Try this easy and delicious recipe for Spinach and Black Bean Paratha.
This Indian flatbread has a green spinach-enriched dough, a spicy black bean and cheese filling and 20g protein per serving if you pair them with cottage cheese.
A delicious, wholesome breakfast, lunch or dinner. I enjoy mine with either cottage cheese or Greek yoghurt, red onion, chilli and Indian pickle.
What is paratha?
Paratha is a world-famous flatbread from the Indian subcontinent.
It comes in many different flavours and textures. Some are plain and flaky, whilst others are stuffed with various fillings from potatoes, to radish.
This style of flatbread is enjoyed throughout India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and beyond.
Flaky flatbreads around the world
Many countries have a version of delicious, flaky flatbread similar to paratha.
Malaysia’s roti canai is similar to Indian paratha, as are the Chinese scallion pancakes called cong you bing. Msemmen, the North African semolina flatbread also have a flaky, layered texture.
What’s typically referred to as roti in parts of the Caribbean is prepared in a similar way to paratha.
It’s also known as ‘buss up shot’, a name which nods to the action of clapping the cooked bread in your hands to reveal the flaky layers.
Indian paratha are typically made with whole wheat flour (atta), water, salt, and often ghee or oil.
The dough is rolled out, sometimes layered and sometimes stuffed with various fillings, and then cooked on a tawa (griddle) until golden brown and flaky.
Here I’ll share my recipe for Spinach and Black Bean Paratha.
They have a crispy spinach dough and spicy black bean and cheese filling reminiscent of a vegetarian Mexican quesadilla.
What to serve with stuffed paratha
Unlike plain paratha (laccha paratha), stuffed paratha generally aren’t eaten with curry or daal, since the spicy filling is already inside.
Stuffed paratha are therefore usually enjoyed with achaar (pickle), a salad of raw onions and chillies and plain yoghurt or tea.
This is a mouth watering and nostalgic breakfast or brunch that’ll set you up nicely for the day!
How to make vegan Spinach and Black Bean Paratha
It’s super easy to veganize this Spinach and Black Bean Paratha recipe.
Simply replace the cheese with your favourite vegan cheese or omit the cheese altogether.
More Indian paratha recipes
- Aloo Paratha (Potato-Stuffed Flatbread)
- Punjabi Mooli Paratha (Radish-Stuffed Flatbread)
- Saffron Paratha
- Paneer Kulcha
How to freeze paratha
To freeze, cook all of the paratha as per the recipe directions. Allow to cool and then stack the flatbreads, placing a piece of baking parchment between each one.
Wrap the stack in a few layers of aluminium foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
Defrost at room temperature or in the microwave for 30-40 seconds and then cook in a hot frying pan on both sides to crisp up the paratha.
Step-by-step instructions for making Spinach and Black Bean Paratha
1. Make the filling
Begin by making the filling for the paratha as it needs time to cool completely before stuffing. Heat the oil in a large frying pan.
Add the onions and sauté over a medium heat until lightly golden brown, about 8 minutes.
Add the ginger, ground coriander, cumin, chilli powder, smoked paprika and salt.
Stir briefly and quickly add the black beans, garam masala and water. Stir well.
Mash the mixture with a potato masher until it resembles a bean burger patty texture that holds together when mixed.
Some whole beans are fine. Continue to cook until the mixture is fairly dry, 2-3 minutes. Transfer the filling to a plate to cool completely.
Once the filling has cooled, mix in the grated cheese and coriander.
2. Prepare the dough
To make the dough, mix together the flour, gram flour, salt and kasoori methi if using in a large bowl.
Wilt the spinach in a dry saucepan (do not add any water).
Place into a vessel suitable for blending or transfer to a blender jar. Add the warm water and blend until you have a totally smooth purée.
Add the spinach purée to the flour mixture and bring together using a spoon until you have a rough, shaggy dough.
Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
Add the oil and knead for a further 3-4 minutes. Cover the dough with cling film and allow to rest for 20-30 minutes.
3. Enclose the filling inside the dough
Divide the dough into 6 equal portions and repeat for the filling.
