Let me apologize in advance if my reviews seem carb-heavy. Because most of the new items hitting shelves are for some reason are breads. I thought I was done reviewing bread last week when I tried Chocolate Chip Pain Au Lait. Nope, not only does the frozen Indian section have a new bread, but there is also a pancake bread (review to show up in the near future). So while Trader Joe's does an excellent job of serving certain food communities, I feel like the low-carb crowd might be left out here a bit.
Taste and review
To me, the Indian selections are absolutely outstanding. I just wish they sold them in larger quantities in the same respect that many of the Asian options are sold.
I mean who wouldn't love a big frozen bag of the Chicken Tikka, Paneer Tikka, Vegan Tikka, Lamb Vindaloo, or even the Fish Korma? I, for one look forward to that day when I don't have to buy it as a single meal. I'd totally like to enjoy it several times from one bag. But hey, that's just me.
Part of me was also wondering, do we need another bread? I mean we already have Naan and Garlic Naan too. So is a third Indian bread necessary?
My answer is now yes.
If you've had the naan you know that those are good. They are a nice light bread that pairs well with pretty much anything.
This bread pairs well with pretty much anything, but is a completely different type of bread.
While naan is softer, this is meant to be more layered and crisp. The best way I can describe it is like a puff pastry meets a scallion pancake in terms of texture.
It's really good. There are 5 of these in each bag which sadly, isn't resealable. So yes, if you are just heating up one, you'll need to reach for a quart-sized freezer bag to store these. I know Trader Joe's pledged to reduce plastic packaging, but I'm not sure this is helping.
And while there are 5 parathas in here, this is actually 10 servings. So you'll want to double the calorie count on the back if you are not going to share.
Overall
For $1.99 it's a good deal and something pretty awesome to try if you are still enjoying your carbs.
I liked it and I'd buy it again. I still like the Naan, but it's a nice addition to the aisle.
Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!
Product photos
The bag of Trader Joe's Malabari Paratha:
Calories
Ingredients
How Trader Joe's describes this:
Directions
After being cooked you get:
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Trader Joe's Malabari Paratha
Product Name: Trader Joe's Malabari Paratha
Product Description: Trader Joe's Malabari Paratha is the newest Indian bread in the frozen aisle.
Price: $1.99
Currency: USD
Availability: InStoreOnly
Summary
Trader Joe's Malabari Paratha is the newest bread in the freezer aisle. It is located along side the Indian options.
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Taste
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Value
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Worthy of Repurchasing
Pros
- Tasty flaky bread that is ready relatively quickly
- A very different bread than the popular Naan
Cons
- Each bread is actually 2 servings
- Should come in a resealable bag
Alek says
I liked it! I think it good change for tortillas. Sopping up yummy sauces or tacos
becomebetty says
Hey Alek! I'm glad you tried it. This absolutely shines for picking up any extra sauce left behind. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Dagmar says
I am so glad you were viewed this. I bought this a few days ago but haven't tried it yet and actually the carbs are not bad on this. One of the flats only has 7% of your daily carbs. And you need to subtract the fiber from that
carb total so it's actually closer to 6%. I have one wish from Trader Joe's right now and that is to bottle the sauce in the frozen chicken tikka masala entrees so that I can buy it and be able to dip this bread in it! That would be Tikka Nirvana!!!
becomebetty says
OMG yes! If they could just sell the sauce, because it absolutely rivals most Indian restaurants I've ever been to. Thanks so much for the heads up on this one!
Dagmar says
Oops-apologies from my last comment- 1/2 piece of bread has about 6grams total carbs. And I forgot to mention that I also so wish they would expand their Indian product line to include multi serving containers. And I wish they would bring back the paneer naan. That was my favorite of the naans.
becomebetty says
I never had a chance to try it. I know paneer is good on its own, but this is a line that they could take up half the store and I would be very content. Thanks so much for sharing!
PattiAnn says
Somewhere along the line I read that 2019 is the year of going back to bread (I think it was Chef Steps Joule site?). So TJ's is just on the cutting edge, as always. I like the trend because I like bread in all shapes & forms. Moderation is the key.
Thanks for your review.
Grubbing With Jess says
I saw these and have been excited to try them out! I'm okay with all the carbs 😀
EllenLV says
Good on fat, and sodium - not bad on calories, I will try this. Thanks Brenda.
Palani ammal says
We bought last week we bought paratha . too much oil & bitter taste
becomebetty says
Hey Palani! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts on this!
Jill says
Loved it - it does crisp up when you fry it in a little oil and the flavor is wheat-y with a hit of char. Texture-wise compared to naan, it is a microfiber towel compared to a terrycloth towel - which is good! I eat it with Persian food as well as Indian.
becomebetty says
Hey Jill! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this!
Tiff says
It's similar to a traditional Middle Eastern bread I ate while growing up called mulawa. On weekends my mother would make it and we would eat it with butter and honey or sugar. The first thing I did was fry it up with in a pan with butter and sugar. Definitely not the healthiest way to eat it, but a delicious nostalgic treat.
becomebetty says
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences on this!
Hadar says
I second the melawach comment (though melawach is better in my opinion and you can get it at a kosher store.)
At a Thai restaurant, I recently had a sweet roti cinnamon roll-up which tasted like a cinnamon roll! Take this paratha from Trader Joe’s, fry up, add cinnamon sugar to it, and a glaze made with coconut milk and powdered sugar then roll up- so indulgent and delicious!
becomebetty says
Thanks for sharing Hadar!