Mughlai Paratha
A folded, shallow-fried flatbread filled with egg, minced meat, onions and green chillies.
- prep
- 30 min
- cook
- 20 min
- total
- 50 min
- serves
- 4
- level
- medium
Mughlai paratha wraps a beaten egg, and usually minced meat and onion, entirely inside a folded flatbread, then shallow-fries the whole parcel until crisp.
It's a staple of Dhaka's street and roadside eateries, eaten as a filling meal on its own rather than as a side to something else.
Part of our 20 best Bangladeshi recipes list.
method
Make a soft dough with the flour, salt, oil and water, knead well, and rest for 20 minutes covered.
Divide the dough into 4 portions, and roll each into a thin, roughly square sheet.
Beat the eggs in a bowl with the chopped onion, chile, coriander, and cooked minced meat if using.
Spoon a portion of the egg mixture into the center of each dough sheet.
Fold the sides of the sheet over the filling like an envelope, fully enclosing it, and press the edges to seal.
Heat a generous amount of oil on a flat griddle or pan over medium heat, and shallow-fry the stuffed paratha, pressing gently, until golden and crisp on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Drain briefly, cut into pieces, and serve hot with a simple salad or chutney.
chef's tips
- Sealing the edges tightly is essential, since the filling is still wet egg when it goes into the pan; any gap and it leaks out while frying.
- A generous amount of oil and a flat, heavy griddle give the paratha its characteristic shallow-fried crispness rather than a dry, pan-fried texture.