Pyaaz Paratha - Indian Onion-Stuffed Flatbread

However, stuffed parathas take that simple classic up a notch! What I love about stuffed paratha is tasting the piping hot stuffing in every bite, all enveloped in that delicious rustic bread! If you love onions, then they’re going to be a star in this recipe! Of course, if you want extra heat, then feel free to add some green chili!

Unfortunately, at home I was never served these parathas. I first tasted these at school from my friends’ tiffin box (lunch box). My mind was totally blown, and I really wish I could have enjoyed these terrific flavorful parathas at home! For some reason, despite begging my mom for them, she never made them! Bummer! But that’s okay, now I can have these parathas whenever I feel like! I have to admit that these parathas sure are addictive!

Any kind of onion will work for this recipe, but here I will use red onions because they’re my favorite and I always have them on hand! Use red, yellow, or white, or even shallots or pearl onions! You could even try combinations of different onions!

This Onion-Stuffed Paratha recipe is easy to make - all you need to do is make your onion mixture and let it cool, and have prepared your paratha dough. Then, you’ll roll out your dough and add the stuffing.

These parathas are perfect for literally any meal of the day, and you can make them ahead of time! More information about that later on in this post! This flatbread is healthy and vegetarian making it a balanced and nutritious meal if paired with a protein-packed sabji. You can make onion paratha vegan if you don’t cook with ghee or butter and instead substitute with your favorite plant-based cooking oil. Coconut oil or olive oil would be excellent options.

Tools Needed

• Cutting board
• Chefs knife
• Nonstick pan
• Wooden spoon
• Mixing bowl
• Rolling pin
• Tawa or nonstick pan
• Basting brush

Ingredients for Pyaaz Paratha

Of course we need onions for this recipe, but let’s review all the other ingredients that will be in our recipe. Remember, all quantities can be found at the bottom of this post in the FULL, PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD! You can save the recipe and print it for later when you’re ready to cook!

• Atta flour
• Ajwain
• Water
• Salt
• Onion
• Cilantro
• Ghee
• Cumin seeds
• Hing
• Kashmiri red chili powder
• Ground coriander
• Turmeric
• Garam masala

Tips for the Perfect Onion-stuffed Paratha

• Ensure that you let the dough rest before making the paratha for the softest bread.
• Heat tawa pan until lightly smoking to get the classic smoky flavor in the paratha.
• Allow the onion mixture to completely cool down before stuffing it into your paratha dough so the paratha won’t break!
• Don’t overdo the seasoning so that the sweetness of the onions can truly shine.
• Top with additional ghee or butter for added yumminess.

Knead a Smooth, Soft and Pliable Dough

• To make the dough, combine flour, ajwain/carom seeds and water little bit at a time and knead into a smooth dough. The dough should be smooth but not sticky.
• Let dough rest for 20-30 minutes before stuffing. Resting helps to relax the dough so it is easier to stretch and roll out.

Add the Stuffing

There are two ways to stuff the paratha. I tend to lean towards method 1 since it helps ensure the center of the final paratha is stuffed evenly. In my experience, sealing the dough in method 2 creates a thicker center which pushes the stuffing out.

Let me know if you have any tips for me!

How to Make a Memorable Onion Paratha!

Make the Onion Mix

1. Finely chop the onions and fresh cilantro.
2. Heat a pan on medium heat and add olive oil/ghee. Add cumin seeds and hing and cook until aromatic.
3. Add onions and a pinch of salt and sauté for a few minutes. Add red chili powder, ground coriander and turmeric. Mix well and sauté for 5-10 minutes or until the onions turn soft.
4. Once the onions are soft, add garam masala and cilantro and mix well, turn off the heat and set aside in a bowl to cool down completely.

Method 1

• Divide the dough into 8-12 equal portions. Working with two portions at a time, roll dough out into 4 inch disks.
• Add a spoonful onion mix in the center of one disk and cover with the second disk.
• Press gently to seal the edges and using a rolling pin, roll out into a thin disk, careful not to break the seal.

Method 2

• Divide the dough into 4-6 equal portions. Working with one portion at a time, roll dough out into a 4 inch disk.
• Add a spoonful of onion mix to the center of the disk, and seal around the edges of the disk. This will resemble a dumpling.
• Gently press down, lightly dust flour onto the dough, and roll out into a thin disk.

Cook the Paratha

• Heat a pan/tawa on medium high heat and place your paratha. Cook for a minute or two or until you have brown spots on the underside.
• Flip the paratha and cook other side. While it cooks, spread some ghee on top of the paratha and around its edges.
• Enjoy plain or with your favorite curry!

Serving Suggestions

I think you could have this pyaaz paratha alone or with your favorite sabji! The onion filling is rich enough that it would be hearty enough to enjoy this paratha with some yogurt for breakfast. However, if you want to make it more of a balanced meal with more protein and to be more filling for lunch or dinner, then there are so many options you could serve this stuffed onion paratha with - whether you want to eat vegetarian or a meat dish, the choice is yours!

In the picture below, I served my paratha with a quick and easy Aloo Beans Sabji!

Try out your piping hot paratha with the following main dishes:

• Masaledar Chana Dal: Spiced Yellow-Split Pea Soup
• Aloo Bhujia: Crispy spiced potato stir fry.
• Baingan Bharta: Eggplant Curry
• Masoor Dal: Brown Lentil Soup
• Rajma Masala: Curried Red Kidney Beans
• Instant Pot Dal Tadka: Mixed Yellow Lentils
• Lobia Masala: Black Eyed Pea Curry
• Easy Classic Chole Masala: Chickpea Curry
• Juicy Chicken Keema Masala: Minced Chicken Curry

Basically, you can have these breads with any homestyle dish!

Other Paratha Recipes

• Punjabi Aloo Paratha
• Stuffed Chicken Keema Paratha
• Soft & Flaky Lachha Paratha
• Classic Layered Paratha
• Hari Mirchi Paratha
• Tasty Paneer Paratha