To enjoy frozen paratha or Indian bread as fresh as possible, you must know how to heat it properly. In this post, I will show you how to heat frozen paratha without drying it.
Frozen parathas are a boon to calm your hunger when you are too busy, lazy, or tired to cook from scratch. Heating the frozen paratha this way will give you the best crunchy and soft paratha. I can bet you that I have been doing this for ages.
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What is frozen paratha?
Frozen paratha is a pre-made paratha that is not fully cooked and frozen for easy use. Paratha is a well-known staple in Indian cuisine and can be served as a side dish or as the main component of a meal.
A frozen paratha is an Indian flatbread, usually made from wheat flour, water, and oil. It can be plain or filled with various ingredients, such as potatoes, vegetables, meat, paneer (Indian cheese), or leftover veggies/lentils to enhance their flavor. The most popular paratha is a potato-stuffed or aloo paratha, prepared with boiled and mashed potatoes because of its flakiness, richness, and layered texture.
If you love home-cooked paratha, check out this combination of aloo and paneer paratha and egg paratha in a step-by-step, detailed blog post.
Having some frozen parathas on hand is convenient and a lifesaver for busy individuals who crave the taste of fresh, homemade Indian bread but lack the time to prepare it from scratch. Whether you are a student, a working professional, or a parent on the go, frozen parathas can be your culinary ally.
I recommend having these parathas in your freezer for the following reasons:
- Easy and convenient to use anytime and anywhere.
- These are so useful for busy individuals or families with hectic schedules.
- Being ready to eat saves you time and effort to cook from scratch.
- It is a perfect option for exploring different cuisines and flavours without knowing the cooking techniques.
- These are available year-round and are not subject to seasonal limitations. So you can enjoy your favourite parathas regardless of the time of year.
- Lastly, having a long shelf life, you can stock up on your favourite parathas and have them available whenever you need them without stressing about the availability of ingredients.
How to heat frozen paratha?
For the full recipe, check out the video below. Don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube Channel to stay up to date on all my new videos!!
There are many ways to cook frozen paratha. There is no right or wrong method. Follow any technique that gives you the best result.
My heating technique for frozen paratha is a combination of microwave and stovetop. I have observed that microwaving the paratha before heating helps defrost quickly and makes the paratha crispy when I heat it on the griddle/pan.
After removing the paratha directly from the packaging, microwave it for 30-40 seconds (image below).
Next, heat a skillet/griddle or pan and place the paratha on it. Cook it for a minute until its bottom side turns golden brown and crispy. Flip the side and repeat the process (image below).
Press the paratha down using a spatula or turner to provide uniform cooking. Check the paratha to ensure it is heated by simply looking at the colour and texture of the paratha (see image below). Frozen paratha is heated thoroughly, and you are good to go!!
Other Techniques
Oven
- This method can also give a crispy texture similar to stovetop heating.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and place the frozen paratha directly on the oven rack or baking sheet. Flip the side after 2 minutes. Bake for 2-5 minutes or until the other side of the paratha is heated through and has turned golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve.
- The only limitation I see with this technique is the time-consuming process. The oven needs to be pre-heated and then heating the paratha for another 5 minutes, whereas the microwave + stovetop technique takes only 2-3 minutes to heat the paratha.
Air-fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 350°F (180° C) for 2 minutes.
- Brush the air fryer basket with butter or oil and place it in the air fryer to cook for about 2-3 minutes or until cooked thoroughly.
- Remove from the air fryer and serve.
What to serve with frozen paratha?
Paratha is a versatile food that can be served as a side dish or as the main component of a meal. It tastes delicious either way. I have a few suggestions for serving frozen paratha. These are:
- Serve the stuffed paratha with plain yogurt or raita, like a cucumber yogurt dip or all-purpose dip, Haydari meze, to balance out the spiciness of the paratha.
- Any pickle like gobhi achaar, mango pickle, lemon pickle, or chillies goes best with the paratha. It is a deadly combination. Use any pickle.
- Serve paratha with flavourful and aromatic spices infused egg fry masala. This combo pairs so well that you will go again for it.
- No Indian paratha is complete without chai. Serve it with flavoured masala chai and observe the difference! Try this homemade 4 ingredient chai spice blend to make your chai masala.
- Serve plain paratha or ajwain paratha with white lentils, mixed vegetables, meat curry, and black chickpeas to enjoy its richness and flakiness.
- Try paratha with chutneys such as green mint chutney, green coriander chutney, olive avocado chutney, and sweet and sour plum chutney.
FAQ
You can get frozen paratha in Coles, Woolworths, Walmart, Costco, and Indian grocery stores. Some of the popular brands of frozen Indian parathas I know are - Haldiram, Deep, Katoomba, Kawan, Coco Earth Malabar, Rani, etc..
Yes, frozen paratha is healthy as long as you consume fresh food. It should not be the ONLY part of your diet. Although frozen foods offer many conveniences, it is crucial to maintain a balanced diet and ensure you get all essential nutrients from fresh and frozen sources!
Are you interested in knowing more about the paratha-chutney combo? Check out these dip-chutney recipes for paratha and paratha sides roundup posts for more!
Expert Tips
- Using oil or butter while heating the paratha is optional. I never add anything while heating the paratha.
- Microwaving the paratha before heating is optional. You can also directly heat it on the stovetop/oven/air fryer.
- Gently press the paratha down with a turner/spatula to provide uniform heat.
- Heat parathas from both sides until they turn golden brown.
- Use low to medium heat to heat the parathas.
- Peel off the plastic (if any) from the frozen paratha before heating.
To know more about parathas, check the paratha side dishes and paratha dip chutney roundup post on my blog!
Want to share your feedback? Leave a comment, or share a picture on Instagram with the Hashtag #tipsnrecipes!
Pairing
These are my favourite dishes to serve with parathas:
🧾Recipe
How to heat frozen paratha?
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Equipment
- 1 Skillet
- 1 Spatula/ turner
Ingredients
- 1 Frozen paratha
Instructions
Microwave + Stovetop
- Microwave the frozen paratha for 30-40 seconds.
- Heat a skillet/griddle or pan and place the paratha on it.
- Cook it for a minute until it turns golden brown and crispy. Flip the side and repeat the process.
- When frozen paratha is heated thoroughly, serve it with yogurt, pickle or lentils!!
Oven
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Place the paratha tray or baking sheet. Flip the side after a 2 minutes.
- Bake for 2 minutes or until the paratha is heated through and has turned golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and serve.
Air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 350°F (180°C) for 2 minutes.
- Apply butter or oil to the air fryer basket.
- Place it in the air fryer to cook for about 2-3 minutes or until it is cooked thoroughly.
- Remove from the air fryer and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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