Make-Ahead

Winter Parathas

: What Freezes Well And What Doesn’t

Best Parathas To Freeze

Freezing homemade, semi-cooked parathas keeps them fresh for up to a month, provided they are cooled, separated by butter paper, and stored in airtight bags. The best fillings are those with low moisture content and robust flavours that hold their texture in the freezer for weeks.

Here are some parathas that freeze well: 

• Green Peas Masala: Coarsely crushed green peas mixed with dry spices. Their natural sweetness is retained well in frozen parathas. 
• Grated Gobi (Cauliflower): Grated cauliflower that has been sauteed with spices to remove moisture. It is crucial to drain all water from the grated gobi before cooking.
• Cabbage and Carrot: Finely grated cabbage and carrots, lightly tempered, make an excellent, fibre-rich filling for winter. Please ensure the vegetables have no moisture. 
• Beetroot and Chana Dal: A mixture of dry-cooked beetroot and mashed chana dal provides colour (a dark pink or red hue) and structure to the parathas. 
• Broccoli Paratha: Finely grate the broccoli, lightly sauté it with spices for 2–3 minutes, and let it cool completely before using as a filling. Ensure there is no residual moisture. 
• Methi (Fenugreek) Paratha: A top choice for winter, these freeze well because their low moisture content prevents them from becoming too soft upon reheating.
• Palak (Spinach) Paratha: Blanch the spinach, blend it into a puree, and mix it with flour to form a smooth dough. This will yield soft, green-hued parathas. 

Apart from these, some year-long classics are aloo paratha, dal paratha, soya keema paratha, paneer paratha, and chicken keema paratha. Another classic is the plain paratha, especially one made with multigrain dough like Aashirvaad High Fibre Atta with Multigrains. The atta combines the goodness of six grains in one pack: wheat, soya, chana, oat, maize, and psyllium husk. Just 3 rotis made from this atta provides 35% of your daily fibre requirement. This makes it especially handy when meal-prepping for fixed dietary requirements. 

What Doesn't Freeze Well

High-moisture ingredients such as raw onions, tomatoes, or mooli (in winter) and excess leafy greens (used raw) should be avoided, as they make the dough soggy upon thawing. 

• Raw Mooli Paratha: Avoid filling parathas with raw grated radish (mooli) without first cooking it, as it releases significant water.
• Raw Turnip (Shalgam): Turnips have a high moisture content, making them well-suited for a winter sabzi but not for a paratha filling. They become limp and slightly bitter post-freeze. If you must use them, cook the filling beforehand. 
• Raw Spinach/Bathua/Sarson (Leafy Greens): These leafy greens are quick to collapse and release excess water after thawing unless blanched and squeezed. It’s also better to knead them into the dough after blanching, rather than as a raw stuffing. 

These vegetables aren’t unfit for freezing— they just need pre-treatment (blanching, sautéing, or squeezing) before being used in frozen parathas.

Freezing Parathas: Steps And Important Tips

Choosing the right ingredients is part of the story. It’s also important to follow the right storage and reheating steps. 

• Layer: Stack the cooled-down, par-cooked parathas with butter paper or parchment paper between each paratha to prevent sticking.
• Flash-freeze: After layering with parchment paper, place parathas on a tray and freeze for 1–2 hours before transferring them to bags. This prevents compression, sticking, and misshaping.
• Seal and label: Use zip-lock bags, pressing out all air to avoid freezer burn. Always label bags with the filling type and date.
• Reheat: Place directly on a hot pan (tawa) with ghee/oil from frozen. No thawing is necessary.

Important Tips to Freeze Parathas

Whether you’re trying to freeze parathas for the first time, or simply exploring options to make meal times less chaotic and more calm, these tips are sure to come in handy:

• Avoid freezing raw dough: It is not recommended for optimal texture. Frozen raw dough loses elasticity, thaws unevenly, and can develop dry patches and a weaker gluten structure. Par-cooked parathas freeze more reliably and reheat better.
• Remove moisture: Ensure the vegetable filling is dry-cooked (stir-fried) before stuffing, as excess moisture can cause sogginess.
• Cool completely: Always let the parathas cool to room temperature before freezing. Stacking warm parathas traps steam, which later becomes ice. Thus, always cool fully before freezing.
• Use mashed fillings: Parathas with mashed fillings freeze better than chunky ones. Uniform texture reduces ice crystal damage.
• Dough type: Use a high-fibre or multigrain dough, such as Aashirvaad High Fibre Atta with Multigrains, to help the parathas retain their soft texture after freezing.

Say Freeze

Freezing does not mean destroying a dish. It is simply an efficient approach that reduces the time and effort required for weekly cooking without sacrificing taste, nutrition, or variety. Whether you opt for store-bought frozen meals or cook a batch and freeze it at home, follow the key tips and remember to use the correct freezing and reheating techniques.