paratha dough:

1. First take 1.5 cups whole wheat flour, ¼ teaspoon salt and 1 to 2 teaspoons oil in a mixing bowl or pan. Mix very well.

2. Then add ¼ cup water.

3. Begin to knead. Add more water if required while kneading. Depending on the quality of flour, you can add less or more water. So don’t add all the water at once. Add the water in parts as needed while kneading the dough.

4. Knead to a soft and smooth dough. Cover and keep aside the paratha dough for 30 minutes.

Preparing broccoli stuffing

1. Blanch 250 grams broccoli in 2.5 to 3 cups hot boiling water. First heat water till it begins to boil. Switch off the heat and then add the broccoli to it.

Cover and blanch for a minute. Then drain all the water and chop or break the florets. The blanching step is optional and only if there are insects or worms in broccoli.

2. Add the broccoli florets to a mixer.

3. Then using the pulse option of the mixer, just mince the broccoli for some seconds. You do not need to make a paste. Just a coarse mince of the florets. Keep aside. 

I have used mixer to mince the broccoli. You can use a grater. You can even break the broccoli into large florets and then blanch if using the mixer or food processor. You will need 1.25 to 1.5 cups of grated or minced broccoli.

4. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a small pan. Add 1 chopped green chili. Stir.

5. Then add the minced or grated broccoli.

6. Mix very well and on a low heat saute the broccoli.

7. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes on a low heat.

8. Then add the following spices:

• a pinch of red chilli powder
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon garam masala powder – If using homemade garam masala powder, then add ¼ teaspoon will do
• ½ to 1 teaspoon amchur powder (dry mango powder) – If using homemade amchur powder then add just ½ teaspoon. If you do not have dry mango powder, you can add ½ teaspoon lemon juice or as per taste.
• Salt as required.

9. Stir and mix very well.

10. Then add 1 tablespoon besan (gram flour).

11. Mix well and saute for a minute or two. Check the taste. If required add more red chilli powder, garam masala powder or amchur powder. Let this stuffing cool at room temperature.

Assembling and preparing broccoli paratha

1. Pinch medium sized balls from the dough. Roll them and keep them covered.

2. On a rolling board, take a dough ball. Flatten it a bit. Sprinkle with some whole wheat flour.

3. Roll to a round of 5 to 6 inches in diameter.

4. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of broccoli stuffing on the rolled dough.

5. Begin to pleat the edges.

6. Then bring them together at the center and press them at the center.

7. Flatten the pressed edges with your fingers and dust some flour on the stuffed dough. You can also roll two small rounds and then place the broccoli stuffing between the dough circles. This method is shown in this Aloo paratha post.

8. Gently roll to a paratha of about 7 to 8 inches. Sprinkle flour as required while rolling.

Cooking broccoli paratha

9. Heat a tawa or griddle or skillet and let it become hot. Place the paratha on the hot tawa. On a medium to high heat, begin to roast the paratha. Don’t roast them on low heat as then they will become hard.

10. When one side is partially cooked (about ¼th) then flip with the help of a spatula or tongs.

11. Spread some oil or ghee on top. The amount of oil to be applied depends upon your taste preferences.

12. Flip again.

13. Now spread some oil or ghee on this side too. If the paratha has been stuffed and rolled well, it will start puffing up while cooking.

14. Flip again. Press the paratha edges with a spatula too, so that they are also roasted well. Sometimes the edges remain slightly undercooked. If that happens then press with a spatula or spoon so that the edges are also cooked well.

15. Flip once more and roast till the paratha is evenly cooked and has golden blisters on top. This way make all the broccoli paratha and regulate the heat as needed.

When making the second paratha you can wipe the tawa with a clean kitchen napkin if there are any burnt or browned flour particles on it.

16. Serve broccoli paratha hot or warm. Parathas taste best when served hot. However, you can also stack them in a roti basket and later serve warm.

Serve them for breakfast with a side accompaniment of a mango pickle. You can also serve with some butter or curd or raita. They can also be packed in a lunch box or can be had as an evening snack with a cup of hot tea.

More Paratha recipes

• Methi paratha
• Beetroot paratha
• Lauki paratha
• Mooli paratha
• Palak paratha

This Broccoli Paratha post from the archives (August 2016) has been updated and republished on 17 October 2021.