North India · Bread
Plain paratha
Also called tawa paratha, sada paratha, layered paratha, laccha paratha
Layered whole wheat flatbread, folded with a little ghee and cooked on a tawa until it puffs and turns golden. The everyday North Indian bread, eaten with curd, pickle or a curry.
The short answer
Plain paratha has about 159 kcal in a regular serving (1 paratha, about 50 g), with 3.5 g of protein and 3.7 g of fibre. It rates 2.5/5 (moderate fit) for weight management: a regular serving is a modest portion and it is rich in fibre for its calories, but it packs a lot of calories into each gram and it is low in protein for its calories.
Reviewed by Deepu Oommen on 23 Oct 2026 · How we review
- Calories per serving
- 159 kcal
- 1 paratha (about 50 g)
- For weight management
- 2.5 / 5Rated 2.5 out of 5. Moderate fit for weight management
- Protein and fibre
- 3.5 g · 3.7 g
- per serving
- Brisk walking
- About 30 min
- uses similar energy (70 kg adult)
What's in plain paratha?
Raw weights for one serving (1 paratha, about 50 g), from the standard recipe
- Whole wheat flour (atta), 32 g
- Oil, 1 g
- Ghee, 5 g
How is plain paratha made?
Preparation 23 min · Cooking 23 min
- 1Mix the atta with salt and a little oil and knead with warm water into a soft dough.
- 2Cover and rest the dough for 20 minutes to an hour.
- 3Divide into balls and roll each into a small round, brush with ghee and dust with flour.
- 4Fold into a triangle or square and roll it out again.
- 5Cook on a medium-hot tawa, flip when bubbles appear, add a little ghee and press until it puffs and browns.
- 6Keep the parathas covered in a cloth to stay soft.
Plain paratha nutrition
| Nutrient | Per serving (1 paratha, about 50 g) | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 159 kcal | 318 kcal |
| Protein | 3.5 g | 6.9 g |
| Carbohydrate | 20.8 g | 41.5 g |
| Fat | 6.8 g | 13.5 g |
| Fibre | 3.7 g | 7.3 g |
Calculated from a standard recipe (based on a recipe by Swasthi's Recipes: Paratha Recipe (Plain Paratha), serves 8) using IFCT 2017 (ICMR-NIN) and USDA FoodData Central values for the raw ingredients, divided by the weight of the cooked dish (464 g for the whole recipe). Salt and dry spices are left out. The regular serving is the average portion in three chefs' recipes: Swasthi's Recipes, Paratha Recipe (Plain Paratha) 58 g, Archana's Kitchen, Tawa Paratha (Plain Paratha) 29 g and Hebbar's Kitchen, Plain Paratha Recipe 59 g. Food composition: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR), Hyderabad. How we calculate nutrition facts. Home and restaurant versions vary with the oil, rice and portion used.
Is plain paratha good for weight management?
It rates 2.5/5, a moderate fit, because a regular serving is a modest portion and it is rich in fibre for its calories, but it packs a lot of calories into each gram and it is low in protein for its calories.
- Calories per gram (35% of the rating)3.18 kcal · 24/100
- Protein per 100 kcal (25% of the rating)2.2 g · 22/100
- Fibre per 100 kcal (20% of the rating)2.3 g · 77/100
- Portion (20% of the rating)159 of 250 kcal (bread) · 86/100
Each part is scored against fixed limits, then weighted. A higher rating does not mean a food causes weight loss. How the rating works
Lighter ways to have plain paratha
- Use half a teaspoon of ghee per paratha instead of a full teaspoon
- Have one paratha with curd and a vegetable side instead of two
- Knead whole wheat dough only, not maida
- Skip the butter on top
Common questions about plain paratha
How many calories are in plain paratha?
About 159 kcal in 1 paratha, about 50 g, or 318 kcal per 100 g.
Is plain paratha good for weight management?
It rates 2.5/5, a moderate fit: a regular serving is a modest portion and it is rich in fibre for its calories, but it packs a lot of calories into each gram and it is low in protein for its calories. See the lighter ways to have it on this page.
How much protein is in plain paratha?
About 3.5 g in 1 paratha, about 50 g, which is 2.2 g for every 100 kcal.
How much walking uses the energy in plain paratha?
About 30 min of brisk walking for a 70 kg adult uses similar energy to one regular serving.
Is a plain paratha heavier than a roti?
Yes. The ghee in the layers adds energy, so one paratha of about 50 g gives roughly 160 kcal here, against about 100 kcal for a 40 g roti.
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Compare it in:Indian breads
Information, not medical advice. Values are estimates for a typical recipe. Found an error? Tell us.