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Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
5 min
19/01/2026
Most vegetable fillings for parathas fail because the moisture from the cooked filling is released after you roll out the paratha. Using higher-quality atta, such as Aashirvaad Shudh Chakki Atta or Aashirvaad 100% MP Sharbati Atta, you can avoid leaks and get crisp and evenly cooked parathas.
If you have ever made a vegetable paratha and watched it tear, leak, or steam instead of being crispy, the moisture in the filling is what's doing it. Making a vegetable paratha isn't hard, but when using watery vegetables like radish, onion, cabbage, and potatoes, they can create moisture at the worst time for your paratha, weaken the dough, and leave a patchy-looking paratha. The solution isn't just adding more flour or making a thicker dough, but understanding how moisture works and preventing it from reaching the atta. Once you learn this, your vegetable parathas will all turn out perfectly every time.
Water from vegetables leaks through osmosis. Salt draws moisture out of vegetables when applied before cooking (e.g., stuffing). If you add salt after you stuffed it, the excess moisture would leak into the dough. For example, if radish and onion are used in parathas, they will have a soggy middle, tear during rolling, and brown unevenly on the tawa. Even grated or mashed potatoes will leak moisture. Vegetables must be dried before adding them to the dough.
Flavour needs salt, but the timing of salt is essential. Salting vegetables ahead of time (before cooking) and squeezing or draining excess liquid allows you to control the moisture rather than fight it on the tawa after cooking. For both radish and cabbage vegetable parathas, 10-15 minutes of sitting after salting them is critical to prevent leaks once added to the dough. After the vegetables have been sufficiently squeezed, it is safe to add spices. However, if you add salt after stuffing them, you will have water leakage and soggy/paratha. Fixing a single habit will solve many problems with vegetable parathas.
Although removing moisture makes food dry, additional fats and binders will add back some production and body to the item after squeezing away all the moisture. A small amount of oil, roasted besan, or paneer can also help absorb any remaining moisture and keep the filling from separating as you roll it out. When preparing your stuffing mixture for a dry onion vegetable paratha, lightly sautéing the raw vegetables and spices will help cook out excess water while retaining the flavour of the stuffing.
The type of flour you use for stuffing also plays an important role in making a great paratha. 100% MP Sharbati Atta by Aashirvaad is made from 100% whole-grain Madhya Pradesh wheat and absorbs water evenly, allowing you to create a strong, rounded dough that stretches and tears easily. This makes it perfect for stuffed paranthas. If you want more fibre in your dough, both Aashirvaad's High Fibre Atta with Multigrains and Aashirvaad Shudh Chakki Atta can add bulk to your flatbread, helping them hold together well and aiding the digestion of the grains.
If your dough is too soft, it will collapse from the water in the filling. Ensure your dough is supple but not too soft; let it rest longer to allow the flour to hydrate evenly throughout the ball. When rolling out a vegetable paratha, be careful to seal properly along the edges before baking. Instead of rolling aggressively to flatten the dough or applying pressure when rolling, apply gentle outward pressure all around the edges of the dough. Good-quality flour, combined with properly rested and hydrated dough, reduces stress on the dough and increases the chances of having a successful roll-out without stress fractures or tears.
You must use a scorching hot tawa (griddle). Slowly cook your vegetable paratha; as steam builds, it pushes moisture back into the dough. Cook the paratha over medium-high heat, flipping as soon as it begins to firm up and hold its shape. This will keep the filling from leaking out or being steamed when cooked on a hot cast-iron tawa.
A leaky vegetable paratha is not an indication of poor cooking but rather an indication of poor moisture control. By studying water absorption through osmosis, salting your vegetables before cooking, properly drying your vegetable filling, and using quality flour like Aashirvaad Shudh Chakki Atta, you can eliminate moisture problems before they start. When you gain mastery of moisture control, your vegetable paratha will no longer leak but will instead be perfect.
