Ajwain ka Paratha, also known as ajwain mirchi paratha, is a simple Indian flatbread recipe made from ajwain (carom seeds), red chili powder, ghee, salt, and whole wheat flour. It can be made for breakfast, lunch, and kids lunch box.
Some recipes trigger beautiful memories and bring an instant smile. Ajwain paratha is one such recipe for me. My childhood best friend often brought Ajwain Mirchi Paratha to school, and even after 18 years, its taste remains unforgettable.
Whenever we go on a road trip or need a quick lunchbox recipe, this, aloo paratha, and dal paratha are my go-to options—my daughter loves them! Ajwain paratha stays good for two days at room temperature and tastes best when eaten hot with plain yogurt or pickle.
Here, I have made square-shaped masala paratha. Adding homemade ghee between the layers makes it flaky and soft. Traditionally, Ajwain parathas are made in a triangular shape, giving the same texture as the square one. Alternatively, you can knead wheat flour with ajwain, red chili powder, salt, and ghee to make round-shaped parathas.
Ajwain is a commonly found ingredient in the Indian Kitchen. It fulfills the twin purpose of adding flavor to your dish and provides numerous health benefits.
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Benefits of Ajwain/Carom seeds?
Ajwain seeds are rich in fiber, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. They treat any abdominal discomfort due to indigestion, like stomach pain or burning sensation, and provide medicine for cough and cold. The benefits of ajwain are aplenty. - Source.
Ajwain Ka Paratha Ingredients
- Wheat flour: I used whole wheat flour for this paratha. You can also use multigrain flour too.
- Ajwain (carrom seeds): Crush the ajwain before adding it to the paratha. It gives excellent flavor.
- Red chili powder & Salt: Adding red chili and salt gives a nice spice to the dish. However, you can skip red chili powder to make plain Namak aur Ajwain ka Parantha.
- Ghee or oil: I always prefer adding ghee for parathas, it makes parathas more soft and delicious.
How to Make Ajwain Mirch Paratha
First, take 1 cup of wheat flour, 1 teaspoon of oil, and salt in a wide bowl. Mix well.
Add some water and keep kneading till you get a smooth dough. The dough should be tight and firm (not soft). Rest for 15-20 minutes.
Make balls from the dough. I was able to get six balls.
Roll the parathas to a 3-inch diameter circle using a chapati roller. Then, spread a little oil or ghee on it using a spoon or brush. I prefer using ghee.
Sprinkle some salt, red chili powder, ajwain, and wheat flour evenly. You can also use your finger and spread them uniformly, making sure all the spices are nicely combined.
Fold from one side (from right), then the other side covering the previous fold (from left). Again, spread ghee and sprinkle some wheat flour.
Fold from the top and the other side covering the previous fold (from the bottom). It should look like a square.
Roll it into a slightly thick square-shaped paratha.
Heat a tawa/skillet on medium heat, place the paratha, and let it cook. Once you see bubbles, press with a laddle. It will puff up, flip it onto the other side, and drizzle some ghee or oil on top.
Lastly, flip again and drizzle oil or ghee on the other side until they have nice golden spots on both sides.
Serve ajwain ka paratha with curd, pickle, raita, ketchup, or any curry of your choice.
Serving Suggestions
Serve ajwain mirch paratha with plain yogurt, boondi raita, and curries like paneer makhani, or dal tadka.
Tips & Variations
- Use ghee to make parathas more flavorful. Otherwise, you can use oil, too.
- These parathas taste the best when eaten hot.
- You can also skip red chili powder to make plain ajwain paratha.
- You can make this paratha in any preferable shape of your choice.
- If you run out of time, simply knead everything together and make the parathas.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, carom seeds paratha is made up of wheat flour, water, salt, a few spices, and oil or ghee. Replace the ghee with vegetable oil in the recipe.
Roll the dough into a circle, apply ghee, and sprinkle some salt, red chili powder, ajwain & flour. Then, fold the rolled dough in half to form a semi-circle. Next, fold from one end of the semi-circle to form a triangle shape. Finally, dust some flour and roll it thin, maintaining the triangular shape.
If you have kids going to school and running out of school lunch ideas, check my 75+ kids lunch box recipes posts.
Ajwain Mirchi Paratha + Paneer Bhurji + Carrot & Cucumber
Ajwain Paratha
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour (or multigrain)
- 2 teaspoons ajwain (carrom seeds)
- red chili powder as needed
- salt adjust to taste
- oil (or ghee), as needed, to cook parathas
- water to knead the dough
Instructions
- Firstly, take wheat flour, oil, and salt in a wide bowl. Mix well.
- Add some water and keep kneading till you get the smooth dough. Dough should be tight and firm (not soft). Rest for 15-20 minutes.
- Make balls from the dough. I was able to get six balls.
- Roll the parathas to a 3-inch diameter circle using a chapati roller. Then spread little oil or ghee on it using a spoon or brush. I prefer using ghee.Sprinkle some salt, red chili powder, ajwain & wheat flour evenly. Or you can also use your finger and spread uniformly, making sure all the spices are nicely combined.
- Fold from one side (from right), then the other side covering the previous fold (from left). Again spread ghee and sprinkle some wheat flour.
- Fold from the top and the other side covering the previous fold (from the bottom). It should look like a square.
- Then roll it to a slightly thick square-shaped paratha.
- Heat a tawa/skillet on medium heat and place the paratha and let it cook. Once you see bubbles, press with a laddle it will puff up, flip on to the other side drizzle some ghee or oil on top.
- Lastly, Flip again and drizzle oil or ghee on the other side until they have nice golden spots on both sides.
- Serve ajwain ka paratha recipe with curd, pickle, raita, ketchup, or any curry of your choice.
Notes
Tips & Variations
- Use ghee to make parathas more flavorful, otherwise, you can use oil too.
- These parathas taste the best when eaten hot.
- You can also skip red chili powder to make plain ajwain paratha.
- You can make this paratha in any preferable shape of your choice.
- If you are running out of time, simply knead everything together and make the parathas.
Nutrition
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Anushree
Tried this recipe, very yummy! But why does my parantha become hard as soon as it cools down..
Bhavana Patil
Hi Anushree, i am glad you liked the recipe. There can many reasons paratha is getting hard
1.Too much flour on the parathas can make them hard.
2.cook on medium high flame
3.Also knead the dough/atta for more time for soft parathas.
Hope this helps
Ramya
Very easy , healthy and soft parathas. !! Thank you for the recipe.
bhavana
Thank you Ramya ?