Sattu Paratha Recipe: Bihar's Most Filling Flatbread

Sattu Paratha Recipe: Bihar's Most Filling Flatbread

By InstaCuppa Team  |  Published May 2026  |  Last updated: 29 September 2026  |  8 min read

Sattu paratha is a whole-wheat flatbread stuffed with spiced sattu. It is a filling breakfast from Bihar.

That is the power of sattu. Sattu is roasted chana flour, and it brings protein and fiber. The sattu filling inside a wheat roti makes this a very filling breakfast. One paratha has about 185 to 280 kcal, and three have about 555 to 840 kcal. The calorie section shows how we worked it out.

Sattu paratha is a staple in Bihar. But people all over India are now making it. Once you try it, you will understand why.

What Is Sattu Paratha?

Sattu paratha is a stuffed flatbread. The outer layer is soft wheat dough. The inside is a spiced sattu filling.

Sattu is roasted chana (gram) flour. In Bihar, sattu is usually made from roasted chana, and some families also use barley or maize. Sattu is eaten in many ways. As a drink, a filling, a sweet, a soup. Sattu paratha is a popular lunch and breakfast use.

The filling is made with sattu, mustard oil, garlic, ginger, green chilli, lemon juice, and spices. It is dry and crumbly. Not a paste. The dry filling stays inside the paratha without leaking.

In Bihar, sattu paratha is served with:

• Fresh curd (dahi)
• Spicy pickle (achaar)
• Roasted green chilli on the side
• A smear of ghee on top

Other Names: Sattu Ki Roti and Sattu Bhari Roti

Many people search for this dish by its Hindi names. Sattu bhari roti means "roti filled with sattu". Sattu wali roti means the same thing. Sattu ki roti can mean this stuffed roti too. In some homes it means a plain roti with sattu mixed into the dough.

Litti is a different dish. Litti is a ball of wheat dough stuffed with sattu. It is roasted on coals or baked. Sattu paratha is rolled flat and cooked on a tawa.

Classic Bihar Sattu Paratha Recipe

Makes: 6 to 8 parathas  |  Time: 40 min  |  Calories: about 185 to 280 per paratha

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour (atta)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ghee or oil
• Water as needed (about 3/4 cup)

For the sattu filling:

• 1 cup sattu (roasted chana flour)
• 1 to 2 tsp raw mustard oil
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic (4 to 5 cloves)
• 1 tsp finely chopped ginger
• 1 to 2 green chillies, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, chopped
• 1/2 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp amchur (dry mango powder)
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp chopped onion (optional)

For cooking:

• Ghee or oil for the tawa

Steps

1. Make the dough. Mix wheat flour and salt. Add 1 tsp ghee. Add water slowly. Knead into a soft but firm dough. Not too soft or the paratha will tear. Cover and rest for 15 minutes.
2. Make the filling. Put sattu in a bowl. Add mustard oil, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, green chilli, coriander, ajwain, cumin powder, amchur, chilli powder, and salt. Mix well with your hands or a spoon. The mix should be crumbly and dry. If it feels too dry, add a drop of water. But keep it crumbly — not a paste.
3. Divide and fill. Divide the rested dough into 6 to 8 equal balls. Roll each ball into a circle about 5 to 6 inches wide. Place 2 tbsp of sattu filling in the centre. Pull the edges of the dough up and pinch them together tightly. Press down to seal.
4. Roll carefully. Lightly dust the filled ball with flour. Roll gently into a flat circle about 7 to 8 inches wide. Do not press too hard. If the filling pokes through, patch with a pinch of dough.
5. Cook on tawa. Heat a tawa or flat pan on medium-high flame. Place the raw paratha on the hot tawa. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until light brown spots appear on the bottom.
6. Flip and cook. Flip and add 1 tsp ghee around the edges. Cook the other side for 1 to 2 minutes. Press gently with a spatula.
7. Finish. Flip once more. Apply ghee on the top side. Press for 30 seconds. The paratha is done when both sides are golden brown.
8. Serve hot with curd, pickle, and a smear of ghee on top.

3 Variations to Try

1. Sattu Paratha Without Onion and Garlic

Good for people who avoid onion and garlic.

Skip onion, garlic, and ginger. Add extra cumin and ajwain. Add a pinch of hing (asafoetida) for flavour. The paratha still tastes great.

2. Sattu and Paneer Paratha

For extra protein.

Use half sattu and half crumbled paneer in the filling. Add the same spices. The paneer adds creaminess. Great for gym days.

3. Sweet Sattu Paratha

A less common but delicious variation.

Fill with sattu mixed with jaggery, cardamom, and a little ghee. No spices. Cook the same way. Serve as a light dessert or sweet breakfast for children.

Sattu Paratha Calories: 1 Paratha and 3 Parathas

One sattu paratha has about 185 to 280 kcal. Three sattu parathas have about 555 to 840 kcal. A middle-size one is about 230 kcal. The ghee on the tawa makes the biggest difference. Each teaspoon of ghee adds about 40 kcal.

One sattu paratha (estimate from this recipe, made with ghee):

• Calories: about 185 to 280 kcal (about 230 kcal for a middle-size one)
• Protein: 5.5 to 7.5 g
• Fiber: 5 to 7 g
• Carbohydrates: 25 to 33 g
• Fat: 7 to 13 g

How We Worked Out the Calories

We used this recipe's own amounts. Two cups of atta weigh about 240 g. One cup of sattu weighs about 92 g. These cup weights come from USDA FoodData Central (FDC ID 168893 for whole-grain wheat flour, and FDC ID 174288 for chickpea flour, the closest match to sattu).

