Rotis and parathas
Calories in Onion Paratha
One onion paratha has about 146 kcal, with 3.3 g of protein, 20.2 g of carbohydrate and 5.6 g of fat. The Indian Nutrient Databank figure is for a paratha of 27 g of atta and 27 g of chopped onion, cooked with 5 g of oil, about one teaspoon. Larger parathas, or ones cooked in more fat, have more.
Nutrition in 1 onion paratha
| Nutrient | 1 onion paratha | 2 onion parathas |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 146 kcal | 292 kcal |
| Protein | 3.3 g | 6.6 g |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 20.2 g | 40.4 g |
| Total fat | 5.6 g | 11.2 g |
| Dietary fibre | 3.9 g | 7.8 g |
| Sugars | 2.1 g | 4.2 g |
Of this energy, about 56% comes from carbohydrate, 35% from fat and 9% from protein.
1 onion paratha is about 7% of the daily energy requirement of a sedentary adult man and 9% of a sedentary adult woman's (ICMR-NIN, 2020).
These figures are from the Indian Nutrient Databank (INDB), which calculates each dish from a standard recipe using Indian food composition data. They describe that recipe and that serving: a larger portion, or more oil, ghee or sugar, gives more. Source: Vijayakumar A, Dubasi HB, Awasthi A, Jaacks LM. Development of an Indian Food Composition Database. Current Developments in Nutrition. 2024;8(7):103790 (Indian Nutrient Databank, INDB).
What this figure covers
The figure is tied to one standard recipe: 80 g of atta, 80 g of onion and 15 g of oil, making 3 parathas. Each has equal weights of flour and onion, 27 g of each, and 5 g of oil. In home terms that is a small paratha cooked with a single teaspoon of fat. A pyaaz paratha from a dhaba tandoor or a street tawa is usually bigger, thicker and brushed with butter, and will not match 146 kcal.
Carbohydrate from the atta supplies 56% of the energy, fat 35% and protein 9%. The onion weighs as much as the flour but contributes far less energy, because it is mostly water. What it adds is sweetness, moisture and part of the 3.9 g of fibre. The reason this paratha comes in under the plain paratha's 166 kcal is not the onion. Its recipe simply uses less oil, and the oil is where a paratha's calories pile up fastest.
What goes into one serving
The recipe INDB analysed makes 3 parathas. These are its main ingredients; spices, salt and water are left out.
| Ingredient | In the recipe | In 1 onion paratha |
|---|---|---|
| Atta (whole wheat flour) | 80 g | 27 g |
| Onion | 80 g | 27 g |
| Oil | 15 g | 5 g |
What changes the number
- 01
The spoon of oil
The recipe allows 5 g of oil for each paratha. Add one more teaspoon and the figure is about 190 kcal; add a teaspoon of ghee and it is about 191 kcal, the same as an aloo paratha in this comparison. Two teaspoons of ghee take it to 236 kcal.
- 02
Raw onion or fried
Chopped raw onion mixed with salt and green chilli adds almost no fat. Some cooks brown the onion in oil before stuffing, which tastes sweeter and brings its frying oil along.
- 03
Dough to filling
Onion pieces are sharp-edged and wet, so they tear thin dough. A cook who doubles the dough to keep the filling in has made a larger paratha than the 27 g of atta counted here.
- 04
Tandoor or tawa
A tandoori onion kulcha or paratha from a restaurant is often made with maida and finished with butter. It is a different bread from this whole wheat tawa paratha, and the figure does not carry over.
How onion paratha compares
Other dishes of the same kind, one serving each, lightest first. Serving sizes differ, so read the serving before the number.
| Dish | One serving | Energy (kcal) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Methi Thepla | 1 methi thepla | 126 | 3.3 |
| Khakhra | 1 khakhra | 135 | 3.6 |
| Methi Paratha | 1 methi paratha | 135 | 3.9 |
| Onion Paratha | 1 onion paratha | 146 | 3.3 |
| Naan | 1 naan | 152 | 4.3 |
| Plain Paratha | 1 plain paratha | 166 | 2.8 |
| Gobi Paratha | 1 gobi paratha | 181 | 3.8 |
| Mooli Paratha | 1 mooli paratha | 184 | 3.3 |
| Aloo Paratha | 1 aloo paratha | 191 | 3.5 |
| Puran Poli | 1 puran poli | 196 | 5.1 |
| Dal Paratha | 1 dal paratha | 206 | 5.2 |
| Matar Paratha | 1 matar paratha | 207 | 6.1 |
| Makki ki Roti | 1 makki ki roti | 224 | 3 |
| Paneer Paratha | 1 paneer paratha | 224 | 6.8 |
| Keema Paratha | 1 keema paratha | 238 | 9.4 |
In a meal and in a day
One onion paratha comes to about 7% of the daily energy requirement of a sedentary man and 9% of a woman's. Two make 292 kcal with 6.6 g of protein; three make 438 kcal with 9.9 g. That is a moderate breakfast in energy but a thin one in protein, so pair it with curd, a bowl of dal, sprouts or an egg. Because the onion is already inside, it needs no sabzi to be enjoyable, which keeps the plate simple.
Ways to keep it lighter
- Mix the onion in raw and salt it just before rolling, so it does not need frying.
- Stay with one teaspoon of oil for each paratha, as the recipe does.
- Add chopped coriander, mint or grated carrot to the onion for a fuller paratha from the same dough.
- Have it with plain curd or raita in place of butter.
Before you rely on the number
Salt deserves a thought here: the onion filling is salted before it is rolled in, and pickle or salted butter adds more. Onion paratha is also still mostly flour, so two or three eaten quickly add up in carbohydrate, 40.4 g in two. Anyone with high blood pressure or diabetes who is following a plan from a doctor or dietitian should keep to the salt and portion limits in that plan.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
Onion Paratha: common questions
How many calories are in one onion paratha?
About 146 kcal for a paratha made from 27 g of atta, 27 g of onion and 5 g of oil. That is the standard recipe in the Indian Nutrient Databank. A larger paratha, or one cooked with more oil or ghee, will be higher.
How many calories are in 2 onion parathas?
About 292 kcal, with 6.6 g of protein, 40.4 g of carbohydrate and 11.2 g of fat, for two parathas of the reference size cooked with a teaspoon of oil each.
Is onion paratha good for weight loss?
It is among the lighter parathas in this comparison at 146 kcal, fourth of 15 breads, and only 35% of its energy is fat. It is low in protein, though, so it will not keep hunger away for long by itself. Add curd or dal, hold the butter, and remember that the day's total is what counts.
Onion paratha or plain paratha: which has more calories?
In these recipes the plain paratha has more: 166 kcal against 146 kcal for the onion paratha. The difference comes from the oil each recipe uses, not from the onion. Cooked with the same amount of fat, the onion paratha would be slightly higher than the plain one because of the filling.
The recipe, the ingredients and related reading
Wheat flour (atta and maida): nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Onion: nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Calories in One Chapati: By Size, With Ghee, and Compared With Rice
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
Indian food calorie chart: household portions, not per 100 g
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
Indian food calorie counter
Add up a whole plate in rotis, katoris and cups.
Calories in every dish
All the cooked dishes, with calories per serving.
Learn to read a plate
Certification in Nutrition
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