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A paratha is a flatbread that originated in the Indian subcontinent. It is still prevalent throughout India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh, where wheat is grown and is the traditional staple of the area.

Paratha is an amalgamation of the words parat and atta, which literally means layers of cooked dough. Alternative spellings and names include parantha, parauntha, prontha, parontay (in Punjabi), porota (in Bengali), palata, porotha (in Assamese), forota (in Sylheti), and farata (in Mauritius, Sri Lanka and the Maldives).

Parathas are one of the most popular unleavened flat breads in the northern part of the Indian Subcontinent and they are made by baking or cooking whole wheat dough on a tava, and finishing off with shallow frying. Parathas are thicker and more substantial than chapatis/rotis (an Indian breads).

Carrot Paratha/Gajar Paratha is an Indian flatbread made with grated carrots and whole wheat flour and are cooked on a tava. Carrot parathas can be eaten as a breakfast dish or as a tea-time (tiffin) snack and is a good option for kids lunch box.

Carrot paratha are very delicious and healthy. They are crispy from outside and soft from inside. They goes very well with butter, curd/yogurt or pickle. They are also very easy to make.

I learned this from my mother. She used to cook this as breakfast and we all enjoyed it. She served it super hot with butter and homemade curd/yogurt. It's one of my favourite parathas.

My husband never had and heard of carrot paratha and when I cooked he liked it so much and we use to cook it either in breakfast or sometimes in dinner.

Ingredients

Preparation

• To begin making the Carrot/Gajar Paratha, first make the dough.

• For the dough, take 2 cups of whole wheat flour in a big bowl. Add salt and oil to it. Mix it well.

• Slowly add water to it and knead it into a soft and smooth dough with your hands.

• If the dough becomes too sticky add some whole wheat flour and knead again. If it looks dry and crumbly, add some water and knead it well.

• Cover the dough with a wet cloth and let it rest for 10 - 15 minutes.

• Wash the carrots and peel off it's skin, then grate the carrots with the help of a grater and squeeze out all its juice/water.

• Now add ajwain (carom seeds), red chilli powder, finely chopped green chillies, salt to taste (keep in mind that you already put salt in the dough, so add salt accordingly), finely chopped ginger into the grated carrots and squeezed and mix well.

• Now stuffing is ready to be used in carrot paratha.

• Take some dry wheat flour in a plate. Pinch the dough and take a big lemon sized dough. Give it a round shape and press it between your palms to make a dough pattie.

• Take a dough pattie and coat it with dry  flour. With the help of rolling pin, roll it into a 3 inch diameter circle/disc.

• Put some carrots stuffing on the centre of the rolled dough. Bring the edges together and join them in the centre.

• Just tap the centre and it would look like a neat stuffed ball.

• Coat it with the dry wheat flour. Roll it into a 6-7 inch diameter circle/disc. Use the dry flour while rolling as is required.

• Heat tava or a pan on a high flame. Once its hot place already rolled paratha onto it and reduce the flame to medium one.

• When you see bubbles forming on the top, flip it over to the other side and apply some oil or ghee. After a minute or so flip it again and apply oil or ghee on the other side also.

• Cook both the sides of the parathas well until brown spots appear. Paratha is ready. Now follow the same procedure and make the rest of the parathas.

• They are ready to serve.

• Serve them hot with butter, pickle or yogurt/curd.