I roll the dough into approximately 100g balls and the filling into 80g balls. Cover the dough with cling film to prevent it drying out.
Roll or pat the dough out to about 8cm in diameter. Place a portion of filling on top and pinch the dough together to fully enclose it inside.
Repeat for the remaining dough and filling portions. Cover with cling film when all the fillings have been enclosed.
4. Roll the paratha
Now, place the disc on a rolling board or clean work surface.
Dust with a small amount of additional wholewheat atta and gently use your middle three fingers (palm-side down) to pat the dough into a thick round disc, starting from the centre and working your way outwards. This will help distribute the filling evenly.
Use a rolling pin to gently roll the dough in a circular motion. You can use your hands to turn it as you roll.
Once the paratha reaches the desired size, I stop at around 25cm. Carefully roll up and down a few times to even out the surface. The paratha is now ready to be cooked.
5. Cook the paratha
Pre-heat a tawa or non-stick frying pan over a medium heat for about 3-4 minutes.
Place the paratha down and cook for 30-40 seconds. Flip it over with a spatula and brush a small amount of oil all over the surface of the paratha.
Allow this side to cook for a minute before using a spatula to flip it over. Brush a small amount of oil on the second side.
Once the paratha is golden brown all over, remove from the tawa.
Keep warm on a plate lined with a kitchen towel or place inside an insulated container. Repeat this process for the remaining parathas.
Spinach and Black Bean Paratha recipe | How to make high protein Indian paratha
Spinach and Black Bean Paratha
Try this easy Spinach and Black Bean Paratha. This Indian flatbread has a green spinach-enriched dough, a spicy black bean and cheese filling and 20g protein per serving! A delicious, wholesome breakfast, lunch or dinner. I enjoy mine with cottage cheese, red onion, chilli and Indian pickle.
Ingredients
- 1 x 400g tin black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 large onion, grated (about 200g)
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 75ml water
- 70g grated cheese (I used a blend of Cheddar and low moisture-mozzarella)
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander
For the dough
- 340g wholewheat chapati atta
- 1 tbsp gram flour (besan)
- 1 tsp kasoori methi (optional)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 125g spinach leaves
- 175ml warm water
- 1 tbsp oil
You will also need
- 2 tbsp oil, for cooking the paratha
- 250g fat-free cottage cheese, for serving
- Sliced onions, for serving
Instructions
- Begin by making the filling for the paratha as it needs time to cool completely before stuffing. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onions and sauté over a medium heat until lightly golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add the ginger, ground coriander, cumin, chilli powder, smoked paprika and salt.
- Stir briefly and quickly add the black beans, garam masala and water. Stir well.
- Mash the mixture with a potato masher until it resembles a bean burger patty texture that holds together when mixed. Some whole beans are fine. Continue to cook until the mixture is fairly dry, 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer the filling to a plate to cool completely. Once cool, add the cheese and fresh coriander. Mix well.
- Meanwhile, to make the dough, mix together the flour, gram flour, salt and kasoori methi if using in a large bowl.
- Wilt the spinach in a dry saucepan (do not add any water).
- Place into a vessel suitable for blending or transfer to a blender jar. Add the warm water and blend until you have a totally smooth purée. I used an immersion blender for this.
- Add the spinach purée to the flour mixture and bring together using a spoon until you have a rough, shaggy dough.
- Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Add the oil and knead for a further 3-4 minutes. Cover the dough with cling film and allow to rest for 20-30 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 6 equal portions and repeat for the filling. I roll the dough into approximately 100g balls and the filling into 80g balls. Cover the dough with cling film to prevent it drying out.
- Roll or pat the dough out to about 8cm in diameter. Place a portion of filling on top and pinch the dough together to fully enclose it inside. There should be no gaps or holes the filling could escape from during rolling. Repeat for the remaining dough and filling portions. Cover with cling film when all the fillings have been enclosed.
- Now, place a portion of dough on to a rolling board or clean work surface. Dust with a small amount of additional wholewheat atta and gently use your middle three fingers (palm-side down) to pat the dough into a thick round disc, starting from the centre and working your way outwards. This will help distribute the filling evenly.
