In this Punjabi gobi paratha recipe a whole wheat flatbread is stuffed with grated cauliflower, then roasted on a griddle to golden, delicious perfection. It’s a filling and nutritious plant-based meal for any time of day! Serve it for breakfast, lunch or dinner, or as a healthy after-school snack.
Table of Contents
What is gobi paratha?
A gobi paratha is a north Indian whole wheat flatbread with a delicious, spiced cauliflower stuffing. It’s similar to aloo paratha and palak (spinach) paratha. The filling of cauliflower (“gobi” in Hindi) is wrapped inside whole wheat dough and roasted until crisp and golden.
In Indian homes a gobi ka paratha is often served hot off the griddle with a pat of butter for a healthy vegetarian Indian breakfast. But it is also perfect for a brown bag lunch or dinner.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Nutritious. With whole wheat and a healthful veggie, this paratha is healthy from the inside out! It’s loaded with fiber, protein, and it is low in calories, making it good eats whether you are watching your health, your diet, or both. You can use as little or as much oil as you want to when you roast the cauliflower paratha, or use a cooking spray. You can also make the paratha with no oil.
- Delicious and satisfying. The spicy gobhi paratha is so, so yummy, and just one or two will satisfy those hunger cravings.
- Easier recipe. There’s a learning curve with making any paratha, but I’ve created this recipe to make it extra simple for anyone, even a beginner, to learn how to make a gobi paratha. You may not get a perfect result the first few times but you will certainly get better with practice.
- Suitable to most diets. The paratha is soy-free and nut-free and it is vegan, of course.
Ingredients
Skip to the recipe card below for exact quantities of all ingredients.
For the whole wheat flatbread:
- Whole wheat durum flour or atta. You can substitute regular whole wheat flour but durum flour or atta flour, which is more finely ground, will give you the softest parathas. You can buy atta at Indian grocery stores or online.
- Ajwain (carom seeds). You can leave these out if you don’t have them, but if you do, they add a lovely flavor to parathas.
For the cauliflower filling:
- Neutral oil. Any vegetable oil, including avocado oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, peanut oil and grape seed oil.
- Cauliflower (called “phool gobi” in Hindi). You can grate a whole cauliflower head for this recipe or use riced cauliflower. If you use frozen riced cauliflower make sure you place the thawed cauliflower rice in a strainer and press out any excess water before adding it to the pan.
- Spices: Ground coriander, ground cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper or any red chilli powder and amchur (mango powder, optional).
- Cilantro (coriander leaves).
Variations
- Add ½ teaspoon of ground ginger or 1 teaspoon of finely grated ginger to the cauliflower while cooking. You can also replace the cayenne with finely chopped green chili peppers, like jalapeno or serrano, for a pop of fresh spice.
- Swap out all of the spices for 2 teaspoons of garam masala powder. Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon.
- Replace half the cauliflower with grated carrots or thinly shredded cabbage. You can also try this mix veg paratha recipe, which combines multiple veggies within the folds of a paratha.
How to make gobi paratha
Make the filling
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the grated cauliflower to the skillet and saute for a couple of minutes.
Add the spices to the cauliflower–cayenne, turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander, amchur, if using, and salt. Mix well and continue cooking until the cauliflower is quite dry and there is no moisture in the pan.
Stir in the cilantro and mix.
Set the stuffing aside to cool while you make the dough.
Make the dough
Place all ingredients for dough in a large mixing bowl — flour, ajwain, if using, and salt.
Drizzle in water slowly to make a stiff but very pliable dough. Cover with a damp kitchen towel or a tight lid and set aside for 30 minutes.
Make the paratha
Divide the dough into 18 pieces. Roll out two to a diameter of about four inches.
Place two tablespoons of the cauliflower stuffing mixture inside one of the rounds, leaving some space around the rim to seal the paratha. Brush the edges of the other round with water.
Place the round of dough brushed with water over the round with the stuffing and press the edges to form a tight seal. Flour the stuffed paratha dough and the surface.
Roll gently into a thin paratha. You can make the paratha thicker, if you like it so.
Heat a cast iron tava or griddle. Place the paratha on it and wait for small bubbles to form. Flip over, brush some oil on the paratha and cook until golden brown spots appear on the underside.
Flip once more and cook until both sides are golden brown. Serve hot.
Serving suggestions
Helpful tips and troubleshooting
- Grate the cauliflower using the small or medium holes on the grater or food processor. You don’t want large pieces of cauliflower in the filling.
- Stir the stuffing frequently as you cook it to ensure it loses all moisture. Don’t forget to add the salt because the salt will draw out moisture in the cauliflower.
- A good way to tell if the stuffing is done is to check when it starts sticking to the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat as soon as it begins to do that.
- When making the dough for the gobi paratha add water a little at a time to get a dough that is pliable but still quite stiff. Stop adding water as soon as the dough comes together, even if it looks rough–it will get smoother as you knead it. A soft dough will be difficult to stuff and roll.
- If you didn’t cook the cauliflower filling long enough and it still has some moisture in it, the filling will leak out as you roll the paratha. You can try adding a tablespoon or two of flour to the filling to help absorb the moisture.
- Serve the parathas as soon as they come off the griddle, or keep them wrapped in a cloth towel for a few minutes until it’s time to serve. This will keep them warm and soft. Parathas left standing for too long can be reheated in the microwave or on the griddle.
