If you’re preparing piping hot parathas, you’re probably what to eat with paratha ! These are the best vegetarian Indian side dishes for paratha ranging from simple dips to delicious veg side dishes.

A collage of nine different side dish recipes for paratha. - 1
  • What to serve with paratha for breakfast
  • Vegetable Curries
  • Paneer Curries
  • Dal / Lentils / Beans
  • Drinks
  • Sweet dishes
  • Pickles / Chutneys / Sauce / Raita
  • Jam / Ghee
  • FAQs

Paratha are pan-fried unleavened Indian and Pakistani flatbreads usually made with whole wheat flour but can be made with plain flour.

They can be plain and flaky in texture or are commonly stuffed with potatoes, cauliflower, paneer or radish.

They’re pretty straight forward to make at home but you can also find frozen paratha in larger supermarkets and South Asian grocery stores.

Your choice of side dishes ultimately depends on which style of paratha you are making and what time of the day you’re making them.

Paratha are enjoyed throughout India for breakfast, lunch or dinner with varying sides.

Plain parathas go with pretty much any side as they do not have any added spices. You can serve them with a simple easy side, a curry or even a sweet dish. Ajwain parathas only have the addition of carom seeds so pair with a lot of different dishes too.

Stuffed paratha such as aloo paratha, aloo pyaaz paratha or paneer paratha are almost a meal in themselves and will go best with yogurt or a creamy drink. However, many enjoy them with a spicy pickle, tomato ketchup and chai.

Paratha recipes we love are Dal Paratha and Methi Thepla .

What to serve with paratha for breakfast

Paratha and breakfast go hand in hand in so many Indian homes.

Aloo Paratha is a very popular dish for breakfast and most often this will be served with yogurt or raita (boondi, cucumber are all good options) or chutneys. Chai is a must at breakfast.

Saying that, simple curries such as potato curry or a mild chickpea curry are also eaten at breakfast times. Basically you want any quick side dish for busy mornings.

Kids will love paratha with ketchup, jam or even a chocolate spread.

Vegetable Curries

Paratha can be enjoyed with curries that have a gravy or dry sabzis. If serving with a dry sabji, then you definitely would want to add a raita or chutney to make the dish easier to eat.

You can find a huge variety of Vegetable curries or Paneer Curries which both go amazing with paratha.

indian vegetable curry in a pan next to chapati plate - 2 A bowl of bombay potatoes - 3 zucchini curry in a pan - 4 aloo shimla mirch ki sukhi sabji in a pan with a wooden serving spoon - 5 Potato and spinach curry served in a kadai. - 6 Indian style cabbage curry served in the big bowl with two serving spoons - 7 70+ Side Dishes for Paratha (What to eat with Paratha) - 8 aloo baingan in a pan garnished with freshly chopped coriander - 9 Brinjal bhaji or curry in a pan with two serving spoon - 10 sev tameta nu shaak served in a metal bowl with serving spoon - 11 Tindora nu shaak or sabji in a pan - 12 a black bowl filled with cabbage and potato curry served with a lemon wedge and garnished with coriander leaves - 13 Bhindi bhaji served in a small kadai style bowl with serving spoons - 14 aloo methi served in a black bowl with two serving spoons - 15 a brown bowl with corn on the cobs coated in a spicy peanut sauce and garnished with fresh cilantro coriander - 16 a black bowl filled with potato chips curry and garnished with coriander and lime - 17 Gujarati bateta served with poori and some sweets on the plate. - 18 Aloo gobi matar served with chapati and salad on the side on the dining table - 19 Instant pot aloo gobi sukha without onion garlic served in a bowl with roti on the side - 20 a dark kadai filled with baby potatoes covered in a rich red sauce and garnished with a single coriander leaf - 21 70+ Side Dishes for Paratha (What to eat with Paratha) - 22 A bowl of aloo tamatar ki sabji placed on a wodden board. - 23 karela sabzi or karela nu shaak bowl placed on a piece of jute. - 24 Ringan palita served in a white dish on the table. - 25

Paneer Curries

A bowl of paneer spinach kofta curry placed next to dinner plates on dining table - 26 Punjabi shahi paneer garnished with chopped coriander, saffron and cream - 27 Punjabi saag paneer placed in iron kadai and topped with a red chilli - 28 70+ Side Dishes for Paratha (What to eat with Paratha) - 29 Panch Phoran Paneer served in a serving bowl. - 30 Instant pot palak paneer served in a white dish with a servign spoon - 31 A picture Niramish paneer served in a black serving bowl with a serving spoon - 32 A bowl of paneer jalfrezi placed on a pewter plate - 33 paneer kali mirch served in a copper serving bowl. - 34 70+ Side Dishes for Paratha (What to eat with Paratha) - 35 70+ Side Dishes for Paratha (What to eat with Paratha) - 36

Dal / Lentils / Beans

Piping hot dal is just waiting to be dunked into. You’ll need a rice dish such as jeera rice and a dry vegetable curry alongside your dal to make it a complete meal.