- Use a rolling pin to gently roll the dough in a circular motion. You can use your hands to turn it as you roll. Once it reaches the desired size, I stop at around 25cm. Carefully roll up and down a few times to even out the surface. The paratha is now ready to be cooked.
- Pre-heat a tawa or non-stick frying pan over a medium heat for about 3-4 minutes.
- Place the paratha down and cook for 30-40 seconds.
- Flip it over with a spatula and brush a small amount of oil all over the surface of the paratha. Allow this side to cook for a minute before using a spatula to flip it over.
- Brush a small amount of oil on the second side. Well rolled paratha will puff up slightly but it doesn't matter if they don't. Once the paratha is golden brown all over, remove from the tawa. Keep warm on a plate lined with a kitchen towel or place inside an insulated container. Repeat this process for the remaining parathas.
- Serve hot with your favourite pickle, cottage cheese and raw onions.
Notes
- If you prefer to use ghee in your cooking, you can replace the oil in this recipe with ghee.
- To freeze, cook all of the paratha as per the recipe directions. Allow to cool and then stack the flatbreads, placing a piece of baking parchment between each one. Wrap the stack in a few layers of aluminium foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature or in the microwave for 30-40 seconds and then cook on a hot frying pan on both sides to crisp up the paratha.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 523Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 777mgCarbohydrates: 56gFiber: 14gSugar: 5gProtein: 20g
Pin this Spinach and Black Bean Paratha recipe for later!
With love and Spinach and Black Bean Paratha,
Sanjana
More delicious vegetarian recipes
Indian Appetizers for a Party (25+ Vegetarian Recipes)
Looking for a list of Indian appetizers for a party? You've come to the right place! Explore incredible Indian flavours with my collection of Indian vegetarian appetizer recipes that are perfect for parties, potlucks, festivals and well... any celebration! Not only are there loads of quick Indian starters for a crowd, there are also easy Indian starters to make ahead. That means you'll have more time with friends and family. From Air-Fryer Samosas to the most mouth watering Paneer Tikka, there's something for everyone.
Learn how to make the most delicious Tandoori Paneer Tikka, just like your favourite Indian restaurant! Pieces of paneer (cottage cheese), peppers and onions are first marinated in yoghurt and spices, and then skewered and grilled to smoky perfection. Serve with naan and mint yoghurt. Here's an easy to follow recipe and video.
Here's a delicious recipe for the crispiest air fryer samosas. You won't believe these lightly-spiced, vegetable parcels aren't deep fried! They're vegan-friendly too.
Feed a crowd with this vibrant and flavoursome Curry Pasta Salad. It's loaded with freshness, crunch and mild spices. The perfect Indian-inspired salad dish to serve alongside burgers, sandwiches and your favourite bbq dishes. This easy pasta salad recipe is so simple to make in batches for packed lunches, picnics and meal prep. Feel free to switch up the veggies to whatever you have in the fridge!
Try this easy recipe for golden fried mogo chips with hot chilli 'bomb sauce', Indian East African style. Mogo, also known as cassava or yuca is tasty and simple to make. Think of it as a more flavoursome and robust potato chip. The outside is so crispy it's almost flaky, and the inside is soft, with a starchy fluffiness. The bomb sauce is a spicy lemon butter with tonnes of flavour. Perfect for dipping. Serve as an appetizer, side dish or snack.
Golden Punjabi samosas drenched in refreshing pink yoghurt sauce and green chutney. The samosa chaat is topped with tender chickpeas, red onion, boondi pearls, sev and crispy spinach leaves before serving. Samosa Chaat is a total crowd pleaser; An Indian appetizer with incredible flavours and a vibrant finish.
Crispy paneer cubes wok-fried in a chilli and garlic sauce with crunchy peppers and onions. A real Indo-Chinese crowd pleaser and Indian restaurant favourite. This dish is perfect as an appetizer, or as part of a larger meal with rice or noodles.
Make the most of sweet, seasonal squash with this celebration of Indo-Chinese flavours. The crispy pumpkin wedges are tossed in a fiery chilli and garlic sauce.
My Pull-Apart Samosa Bread is packed with spicy vegetable samosa filling. If you’re craving those ever-popular Indian snacks, but want something a little out of the box for your next party, this is the recipe for you.
