Rotis and parathas
Calories in Plain Paratha
One plain paratha has about 166 kcal, with 2.8 g of protein, 17.1 g of carbohydrate and 9.4 g of fat. The figure is from the Indian Nutrient Databank and describes a small tawa paratha rolled from 27 g of atta and cooked with 2 teaspoons of oil. A bigger paratha, or one layered with ghee, has more.
Nutrition in 1 plain paratha
| Nutrient | 1 plain paratha | 2 plain parathas |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 166 kcal | 332 kcal |
| Protein | 2.8 g | 5.6 g |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 17.1 g | 34.2 g |
| Total fat | 9.4 g | 18.8 g |
| Dietary fibre | 3 g | 6 g |
| Sugars | 0.5 g | 1 g |
Of this energy, about 42% comes from carbohydrate, 52% from fat and 7% from protein.
1 plain paratha is about 8% of the daily energy requirement of a sedentary adult man and 10% of a sedentary adult woman's (ICMR-NIN, 2020).
For comparison, ICMR-NIN's Dietary Guidelines for Indians list 1 paratha at about 150 kcal.
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 belongs to a standard recipe: 80 g of atta and 2 tablespoons of oil, made into 3 parathas. Each one is therefore rolled from about 27 g of flour, which gives a paratha nearer in size to a home phulka than to the folded, flaky kind served at a dhaba. Nothing else goes in apart from salt and water. If the parathas in your kitchen start from a bigger ball of dough, or are folded with ghee between the layers to make them flaky, read 166 kcal as the starting point and not as the answer for your plate.
Fat supplies 52% of the energy, carbohydrate 42% and protein only 7%. With no filling, there are just two ingredients to account for it: the atta brings the starch, the 3 g of fibre and what little protein there is, and the oil brings just over half the calories. That makes the plain paratha the clearest way to see what turns a roti into a paratha. The flour is the same; the fat is the difference.
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 plain paratha |
|---|---|---|
| Atta (whole wheat flour) | 80 g | 27 g |
| Oil | 2 tbsp | 2 tsp |
What changes the number
- 01
Oil or ghee in the layers
The recipe counts 2 teaspoons of oil in each paratha. A teaspoon of oil is about 44 kcal and a teaspoon of ghee about 45 kcal, so the fat is easy to overshoot: one more teaspoon of ghee spread on top takes a paratha to about 211 kcal, and two take it to 256 kcal.
- 02
How much dough
At 27 g of atta this is a small paratha. A lachha or triangle-folded paratha usually starts from a larger ball of dough and takes more fat between its folds, so its calories rise on both counts.
- 03
Whose figure you are reading
ICMR-NIN's Dietary Guidelines for Indians put 1 paratha at about 150 kcal, a little under the 166 kcal here. The guideline figure is approximate and does not list the flour or fat behind it; a paratha cooked with slightly less oil than this recipe's 2 teaspoons would land close to it.
- 04
What it is eaten with
A plain paratha is rarely eaten alone. Sabzi, dal, curd, pickle or a fried egg each add their own calories, and none of them is counted in the figure for the bread.
How plain 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
Two plain parathas come to about 332 kcal and 5.6 g of protein; three reach 498 kcal. One is about 8% of a sedentary man's daily energy requirement and 10% of a woman's. Protein is where it falls short: at 2.8 g it has the least of the 15 breads in this comparison, below even a methi thepla at 3.3 g. So the rest of the plate matters. Dal, curd, paneer, egg or a chana sabzi supplies what the paratha does not.
Ways to keep it lighter
- Brush the tawa with a measured teaspoon of oil in place of pouring it from the bottle.
- Roll it thin and skip the ghee between the folds, which is where a flaky paratha hides most of its fat.
- Have one paratha with a bowl of dal or curd in place of a second paratha.
- Make phulkas from the same dough on ordinary days, since a phulka needs no oil on the tawa.
Before you rely on the number
Because a plain paratha looks so simple, the fat in it is easy to forget. More than half its energy is oil, and at home the amount is usually poured, not measured. Salt is a separate matter: what is kneaded into the dough, and a spoon of pickle on the side, add sodium that a calorie count does not show. Anyone following a plan from a doctor or dietitian for blood pressure, diabetes or a heart condition should use the portions and fats that plan sets out.
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.
Plain Paratha: common questions
How many calories are in 2 plain parathas?
About 332 kcal, with 5.6 g of protein, 34.2 g of carbohydrate and 18.8 g of fat, if each is the size of the reference recipe: 27 g of atta and 2 teaspoons of oil. Larger or flakier parathas come to more, because both the dough and the fat go up.
How many calories does a plain paratha with ghee have?
The recipe's 166 kcal already includes 2 teaspoons of oil. Adding one teaspoon of ghee on top brings it to about 211 kcal, and two teaspoons to about 256 kcal. If ghee simply replaces the oil in cooking, the total barely changes, since a teaspoon of ghee has about 45 kcal against 44 kcal for oil.
Is a plain paratha lighter than a stuffed one?
Not always. In this set of recipes a plain paratha has 166 kcal, less than an aloo paratha at 191 kcal or a paneer paratha at 224 kcal, but more than a methi paratha at 135 kcal or an onion paratha at 146 kcal, whose recipes use much less oil. The fat used decides the ranking more than the filling does.
Is plain paratha good for weight loss?
It can be part of a day that leads to weight loss, but it is a dense food for its size: 166 kcal from a small paratha, over half of it fat, with only 2.8 g of protein. One with dal or curd is more filling than two eaten alone. Whether weight moves depends on the sum of the day's meals, not on the paratha alone.
The recipe, the ingredients and related reading
Wheat flour (atta and maida): 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.
Which Cooking Oil Is Best in India? Mustard, Groundnut, Rice Bran and More
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
Estimating what is on a plate and turning it into a meal plan is taught in this NNWA course.