A bowl of Authentic Chana masala in a plate next to naan and rice bowl - 37 Dishoom black dal served in a bowl topped with butter and cream - 38 whole masoor dal in a pan with serving spoon - 39 An overhead shot of spinach chana dal served with a wooden spoon in a pan - 40 Dal makhni or instant pot slow cooked dal makhni served in a bowl with a spoon - 41 Instant pot easy Gujarati chana dal served in a bowl with roti on the side plate - 42 dhaba style dal fry served in a small bowl garnished with chopped fresh cilantro - 43 aloo chana masala served in a cast iron skillet - 44 image of a small black kadai with yellow daal garnished with a oil tempering - 45 chana saag curry served in a small bowl garnished with onion slices - 46 Mug nu saak served with rice and salad in a bowl with a spoon - 47

Drinks

In our house, paratha are pretty much always served with a steaming mug of chai (Indian style tea)! Another common drink that pairs well with paratha is lassi which is a yogurt based drink that can be flavoured sweet or salty.

two cups of cardamom chai placed on the two saucers. - 48 A cup of karak chai served with a cookie. - 49 Three cups of masala chai next to cookie jar - 50 sweet lassi served two serving glasses - 51 an image of 3 bottles filled with white lassi abd topped with green nuts. served on a round indian style decorative plate - 52 masala milk or masala doodh served in two cups on a table. - 53 A glass of indian kesar milk or saffron milk placed on a vintage style metal tray. - 54 easy strawberry lassi served in two tall glasses - 55 70+ Side Dishes for Paratha (What to eat with Paratha) - 56 sweet lassi served two serving glasses - 57 yellow mango lassi in a plain clear tall glass against a grey backdrop - 58 three glasses of indian mango lassi placed on a white board. - 59

Sweet dishes

Complete your meal with a delicious creamy sweet dish.

two bowls of kheer placed on a brass serving tray - 60 instant shrikhand in a bowl garnished with saffron and nuts - 61 Sooji no siro or suji ka halwa served in a bowl - 62 Aate ka halwa with mawa in a metal bowl next to a serving spoon - 63

Pickles / Chutneys / Sauce / Raita

The easiest and quickest side dishes are undoubtedly some sort of chutney or raita. Many chutneys are always stocked in Indian and Pakistani homes, whether shop bought or homemade.

Raita is super easy to whip up but you can always just go for plain yogurt!

Yogurt dips like simple raita like cucumber raita, boondi raita or fruit raita add flavour and texture and are my personal favourite go-to sides for paratha.

Spicy chutneys go best with plain paratha and mild sweet chutneys such as a mango pickle are better with stuffed. However, you can always try out different options and see what you like.

I love green mint and coriander chutney – this delicious recipe has a bright green color and a bright zingy flavour making it a good option at lunch time.

Poppadom dips such as Indian onion salad or Indian mint sauce go well too.

Gujarati lasan ni chutney in a small ceramic bowl - 64 Green mint and coriander chutney placed in a small glass jar on a black slate tile - 65 mango chunda recipe bottle placed next to another pickle jar on a shelf. - 66 Keri no murrabo or murabba filled in two small galls jars - 67 instant carrot chilli pickle in a black serving bowl. - 68 gajar marcha athanu in a wide black bowl. - 69 Indian onion salad in a bowl garnished with chopped coriander and mint - 70 Over head shot of best schezwan suace in a jar on cream coloured backdrop - 71 A female hand is serving cucumber raita using a spoon - 72 70+ Side Dishes for Paratha (What to eat with Paratha) - 73 kaddu ka raita bowl placed on the table. - 74 Fruit raita served in a bowl with a serving spoon. - 75

Jam / Ghee

Strawberry and Rhubarab jam in a jar with butter knife - 76 christmas jam jar placed on a metal plate next to few spoons - 77 70+ Side Dishes for Paratha (What to eat with Paratha) - 78

The best side dishes for aloo paratha include a pickle, a cooling yogurt raita or a creamy sweet or salty lassi.

