Trader Joe's No Longer Offers A Beloved Variety Of Frozen Indian Flatbread

When someone hears the words "Indian flatbread," their minds usually go to naan bread. So, it'd make sense if, when you're stocking up on frozen Indian meals from Trader Joe's, you grab a bag of its frozen Tandoori Naan. But not long ago, there was another variety of Indian flatbread available in Trader Joe's freezer: Malabari Paratha.

The main difference between naan and paratha is that, unlike the delicacy that is naan, there isn't just one way to make paratha. Trader Joe's Malabari Paratha adopted the Malabar region's style of not only including cow and buffalo milk in its recipe, but also rolling the dough into a circular, cinnamon roll-like shape before flattening and pan-frying them. In our ranking of 25 Indian foods from Trader Joe's, the Malabari Paratha surprised us with its depth of flavor. We found it to be flaky, reminiscent of croissants, and described it as tasting much fancier than it appeared.

Although we felt that minced garlic made the product pop even more, that wasn't the only way to enhance the paratha. Some Trader Joe's shoppers paired the dish with its bagged, premade Yellow Tadka Dal for an easy — and particularly affordable — weekday lunch. Others enjoyed it for breakfast as the bread for their French toast, while some spread it with their choice of sauce or chutney.

Trader Joe's Malabari Paratha was a staple, frozen Indian food option for years, requiring just a pan and melted butter or a few minutes in the air fryer to heat and crisp up as good as it would if it were made fresh in front of you. But rather than the many Trader Joe's items that you need tricks to get your hands on, the paratha seems to have been discontinued. On Trader Joe's website, the item is listed as "not available," prompting fans to email the grocer, requesting its swift return. Until then, you'll have to go elsewhere for your frozen paratha.

Many fans of the Malabi Paratha have gathered online in search of alternatives to their favorite, frozen Indian flatbread, to which many people have guided them to actual Indian and South Asian grocery stores in their areas. Most of them carry products just like it, if not better, with many agreeing that the Ashoka and Kawan brands taste the most similar to the ones from Trader Joe's. You're also likely to find many other Indian foods and flatbreads that Trader Joe's doesn't carry, which will make it worth the trip.