Ajwain paratha is a crisp, flaky, layered unleavened whole wheat flatbread stuffed with ajwain (carom seeds). They are usually made for breakfast or lunch.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 20 minutes
  • Cook time: 30 minutes
  • Total time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 10 · 10 Ajwain Paratha
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Cuisine: North Indian

Ingredients

  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons oil (or ghee (clarified butter))
  • salt (as required)
  • water (as required for kneading the dough)
  • 1 tablespoon ajwain ((carom seeds or thymol seeds or bishops weed or omam or owa or ajmo))
  • oil (or ghee as required for roasting)
  • salt (as required)

Method

  1. Mix the salt with the flour. Add the oil/ghee and some water.
  2. Knead into a smooth and soft dough. Add some more water if required.
  3. Keep the dough covered for 20 to 30 minutes.
  4. Take a medium sized ball from the dough.
  5. Roll it into a small disc/round of about 4 inches in diameter.
  6. Apply or brush oil or ghee on the surface.
  7. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon or less of the ajwain seeds along with 1 to 2 pinches of salt.
  8. Fold the dough as shown in the step by step photos above applying ghee or oil.
  9. Roll into a paratha of approx 6 to 7 inches diameter.
  10. On a hot tawa (skillet or griddle) place the rolled paratha. The tawa should be hot and not at a low temperature. Cooking parathas at a low flame will harden them. Keep the flame to medium-high to high.
  11. Fry on a hot tava or griddle with a teaspoon of oil/ghee or more as required till both sides become well browned.
  12. You can flip the paratha a couple of times till you see brown spots and the paratha is cooked evenly. Also make sure that the paratha edges are cooked well. If not then press them with a spatula for even cooking. Make all parathas this way.
  13. You can serve them hot or stack them in a roti basket to be served later.
  14. Serve these ajwain parathas hot or warm with some lemon pickle or mango pickle or raita or with a cup of hot tea.
  15. Ajwain paratha can also be served with a side indian veggie dish.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.