Crispy, spiced nuggets of okra served with a hot and spicy vegan mayo. Put the natural stickiness of okra to work by creating a "glue" for crunchy panko breadcrumbs and coconut. Fry or bake for a delicious, golden snack. Once you start, you won't be able to stop eating. Dip them in my Atomic Red Chilli Mayo for addictive heat!
Gyoza Bhajia are the ultimate Asian mashup when it comes to tasty vegetarian finger food. Crispy dumplings covered in a spicy bhajia batter.
Gujarati Handvo is a golden, fermented rice and lentil cake with vegetables and spices. Some call this delicious tea-time snack Ondhwo, but it has many different names.
Follow my video tutorial and make this easy Garlic Butter Khichu (Papdi no Lot) recipe. It's a delicious steamed rice flour snack from Gujarat, India.
A fragrant chilli crisp stir fry with tempura aubergines and homemade chilli oil. This is a flavour explosion, so serve it with plain, steamed Jasmine rice or noodles.
Inspired by India's royal kitchens, this Paneer Tikka is packed with chunks of grilled cottage cheese and apricots. Serve inside flaky saffron paratha, along with mint chutney and pink pickled onions.
A tasty 2-in-1 way to enjoy the Gujarati snacks Patra and Dhokla, together! A layer of tamarind-spiced colocasia rolls baked into spongy dhokla (khaman) batter. A tempering of spices goes on top and this snack is ready to slice and serve. Enjoy with your favourite chutneys for a light and flavoursome Indian snack at any time of day.
Hot and spicy Indian masala fries in restaurant-style Jalfrezi sauce. Big flavours! This makes for an amazing starter or side dish.
The only recipe you need to make a deliciously easy garlic bread! This simple garlic bread recipe is perfect for sharing. Use any type of flatbread or crusty loaf you have to hand. My favourite is to have it on Afghani Naan or French baguette. Top with cheese or keep it plain. It's delicious with gooey, melted mozzarella. Pro tip: Add a touch of fresh lemon zest for lemon and garlic bread.
XXL potato wedges with a crispy spice and rice coating. Serve these curry leaf-topped wedges with your favourite dips.
Crispy fried spinach leaves topped with a monsoon of Mumbai chaat favourites including masala yoghurt, red, green and tamarind chutneys, onions, tomatoes and crunchy sev. They get more addictive with every bite! If you're a lover of nachos, try this Indian-style chaat.
This Tandoori Stuffed Mushroom Tikka is filled with cheesy garlic and corn stuffing. Make a delicious tandoori marinade, skewer the mushrooms and grill for a smoky finish. A stunning appetizer.
Never underestimate the power of Masala Cheese Scones and a mug of hot tea. This casual comfort combo is my go-to for when I need a dose of nostalgia.
Make light work of preparing Indian samosas with this simple but show-stopping Giant Sharing Samosa. Stuff this super-size samosa with a classic combination of potatoes, peas and mixed spices.
Top with a mountain of Indian chaat favourites like crunchy sev, masala yoghurt, more onions, tomatoes, chaat masala and three kinds of chutney. I won’t even tell if you choose to sprinkle in some crushed crisps.
Flavour bomb incoming! For the ultimate Vegetable Manchurian, I toss crispy vegetable dumplings in a hot and garlicky Indo-Chinese sauce. It’s fiery, loaded with flavour and gives your favourite Asian restaurant a run for its’ money.
American Chinese takeout favourite General Tso's Chicken gets a vegetarian makeover with this Desi Chinese-inspired paneer (fresh cheese) version. Crisp-coated creamy paneer nuggets tossed in a sticky spicy, sweet and sour sauce.
These Easy Vegan Curry Puffs are light, flaky and perfectly addictive. They’re stuffed with Asian-style curried vegetables, soy sauce and coconut milk.
Indo-Chinese cuisine is a treasured part of India’s food culture. The Chinese immigrant community in India began centuries ago, and many Hakka settlers lay down new roots around the ports of Kolkata and Madras. The vibrant and flavoursome cooking of India’s Chinese communities has carved a place in all our appetites.