A simple mild curry like potato curry and a raita are typically served with palak paratha.

You can top paratha with ghee, condensed milk, pickle, thick sauces, jam or nutella.

A large image of paratha next to four separate images of what to eat with paratha. - 79

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A collage of nine different side dish recipes for paratha. - 80

Side Dishes for Paratha

Equipment

  • pot Pan or kadai
  • Food processor
  • Pressure cooker

Ingredients

  • 1 Raita
  • 1 Masala Chai
  • 1 Lassi
  • 1 Yogurt
  • 1 Pickle
  • 1 Aloo tamatar sabji
  • 1 Chutney
  • 1 Cucumber and onion salad
  • 1 Vegetable curry
  • 1 Chana Masala
  • 1 Rice Kheer
  • 1 Halwa recipe

Instructions

  • Prepare your favourite parathas.
  • For breakfast you might like to have Lassi or yogurt, pickle and masala chai with your stuffed paratha.
  • For brunch include aloo tamatar sabji and halwa with plain paratha.
  • Whole wheat paratha can be enjoyed with chana masala, raita, chutney and rice kheer for lunch.
  • Pair tawa paratha with vegetable curry, cucumber onion salad and yogurt for dinner.
  • Click on your favourite paratha side dishes recipe link above in the post.
  • Read it through and prepare the side dish by following the instaructions given in the post in recipe card and video or step by step pictures.
  • Serve and enjoy Paratha side dishes with your friends and family.

PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.

A collage of nine different side dish recipes for paratha. - 81

Side Dishes for Paratha

Equipment

  • pot Pan or kadai
  • Food processor
  • Pressure cooker

Ingredients

  • 1 Raita
  • 1 Masala Chai
  • 1 Lassi
  • 1 Yogurt
  • 1 Pickle
  • 1 Aloo tamatar sabji
  • 1 Chutney
  • 1 Cucumber and onion salad
  • 1 Vegetable curry
  • 1 Chana Masala
  • 1 Rice Kheer
  • 1 Halwa recipe

Instructions

  • Prepare your favourite parathas.
  • For breakfast you might like to have Lassi or yogurt, pickle and masala chai with your stuffed paratha.
  • For brunch include aloo tamatar sabji and halwa with plain paratha.
  • Whole wheat paratha can be enjoyed with chana masala, raita, chutney and rice kheer for lunch.
  • Pair tawa paratha with vegetable curry, cucumber onion salad and yogurt for dinner.
  • Click on your favourite paratha side dishes recipe link above in the post.
  • Read it through and prepare the side dish by following the instaructions given in the post in recipe card and video or step by step pictures.
  • Serve and enjoy Paratha side dishes with your friends and family.

PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.

These shallow-fried wholewheat Punjabi-style Ajwain Paratha are crispy and flaky, making perfect for dipping into Indian curries or these side dishes for paratha .

Half flaky ajwain paratha placed on stack of other paratha on a round plate. - 82

Parathas are an Indian style flatbread and are hugely popular in North India. They are prepared with wholewheat flour and roasted on a skillet with oil or ghee until you get light golden spots on both sides.

Plain paratha without any spices or vegetable pair well with spicy curries such as Matar Paneer or Chana Masala

Add some basic spices and vegetables to the dough to make tasty and flavourful paratha like these Masala Lachha Paratha or Dal Paratha . They make a heavenly pair with Fruit and Nut Raita or Instant Raiti Gor Keri pickle.

On the other hand, stuffed parathas make a filling and delightful meal. You can fill parathas with a savoury stuffing such as potatoes or paneer . We can’t get enough of our Potato and Onion Paratha and Paneer Paratha .

You can have very soft or crispy paratha depending on what type of side dish you pair them with.

Ajwain paratha, pronounced AJH-WINE is a variation of the basic plain paratha where a tiny amount of carom seeds are added to the dough. Indian recipes that are a bit heavy such as Puri , Pakora, Raab or Ratlami Sev are made using carom seeds.

Ajwain makes these parathas really tasty and inviting and give a flavour that is similar to thyme.

Serve these namak ajwain paratha for breakfast, lunch, in a lunch box or dinner.

