How to Cook Frozen Paratha: Pan Method, Types and Paratha vs Roti

To cook frozen paratha, don't defrost it: peel off the plastic sheets, lay it in a preheated non-stick frying pan or tawa over a medium heat and cook it for about 1–2 minutes on each side, pressing gently, until both sides are crisp and golden brown. That sums up the pan methods printed on Taj and Humza original paratha packs, but brands and fillings differ, so the instructions on your pack always come first.

How to cook frozen paratha in a frying pan or on a tawa

These steps follow the cooking guidelines on the Taj Original Paratha and Humza Original Paratha packs. A tawa, the round griddle used for South Asian flatbreads, can replace the non-stick frying pan both packs specify. If your pack says something different, follow it.

1. Heat the pan: set a non-stick pan or tawa over a medium heat until it is hot. Humza's pack specifies medium heat and says no oil or butter is required.
2. Take out one paratha: cook it straight from the freezer. Both packs say not to defrost, as it can make the dough too sticky.
3. Peel off the plastic: remove the sheets from both sides; the one underneath is easy to miss.
4. Cook the first side: lay the paratha in the hot pan for 1–2 minutes, moving it around now and then.
5. Turn and press: flip it, press it gently with a spatula so it cooks evenly, and give the second side 1–2 minutes, turning again if needed until both sides are crisp and golden brown.
6. Serve straight away, as Humza's pack advises. If you like, scrunch it briefly in a folded clean tea towel to open up the layers.

Other UK paratha packs we checked give about 3–5 minutes in total, so expect a little variation between brands.

How to tell when frozen paratha is cooked

• Colour: both sides are golden brown and crisp, the finish the Taj pack describes.
• Layers: tear the first one open. The layers should be flaky and separate, with no pale, wet-looking dough inside.
• Heat: it should be steaming hot throughout, and a stuffed paratha's filling should be steaming in the middle. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) advises checking that food is cooked completely before serving, using visual cues, such as making sure the food is steaming hot.

If the outside browns before the middle cooks, lower the heat and give it longer. A paratha that sticks to its plastic sheet has probably started to thaw.

Can you cook frozen paratha in an air fryer, oven or microwave?

The Taj Original and Humza packs give a frying-pan method only, and Humza's says its parathas are not suitable for heating in a microwave. If your pack has an air-fryer or oven method, follow it; if not, use the pan.

We can't give an air-fryer time: none of the packs we checked gives one, and air fryers vary. If you try one, the FSA's general advice applies: times and temperatures depend on the cooking method and appliance efficiency, in some appliances you should leave some space around the food so that it can cook properly, and you should use the same visual cues to check it is cooked thoroughly and refer to the instructions for your appliance or on the food packet. So cook one paratha at a time, lying flat, and serve it only when it passes the checks above.

One UK brand's cupboard-stored parathas need only 15 seconds a side, but that is not long enough for raw frozen dough such as Taj Original, which has to cook through.

Types of frozen paratha we sell

We sell five plain (original), two flavoured and five stuffed parathas, all in our frozen Indian food range. Here is what each product page says:

"Yes" means our page says to cook it from frozen; "follow the pack" means it says to follow the pack's cooking and defrosting instructions. The stuffed parathas work out at about 100g each (four to a 400g pack), against about 80g for a Taj Original (five to 400g), so give them the full time on the pack and check that the filling is steaming hot.

Paratha vs roti vs chapati

Merriam-Webster defines paratha as an unleavened Indian wheat bread that is usually fried on a griddle, and chapati as an unleavened bread of India usually made of wholemeal flour and cooked on a griddle. Roti is the Hindi and Urdu word for bread, and chapati is also called roti. Naan differs from all three because it is leavened.

Parathas can also be stuffed. Aloo (spiced potato) is often described as the most common filling, and gobi (cauliflower) and mooli (radish) parathas are also common in Punjabi cooking.

What to serve with paratha

• Breakfast: with eggs and chai, as our Taj Original page suggests. Aloo and muli parathas with butter, yoghurt and achar (pickle) are a popular Punjabi breakfast.
• Curry night: in place of rice or naan, with daal, keema, karahi or any curry with plenty of sauce to scoop up.
• Wraps: roll a hot plain paratha around kebabs, sliced onion and chutney, kathi-style.
• With yoghurt and pickle: onion and masala parathas need little else, or add daal and a dry sabzi (spiced vegetables).

How to store frozen paratha

• Keep it frozen: at -18°C until you cook it, as most of our product pages say. The FSA says your freezer should be around -18°C.
• Take out only what you need: then reseal the bag and put it straight back in the freezer.
• Don't refreeze once thawed: the Taj Original pack says "do not refreeze once thawed" and Humza's says "do not refreeze once defrosted", as do the other UK paratha packs we checked. FSA advice is that you can't refreeze food once it's been defrosted.
• Check the label: the FSA advises following storage instructions on packaging, including the best-before date, and any freezing or defrosting instructions on the label.

Frozen ginger and garlic paste, crushed green chilli and other curry shortcuts are in our wider frozen range.

Allergens

None of our parathas is sold as gluten free. Every paratha page says it contains wheat (gluten), except Habibi's, which says to expect gluten because paratha is normally made from wheat flour. Humza, Taj Onion and the Taj family pack also contain soya. "May contain" warnings vary: Humza's lists celery, eggs, fish, milk, mustard, nuts, peanuts and sulphites; the Taj Original 400g, Aloo, Mixed Vegetable and Muli pages list milk, nuts and soya; Taj Onion and the family pack list milk and nuts. For Armaan, Habibi and the Taj Aloo Palak, Gobi and Masala parathas, check the pack label. Butter, ghee and yoghurt contain milk.

Frequently asked questions

Do you defrost frozen paratha before cooking?

No. The Taj Original and Humza packs both say to cook from frozen, as defrosting can make the dough too sticky, and our Taj Aloo, Muli, Mixed Vegetable and Onion pages say to cook from frozen too. For Armaan, Habibi and the Taj Gobi, Aloo Palak and Masala parathas, follow the pack's cooking and defrosting instructions.

Do you need oil to cook frozen paratha?

Usually not. Humza's pack says no oil or butter is required, and neither Taj's method nor any of the other packs we checked asks for oil. For flavour, some people brush on a little butter or ghee after cooking, and our Taj Aloo, Aloo Palak and Gobi pages suggest topping them with butter.

Can you refreeze paratha once it has thawed?

No. The Taj Original and Humza packs say not to refreeze once thawed, as does every other UK paratha pack we checked, so take out only what you are about to cook. The FSA also says you can't refreeze food once it's been defrosted, and that you can freeze food again once cooked, but you'll only be able to reheat it once after that.

How long does frozen paratha last in the freezer?

Until the best-before date on the pack, in a freezer at -18°C or below. The Taj Original packs give a star-rating guide: until the best-before date in a four-star or three-star freezer, but only 1 month in a two-star compartment and 1 week in a one-star one. Check your own pack, as brands differ.

Is paratha the same as roti?

No. Both are unleavened flatbreads from the Indian subcontinent, but roti, or chapati, is usually made from wholemeal flour and water and cooked on a dry tawa, often puffing up as it cooks. Paratha has ghee or oil folded into the dough to make flaky layers, is shallow-fried and is slightly thicker.