Carrot Paratha | Gajar ka Paratha

Carrot paratha is a healthy and delicious whole wheat flatbread made with grated carrots and herbs. They make for a filling and tasty breakfast when served with a side of yogurt or butter or pickle.

Hot or warm carrot paratha with a dollop of butter or ghee would be a perfect breakfast or brunch in this cold weather.

These gajar ka paratha are slightly crisp from the outside and soft from within. Since these parathas are delicious as well as healthy, they make an ideal snack to be packed for tiffin box or lunch box.

The recipe is quick and easy to make and tastes good as well. You just have to add grated carrots, chopped onions and some herbs to the dough. Knead the dough, roll with a rolling pin and roast the parathas with ghee or oil.

Parathas are made in every home and each family has its own way of preparing parathas. This recipe of carrot paratha comes from my mom. We were at mom’s place, so she made us these parathas. Since I was carrying the camera, I took the pics also and decided to share the recipe.

We usually add finely chopped ginger, chopped curry leaves, chopped onions and coriander leaves along with grated carrots in the dough. Carrots impart a sweet taste that compliments the taste and flavors of the herbs used.

I generally make plain paratha along with dishes like mix veg, palak paneer, dal makhani. But if I make carrot paratha or Mooli paratha or any stuffed paratha then we have them with plain curd or raita or butter or pickle varieties like Mango Pickle or Lemon Pickle.

These paratha taste so good that you can have them without any accompaniment also.

How to make Carrot Paratha

1. Rinse and peel 2 medium sized carrots. You can use any fresh tender juicy carrots as they will be easy to grate.

2. Grate the carrots. Keep aside.

3. Chop onion, ginger, curry leaves, green chili and coriander leaves. Keep all the ingredients ready for making gajar paratha.

You will need ⅓ cup finely chopped onions, 1 green chili (finely chopped), ⅓ cup chopped coriander leaves, 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger and 12 to 15 curry leaves (chopped).

TIP: You have to finely chop the onions and green chilies. Otherwise, they can come out while rolling the paratha.

4. Take 1.5 cups whole wheat flour into a large plate or a mixing bowl.

5. Add ¼ teaspoon salt or as required.

6. Now add 1.5 cups of the grated carrots.

7. Next add ⅓ cup finely chopped onions and ⅓ cup chopped coriander leaves.

8. Also add 1 finely chopped green chili, 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger along with 15 curry leaves (chopped).

If making for small kids then you can skip or reduce the amount of green chilies and ginger.

9. Mix everything very well with your fingertips.

10. Soon the carrots will start leaving moisture.

11. Pour ¼ cup of water or as required. Since carrots also leave moisture so add water wisely.

While kneading any paratha dough it is a good practice to add water in parts. Never add all the water at once as you don’t know how much water will be needed. The amount of water needed depends upon the quality of the flour.

12. Begin to gather the mixture and start kneading to a smooth dough.

13. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of ghee on the dough.

14. Knead till you get a smooth and soft dough. In case the dough gets sticky then add some flour and knead again.

15. Cover the dough with a linen cloth or lid. Allow the dough to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

Rolling carrot paratha

16. Make small to medium sized balls from the dough.

17. Dust some flour on the ball. Alternatively you can place the ball in a box containing whole wheat flour (atta).

18. Begin to roll with a rolling pin. While rolling dust some flour if required.

19. Roll into medium sized rotis or rounds.

Cooking carrot paratha

20. Place the rolled carrot paratha on a hot tava or griddle. Keep the heat to medium to medium high.

21. When one side is partly cooked or about ¼ cooked then flip it using a spatula.

22. Spread some ghee or oil or butter on the partly cooked side.

23. Flip again with the help of tongs or spatula. You will see some brown spots on the gajar paratha. Apply some ghee or oil to this side too. The amount of oil or ghee to be applied depends upon your taste preferences.

24. Flip the parathas a couple of times for even cooking. Also press the edges of the paratha with a spatula so they are cooked evenly from all sides.

25. Once the paratha are roasted and cooked well, remove the parathas. Similarly prepare the remaining parathas. While making the second paratha regulate the heat as needed. If there are any browned or burnt flour particles on the tawa then wipe them with a clean kitchen napkin.

26. If not serving immediately then you can stack and keep the parathas warm in a casserole or roti basket. You can also serve the carrot paratha while they are hot or warm with mango pickle or raita or plain yogurt or butter.

They can also be packed for lunch box. Usually, we make them for breakfast but they can also be made as an after-school snack or tea-time snack. They are filling, healthy and also taste good and can be enjoyed as it is without any accompaniment.

If you are looking for more Paratha recipes then do check:

• Aloo paratha
• Gobi paratha
• Veg paratha
• Paneer paratha
• Pudina paratha

This Carrot Paratha post from the archives (January 2017) has been republished and updated on 12 October 2021.