You can also make methi ajwain paratha by adding either fresh methi (fenugreek leaves) or kasoori methi to the dough.

small bowl of ajwain or carom seeds placed on a wooden board. - 83

Tips

Do not compromise in adding oil to make them flaky and crispy

Rest the dough for at least 10 minutes to soften it

They are best served warm

Make plain like roti, triangle with layers or as laccha paratha

Frying in ghee makes them authentic punjabi paratha, but vegans can use oil.

How to make Triangle Paratha

In a parat (big and wide plate) or large bowl combine flour, salt, ajwain and little oil.

Knead, soft and pliable dough using water.

Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel or kitchen cloth and leave it for 10 minutes.

In a plate flour, carom seeds and salt mixed to make paratha. - 84 dough for ajwain parathas in a big stainless steel plate. - 85

When you are ready to make paratha, once again knead the dough for one or two minutes.

Divide the dough in equal sizes and make round dough balls.

Dust the flour on working surface or rolling board , first roll one ball into a small circle using rolling pin.

Now apply a little oil and dust some flour on the top side (this step will give you flaky layers).

Fold the circle into a semi-circle and once again apply little oil and flour and fold it again.

You will now have small triangle paratha, roll into a bigger triangle without giving too much pressure and if needed dust some more flour and roll paratha.

dough rolled into round disk. - 86 half folded rolled dough spread with oil and flour. - 87 folded rolled dough on a wooden working board. - 88 uncooked triangle ajwain paratha on a smooth working surface. - 89

Heat griddle or tawa on medium heat.

Place a paratha on the hot griddle and cook for 20 seconds, or until the bottom side starts to brown and the top slightly bubble.

Turn the paratha over using a spatula, apply little oil and continue cooking for about 30 seconds, or until golden brown spots appear.

Flip it over one more time and, using the spatula and apply oil, carefully press down all over. Turn over again and repeat on the other side until you reach the desired crispiness.

Keep each paratha warm, while you repeat to cook them all. Serve hot.

uncooked paratha on a hot griddle on stove top. - 90 A female hand is picking up a cooked ajwain paratha from the tawa using a spatula. - 91

What to serve with Crispy Ajwain Paratha

These parathas are pair so well with any Indian style curry, sabji, daal and pickle or chutney.

Serve it at breakfast with a cup of masala chai , plain yogurt and aloo tamatar ki sabji .

These parathas taste great with dal tadka too.

We love them with Ringan Bateta Nu Saak (potato and aubergine curry) and chaas.

Four ajwain namak paratha in a round tray. - 92

Storage

Once the paratha reach room temperature, store them in an airtight container. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave.

You can also freeze paratha – keep each one separate with a piece of parchment paper then store flat in freezer safe bags. You can reheat directly from frozen on a tawa.

Other Indian Flatbread Recipes

Gujarati Rotli

Spinach Roti

Methi Paratha

As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!

Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!

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Half ajwain paratha placed on stack of other paratha on a round plate. - 93

Ajwain Paratha

Equipment

  • 1 Mixing bowl
  • 1 Rolling Pin
  • 1 Griddle or tawa

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour chapatti flour + extra for dusting
  • ½ teaspoon Carom seeds ajwain
  • 2 tablespoon oil + for shallow frying
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Place flour, salt, ajwain and oil in a big bowl and mix with your hand till you get a crumbly mix.
  • Add water little by little and make a soft dough and leave it aside covered for 10-15 minutes.
  • When you are ready to make paratha, once again knead the dough for one or two minutes.
  • Then divide the dough in equal sizes and make round balls.
  • Dust the flour on working surface, first roll one ball into a small circle
  • Now apply little oil and dust some flour on it (this step will give you flaky layers)
  • Fold the circle into a semi-circle and once again apply little oil and flour and fold it again.
  • You will have small triangle paratha, roll into a bigger triangle without giving too much pressure if needed dust some flour and roll paratha.
  • Heat griddle or tawa on medium heat.
  • Place a paratha on the griddle and cook for 20 seconds, or until the top starts to brown and slightly bubble.
  • Turn the paratha over using a spatula, apply little oil and continue cooking for about 30 seconds, or until brown spots appear.
  • Flip it over one more time and, using the spatula and apply oil, carefully press down all over. Turn over again and repeat on the other side until you have the desired crispiness.
  • Keep each paratha warm, while you repeat to cook them all. Serve hot.
  • Enjoy with any curry, raita or Chutney.

Video

Notes

Nutrition

PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Note:- This post was originally posted on June9th 2013 but I have updated the post since with helpful content.