Rajgira paratha is a gluten-free flatbread made with amaranth flour and potato as main ingredients. If you are a beginner and want to try this yourself, I have shared an easy recipe with step by step and quick video for beginners to get is right perfectly.
It is commonly prepared during fasting days such as Navratri, Ekadashi and other vrat occasions when we avoid gluten.
Check out my other gluten free buckwheat paratha recipe and ragi chapati recipe in this website.
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If you have avoided making gluten free flour parathas like rajgira paratha recipe, because you've heard the dough is difficult to handle, I completely understand. I am also one, who had thought so in the past and avoided consuming such healthy nutritious flours. It can seem intimidating, especially if you're used to working with wheat flour.
The boiled aloo in this recipe does all the trick. It binds the flour naturally, adds moisture and makes the dough much easier to shape. Once I understood this, making amaranth paratha for vrat is just another easy paratha.
Why this recipe works
- Potato acts as a natural binder
- Dough stays soft and manageable
- Paratha stays soft even after cooling
- Easy and simple ingredient list
- Beginner friendly
What is Amaranth / Rajgira?
Amaranth known as Rajgira in Hindi is a tiny, naturally gluten-free seed that is often grouped with grains because it is cooked and eaten similarly. Technically it is a pseudocereal, much like quinoa.
Rich in nutrients : Amaranth provides more Protein than many millets, better quality protein actually. Fiber, good amount of calcium, iron and magnesium and has phosphorus and antioxidants. This makes it best fasting recipes with fewer carbs and higher protein. It's India's answer to quinoa. Before quinoa became popular, Indian kitchens already had rajgira!
Rajgira paratha Ingredients
Here are the basic ingredients needed to make amaranth paratha for fasting.
- Rajgira flour (Amaranth flour) - Use fine flour, coarse flour is hard to handle.
- Potato - For binding and taste
- Coriander leaves - Adds flavor
- Green chilli - For spice
- Sendha namak - Pink salt - Religious fasting recipes use sendha namak/ pink salt
- Roasted cumin seeds powder - Bhuna jeera powder - For digestion, flavour.
- Ghee or peanut oil
See recipe card below for quantities.
Step by step images
Lets see how to make rajgira paratha for fasting.
- Pressure cook 2 potato (small to medium) for 3 whistles in a small pressure cooker. I wash, clean, cut them into two with skin and cook it.
- Once done, peel, grate/mash it in a mixing bowl.
- Add 1 cup Amaranth flour, ¼ cup Coriander leaves, finely chopped, 1-2 green chilies, finely chopped, ½ teaspoon roasted cumin seeds powder, sendha namak (pink salt) to the mashed aloo in the mixing bowl.
- Mix well first evenly.
- Then add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water (warm water). It takes very less water only, so be very very careful when you add water.
- Make a stiff dough.
- Divide into 5 equal portions.
- Line a rolling board with a baking sheet/ parchment paper. Take a portion of the dough. Dust well with rajgira flour, flatten initially with hands, press and pinch the edges as it cracks in the edges.
- Then roll gently. Use the parchment paper to turn, do not disturb the rolled paratha.
- As soon as you finish rolling it into a thick paratha, carry it with the paper.
- Heat a tawa/ skillet and invert the paratha over it. Peel the paper carefully.
- Cook the paratha in medium. Drizzle a little ghee over and around it.
- Cook gently in medium heat, not in low flame, not in high flame. Cooking in low flame can make it dense or hard. So let it be in medium.
- Flip and cook the other side and press gently with spatula for even cooking. Transfer to a hot pack and rajgira paratha ready.
Serve Amaranth paratha with a simple jeera aloo or with just dahi and a sprinkle of roasted cumin seeds powder.
Substitutions & Variations
You can add crushed roasted peanuts into the dough for extra flavour. Other ingredients you can add for extra flavor - Roasted sesame seeds, ginger paste.
Instead of adding chopped green chilies, crush ginger, green chilli and coriander roughly and mix with the dough.
Potato - Sweet potato, Raw banana, arrowroot/Tapioca starch for binding
Ghee - If you are a vegan, you can use peanut oil (Groundnut oil) for fasting option or any cooking oil if not for fasting.
Storage
These parathas are best eaten fresh. Place it in a hot pack, it stays soft longer.
Top Tip
Start with less water. Potato already has moisture, so mix everything first before deciding if additional water is needed.
Roll gently with patience. Do not apply too much pressure.
Start by patting with hands, concealing the cracks that forms in the edges. Then roll it.
Use generous flour for dusting.
Make it small in size for easy handling.
My notes
I prefer to use a parchment paper for easy transfer of the paratha to tawa.
Do not chase perfect shapes, a slightly uneven edge is perfectly okay. Focus on the texture and taste.
Cook on medium heat rather than high flame. No low heat too as it turns hard if cooked too long.
FAQ
Potato is the easiest option for binding. But if you want you can make the dough with hot boiling water. This helps easy binding. Use fine flour instead of coarse flour. Adding something like psyllium husk (1 teaspoon for this recipe) can also act as binding agent.
Yes, rajgira atta (flour) is naturally gluten-free.
Your flour variety is too coarse. Less binding agent - potato. Add more potato to bind together.
Recipe card
Rajgira Paratha | Amaranth Roti | Vrat ka Paratha
Ingredients
- 1 cup Rajgira flour Amaranth flour
- 2 Potato Boiled, grated (Small sized)
- 2 Green chilli Finely chopped
- ¼ cup Coriander leaves Finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon Roasted cumin seeds powder Bhuna jeera powder
- Sendha namak Pink salt
- Ghee or peanut oil as needed
Instructions
- Pressure cook 2 Potato (small to medium) for 3 whistles in a small pressure cooker. I wash, clean, cut them into two with skin and cook it. Once cooled, peel, grate/mash and use it.
- Add 1 cup Rajgira flour (Amaranth flour), ¼ cup Coriander leaves, finely chopped, 2 Green chilli, finely chopped,½ tsp Roasted cumin seeds powder Sendha namak (pink salt) to the mashed aloo in a mixing bowl.
- Mix well and add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water (warm water) to make a stiff dough. It takes very less water only, so be very very careful when you add water.
- Divide into 5 equal portions.
- Line a rolling board with a baking sheet / parchment paper. Take a portion of the dough. Dust well with rajgira flour, flatten initially with hands, press and pinch the edges as it cracks in the edges.
- Then roll gently to a thick paratha
- Heat a tawa and cook the paratha in medium heat until golden. Drizzle a little Ghee over and around it.
- Flip and cook the other side and press gently for even cooking. Transfer to a hot pack and rajgira paratha ready.
Video
Notes
- Be very careful when adding water to make the dough. It takes very very less.
- Use fine flour, coarse flour is hard to handle, breaks while rolling or while taking off after rolling.
- Do not cook in low flame as cooking in low heat for long time makes the texture dense.
- The more potato you add, softer the paratha will be as well as easier to handle as it binds the flour well.
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