The Indian Food Composition Tables (IFCT 2017) list atta (code A019) at 320 kcal per 100 g. IFCT has no row for sattu. The closest row is Bengal gram dal (code B001), at 329 kcal, 21.6 g protein and 15.2 g fiber per 100 g. So the atta gives about 769 kcal and the sattu about 303 kcal.

One teaspoon of oil or ghee weighs about 4.5 g and adds about 40 kcal (FDC ID 172337 for mustard oil, FDC ID 171314 for ghee). The dough has 1 tsp of ghee. The filling has 1 to 2 tsp of mustard oil. So the whole batch comes to about 1,150 to 1,190 kcal.

Split into 8 parathas, that is about 145 kcal each. Split into 6, it is about 200 kcal each. Then add the ghee on the tawa, about 1 to 2 tsp per paratha. That adds 40 to 80 kcal. So one paratha lands at about 185 to 280 kcal.

For 3 sattu parathas, multiply by 3. That gives about 555 to 840 kcal. Three middle-size ones come to about 685 kcal. Sattu made with the husk has more fiber. IFCT lists whole Bengal gram (code B002) at 25.2 g fiber and 287 kcal per 100 g.

Two sattu parathas for breakfast give you about 11 to 15 g of protein. That is about as much as 2 large eggs (about 6.3 g each, USDA FDC ID 171287). It is roughly a quarter to a third of the 45.7 g a day that ICMR-NIN (2020) suggests for an adult woman. See our list of high-protein Indian foods for more ideas.

Fiber and protein help you feel full. How long you stay full depends on you and on what else you eat.

For weight loss: use less ghee when cooking. Dry-roast on the tawa for the first 1 minute before adding ghee. Each teaspoon of ghee you skip saves about 40 kcal.

Tips for Perfect Sattu Paratha

1. Keep the filling dry. A wet filling will steam inside the paratha and make it soggy. The sattu mix should be crumbly — like coarse sand. Add lemon juice, not water.
2. Do not overfill. Use only 2 tbsp of filling per paratha. Too much filling makes rolling hard and the paratha tears.
3. Rest the dough. Do not skip the 15-minute rest. The dough relaxes. It becomes easier to roll without tearing.
4. Use raw mustard oil. This is the single biggest difference between a good sattu paratha and a great one. Just 1 tsp is enough.
5. Roll gently on filled parathas. Use light pressure. If you push hard, the filling comes out. Light strokes, from the centre outward.
6. Hot tawa is key. The tawa must be very hot before you put the paratha on. A cold tawa makes the paratha stick and cook unevenly. Not sure which tawa to use? Read our cast iron vs non-stick tawa guide.

What to Serve with Sattu Paratha

In Bihar, sattu paratha is never eaten alone. Here are the best pairings:

Classic Bihar Pairings

• Fresh curd (dahi): Cool and creamy. Perfect contrast to the spicy filling.
• Aam ka achaar (mango pickle): The sour and spicy pickle cuts through the earthy sattu flavour.
• Roasted green chilli: Place a whole green chilli directly on the tawa flame for 1 minute. Serve charred on the side.
• Ghee: Apply a generous smear of ghee on the hot paratha before eating. This is not optional in Bihar.

Modern Pairings

• Raita: Cucumber or onion raita. Cooling and light. Try this cucumber raita recipe.
• Dal fry: A thin dal fry works well as a dipping sauce.
• Green chutney: Coriander and mint chutney is a fresh match. Here is our green chutney recipe.

How to Store Sattu Paratha

Leftover Filling

Make extra sattu filling. Store it in a sealed box in the fridge. It stays fresh for 2 days. Use it for the next morning's breakfast. Sattu filling does not need reheating — you can use it cold.

Cooked Parathas

Wrap cooked parathas in foil or a cloth. They stay soft for 4 to 6 hours at room temperature. To reheat: place on a hot tawa for 1 minute on each side. Do not microwave — the paratha becomes chewy.

Uncooked Rolled Parathas

You can roll parathas ahead of time. Place each raw paratha between sheets of parchment paper. Stack them. Keep in the fridge for up to 6 hours. Cook fresh when needed.

Why Bihar Has Eaten Sattu for Generations

Sattu is not a modern health trend. It is an old food. The word sattu comes from the Sanskrit word saktu, which means ground, parched barley meal. We could not find a reliable source for an exact number of years, so we do not give one.

The reason is practical. In the old days, sattu could be carried on long journeys without cooking. Farmers mixed sattu with water and salt in the field. No fire needed. Instant energy.

Dry sattu keeps well. Store it in an airtight jar and check the best-before date on the pack. This made it a handy food for farmers and travellers.

Today, many people eat sattu for the same simple reasons their grandparents did. It is cheap, it keeps well, and it brings protein and fiber. It is also a key part of Bihar's food festivals, such as Satuaan in the month of Chait.

Sattu paratha brings all these benefits into a format that works for modern Indian kitchens. Make it on a Sunday and it becomes your go-to breakfast for the week.

Common Questions

Sources

• Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (ICMR-NIN): atta A019, Bengal gram dal B001, whole Bengal gram B002, Table 1.
• USDA FoodData Central: FDC IDs 168893 (whole-grain wheat flour, cup weight), 174288 (chickpea flour, cup weight), 172337 (mustard oil), 171314 (ghee), 171287 (whole egg).
• ICMR-NIN Nutrient Requirements for Indians 2020, brief note: protein 45.7 g a day for an adult woman.
• Wikipedia: Sattu and Litti: the word saktu, the grains used, and how litti differs.

Calorie and nutrition figures are estimates from the recipe amounts above. Your parathas will vary with size and the amount of ghee.