India Paratha
Originating on the Indian subcontinent, paratha continues to be a popular bread throughout the region and beyond. The word paratha is a combination of the words parat and atta, which together mean "layers of cooked dough." This is an accurate description, as paratha dough is folded in such a way that it creates thin layers that separate as the dough cooks. Paratha uses whole-wheat flour and is unleavened, characteristics that distinguish it from another popular Indian flatbread, naan. Recipe Servings: Makes 8 paratha
Prep Time
1 minute
+ 30 minutes resting
+ 30 minutes resting
Cook Time
20 minutes
Total Time
51 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) whole wheat flour
- 2 tsp (10 ml) vegetable oil
- 3/4–1 cup (180–240 ml) water
- 1/4 tsp (1.75 ml) salt
- ghee, as needed
Directions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, oil, salt, and water. Mix thoroughly to make dough.
- Knead dough until soft and pliable. This can be done using a stand mixer with a dough hook or using one's moistened fingertips.
- Wrap dough in a clean, moist towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Cut dough into 8 pieces. Knead each piece for a short time, then roll each into a ball. Cover all balls with a cloth.
- On a lightly floured surface, place dough ball and roll into a thin layer. Repeat for all balls, keeping dough covered in between.
- The following steps are done to create the characteristic layers of the paratha. Return one rolled-out piece to the work surface. Apply ghee evenly all over the top surface of the dough with your fingers.
- Fold the left 1/3 of the dough in towards the center. Apply more ghee on the newly created surface.
- Fold over the right outer 1/3 of the dough so that it lies on top of the dough from the first fold. The dough should now form a long rectangular shape. Apply more ghee.
- Fold the top 1/3 of the rectangle down towards the center. Apply ghee.
- Fold the bottom 1/3 of the rectangle up and on top of the other fold, so the dough now forms a square. Apply ghee.
- Roll out this square evenly so it becomes quite thin.
- To prevent the dough drying out, repeat this process for 3 more balls so that 4 paratha are available to be fried.
- After frying the first 4, repeat the rolling, folding, and frying process with the remaining 4 dough balls.
- While the rest of the dough is being rolled and folded, heat a frying pan or tava over high heat. When it is hot, place one paratha in the pan. Adjust heat lower as necessary so dough does not burn.
- When bubbles begin to appear under the surface, flip paratha gently. Push down softly with a wooden spatula. As it cooks, the paratha layers will begin to separate and puff up.
- Fry until dough is golden and dark spots brown spots appear across the bread. Do not overcook, as they will get hard.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
For a vegan recipe, vegetable oil can be substituted for ghee.Copyright © 1993—2024 World Trade Press. All rights reserved.