- If you are new to rolling parathas, watch a video and get more tips on rolling Indian flatbreads in my comprehensive post on how to make roti.
Recipe FAQs
I like to cook the cauliflower to remove the moisture from it. A raw cauliflower filling can express moisture as you roll the parathas, causing the filling to leak out and creating a royal mess. Also cooking cauliflower makes it far easier to digest and it gets rid of that cauliflower smell that so many despise.
However, if you want to use raw cauliflower in the filling (it will steam a bit when you roast the paratha), just mix the cauliflower with all the spices and cilantro and add a couple of tablespoons of flour to help absorb the moisture.
How soft the gobi parathas will turn out depends on what you add to the dough and how long you roast the paratha. If you want very soft parathas, add a bit of vegan yogurt to the dough. For this recipe add ¼ cup yogurt first and knead it in before adding more water. You can also add a couple of tablespoons of sourdough starter if you have it on hand (see instructions in my sourdough roti recipe).
When you roast the parathas make sure you brush them with oil and don’t wait for too many large golden spots to appear, which will result in a crispier paratha. Take the paratha off the griddle as soon as you see an even sprinkling of small golden spots on both sides.
This is an extremely healthy recipe with just 119 calories, four grams of protein and four grams of fiber in each paratha.
Storage instructions
- Refrigerate: Ideally don’t make more parathas than you need beforehand because they taste best when made fresh. You can store the dough and the filling in the fridge for up to three days. Let them stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour before assembling. If you do decide to make all the parathas first, place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to three days.
- Freeze: Place the cooked parathas in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze up to three months.
- Reheat: Thaw parathas if frozen and reheat on a griddle until warm and soft again. Brush some oil if needed. You can also reheat the parathas in the microwave. Spray lightly with water and microwave 30 seconds to a minute until warm and soft.
More delicious paratha recipes
If you love this gobi paratha recipe, be sure to check out more Indian vegan recipes on Holy Cow Vegan!
Gobi Paratha
In this gobi paratha recipe a whole wheat flatbread is stuffed with grated cauliflower, then roasted on a griddle to golden, delicious perfection. It’s a filling and nutritious plant-based meal for any time of day! Serve it for breakfast, lunch or dinner, or as a healthy after-school snack.
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe
Review Recipe
Servings: 9 gobi parathas
Calories: 119kcal
Prevent your screen from going dark
Instructions
Make the cauliflower filling
-
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the grated cauliflower to the skillet and saute for a couple of minutes.
-
Add the spices to the cauliflower–cayenne, turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander, amchur, if using, and salt. Mix well and continue cooking until the cauliflower is quite dry and there is no moisture in the pan.
-
Stir in the cilantro and mix. Set the stuffing aside to cool while you make the dough.
Make the dough
-
Place all ingredients for dough in a bowl — flour, ajwain, if using, and salt.
-
Drizzle in water slowly to make a stiff but very pliable dough. Cover with a damp kitchen towel or a tight lid and set aside for 30 minutes.
Make the gobi paratha
-
Divide the dough into 18 pieces. Roll out two to a diameter of about four inches each.
-
Place two tablespoons of stuffing inside one of the rounds, leaving some space around the rim to seal the paratha. Brush the edges of the other round with water.
-
Place the round of dough brushed with water over the round with the stuffing and press the edges to form a tight seal. Flour the stuffed paratha dough and the surface.
-
Use a rolling pin to roll gently into a thin paratha. You can make the paratha thicker, if you like it so.
-
Heat a cast iron tava or griddle. Place the paratha on it and wait for small bubbles to form. Flip over, brush some oil on the paratha or spray carefully with cooking spray, taking care not to get any on an open flame. Cook until golden brown spots appear on the underside.
-
Flip once more and cook until both sides are golden brown. Serve hot.
Recipe notes
- Nutrition information assumes the use of cooking spray while roasting the parathas.
Helpful tips and troubleshooting
- Grate the cauliflower using small or medium holes on the grater or food processor. You don’t want large pieces of cauliflower in the filling.
- Stir the stuffing frequently as you cook it to ensure it loses all moisture. Don’t forget to add the salt because the salt will draw out moisture in the cauliflower.
- A good way to tell if the stuffing is done is to check when it starts sticking to the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat as soon as it begins to do that.
- When making the dough for the gobi paratha add water a little at a time to get a dough that is pliable but still quite stiff. Stop adding water as soon as the dough comes together, even if it looks rough–it will get smoother as you knead it. A soft dough will be difficult to stuff and roll.
- If you didn’t cook the cauliflower filling long enough and it still has some moisture in it, the filling will leak out as you roll the paratha. You can try adding a tablespoon or two of flour to the filling to help absorb the moisture.
- Serve the parathas as soon as they come off the griddle, or keep them wrapped in a cloth towel for a few minutes until it’s time to serve. This will keep them warm and soft.
Storage instructions
- Refrigerate: Ideally don’t make more parathas than you need beforehand because they taste best when made fresh. You can store the dough and the filling in the fridge for up to three days. Let them stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour before assembling. If you do decide to make all the parathas first, place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to three days.
- Freeze: Place the cooked parathas in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze up to three months.
- Reheat: Thaw parathas if frozen and reheat on a griddle until warm and soft again. Brush some oil if needed. You can also reheat the parathas in the microwave. Spray lightly with water and microwave 30 seconds to a minute until warm and soft.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cauliflower paratha | Calories: 119kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Potassium: 199mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 98IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg
