Growing up, paratha was a lunchbox staple with a sukhi sabzi(spiced vegetables). Every time I opened my lunch, I was welcomed by the aroma of ghee that mom liberally used while toasting parathas to keep them soft till its time of eat. These traditional flatbreads are a staple in north india and served for any meal of day - be it breakfast, lunch, tiffins or dinner.
Difference between Roti, Naan & Paratha
I thought of including this section for my non indian readers to help them know a little more about wonderful Indian flatbreads. Both roti and paratha are unleavened indian flatbreads made simply with a dough of atta (whole wheat flour) and water. Roti is made by rolling the dough into thin circular shape and then its simply cooked to puffy perfection without using oil or ghee. Rotis can either be cooked on the griddle or directly over the stove flame. Ghee is smeared on cooked warm rotis before serving to make them taste extra delicious. You can see my roti recipe here. When making parathas, the dough is layered on to itself a few times and then rolled into a triangle, square or circular shape on a lightly floured surface. The rolled dough is then toasted on a hot tawa (griddle) brushing some ghee or oil on both sides. In this process the multiple layers trap steam and result in a flaky paratha. While toasting, both the sides of paratha turn crispy and get golden brown spots. The longer you cook and press, the crispier the paratha gets.Parathas are plain or stuffed liked these ones made with paneer stuffing. Traditional Naan is a leavened bread traditionally made using maida (all purpose flour), yeast, salt and water. Authentic naan is cooked in hot tandoor (large clay ovens) until puffy charred spots appear. But as usual, there are many variations. Here is my no yeast naan recipe cooked on stove top.
How To Make Plain Paratha (Step By Step Photos)
Which flour is best for Making Paratha?
Parathas are made with atta which is fine milled whole wheat flour. You can easily find atta at indian or pakistani grocery stores or online. Atta is different from whole wheat flour available in the baking aisle. You can also use maida for making parathas using this recipe. Parathas made with maida are more tender and flaky than the atta ones. I suggest buying maida from indian or pakistani stores to make parathas. That said, you don’t have to rush to store, make use of whichever flour you have handy at home to make these delicious flatbreads.
Make The Paratha Dough
Equipment You Will Need For Kneading the dough - Large mixing bowl or a wide shallow dish (called paraat in hindi). Note :- I just find it easier with hands but you can use your food processor fitted with dough blade or stand mixer to make the paratha dough. The steps pretty much remain the same- add flour & slowly add water, pulse, let water get absorbed, then pulse again. Let run on low for 2-3 minutes and make a soft & pliable dough.
Why its important to rest the dough?
Resting the paratha dough after kneading allows the straches in flour to absorb water fully. While resting, the water that we add while kneading redistributes among the starches in the atta. Due to absorption, gluten in flour relaxes and expands which will make it easier for us to roll the paratha later. Ever wondered why its difficult to roll or why flatbread keeps shrinking(especially when its made with all purpose flour) when you roll the dough right after kneading? This is the reason. Rested dough is easier to handle. However dont rest the paratha dough for more than 20-30 minutes else the the dough might get sticky.
Rolling Square Parathas
Equipment You Will Need - A flat and firm rolling surface and rolling pin. You will also need about a cup or so of dry atta in a plate. If you refrigerated the paratha dough, take it out 10-15 minutes prior to rolling and let sit on kitchen counter.
Rolling Triangle Paratha
Toasting
Equipment You Will Need - Tawa, cast iron griddle or fry pan. A flipping/turning spatula.
Heat up a griddle on low medium heat. To check if its hot enough, sprinkle a pinch of dry flour, if it turns dark brown immediately, the griddle is hot. Carefully lift the paratha from the rolling surface (flour your palms if needed) and place on the hot griddle. After few seconds you will see that the top pf paratha changes will puff up slightly in places. Flip the paratha using spatula and let cook on other side. The second side will cook faster than the first. Brush the top side with melted ghee or oil. Flip and brush oil on the other side. Let the bottom side get golden brown spots before flipping to cook on second side. Let the paratha cook on each side till you see golden brown spots appearing. Don’t flip again and again. You can cook for a little longer for crispier paratha.
Tip :- Once you take off the cooked paratha from the griddle, place in on a wire rack to prevent it from getting soggy.
My Tips To Make a Soft & Flaky Paratha
Make a smooth & pliable dough. If the dough is soft, paratha will be soft. Let the dough come to room temperature if you refrigerated it before making parathas with it. Dont roll the paratha too thin. Avoid applying a lot of pressure while rolling. Dont place the un-cooked paratha on a warm or a super hot tawa. Cook the paratha on a medium flame. Dont press the paratha too much while toasting. The more you press the layers stick to each other(the paratha will not be flaky). Also paratha gets crispier. Dont skimp on oil while cooking parathas. They taste dry. . If you plan to make paratha for travel or for eating 6-8 hours later, you can knead the dough using milk. It helps in keeping paratha soft. Another tip if you want to consume parathas after 6-8 hours or next day is to not crisp them a lot while cooking. When toasting, just when paratha gets few brown spots on each side, take it off the stove, cool, stack and store them.
Variations
Namak Mirch Ka Paratha - Add red chilli powder and pinch of turmeric to the dough. Ajwain Paratha - Add ½ teaspoon ajwain and ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds and salt to the dough. Pudina Paratha - Add fresh and dried mint leaves to the dough. See my pudina paratha recipe here. Methi Ka Paratha- You can add 1 teaspoon crushed dried kasuri methi to the dough. Make Vegan Paratha - Simply use oil instead of ghee.
Storage
Store the cooled parathas refrigerated with wax paper in between them in an air tight container for 2 days. you can easily freeze the parathas the same way. Stack them with parchment paper in between and place them in a ziplock bag and freeze. Reheat the paratha for 2 minutes or so on a heated tawa or microwave for 30 seconds or so and serve. You dont need to thaw.
