Paratha Recipe

A complete beginners’ guide for making flawless, flaky, and soft parathas each time! Homemade parathas taste great simple, delicious, and flaky, yet so soft that once you’ve made them, they’ll be the last time you go to buy frozen parathas ever again. They’re great to serve along with stews, curry, or soup. It is also great to serve them with jam or pickles or wrap them together with some grilled vegetables and eggs fried or meat to create a mouthwatering lunch or a snack. It’s up to you, and you’ll love making your parathas all the time!

If you’re new to Indian food, you might be thinking about what they are.

About Paratha

Paratha is a non-leavened flatbread made from Whole wheat flour (atta), salt, oil, and Ghee. The traditional flatbreads are the most common throughout the Indian subcontinent and are served in breakfasts along with pickles, curd, chutney curries, eggs, and meat food items.

An elastic and soft wheat flour dough must be made to make parathas. Then, it is laid out in a layer, and the Ghee is spread over and then folded several times to form a triangular or square base. Then, it is rolled up into thin layers and baked on a griddle to become golden brown and then cooked.

When roasting, steam collects between the layers, which helps to bake the dough evenly, creating multiple layers of paratha. An ample amount of Ghee is then drizzled over the paratha to give an aroma of a nutty and crunchy structure for the paratha.

Essentially, they are two types: plain or layers of parathas and stuffed parathas. The simple parathas are created according to the method I mentioned earlier. Stuffed parathas are prepared with an ingredient of veggies and eggs or even meat in the dough. Aloo Parathas are among the most popular types of stuff.

Parathas made of plain layers can also be flavored with spices, pureed spinach, boiled vegetables, chopped paneer, or chopped greens. To learn more, go to the Variations section.

What makes these parathas so appealing is that they’re easy to cook and don’t require particular skills, unlike those stuffed parathas. They can be prepared beforehand, stored in the fridge for a few days, or frozen.

They are a fantastic morning snack, along with eggs, paneer bhurji, or Bhurji. Also, they are great in the office and school lunch box. Below are some curries that complement these parathas.

How to make Plain Paratha?

Bake the dough

1. 2.25 cups or 250 grams of whole wheat flour (atta) and 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional), and 2 teaspoons oil (optional) into a mixing bowl.
2. For kneading the dough, I use 1 cup of water to 2 cups of flour. It could vary slightly depending on the flour type. Sprinkle 3 cups of plain water with the oil and salt. Alternatively, you can utilize lukewarm water.
3. Mix the flour in the beginning. Make use of your hands to mix.
4. Use water as needed and form a dry, tight dough.
5. Start to work the dough on your counter in your kitchen or use a broad knife. If the dough becomes too stiff and rigid to work with, I soak my hands in the water bowl to let them moisten. After that, I continue kneading. This process is repeated until the dough is soft.
6. When you’ve finished kneading, the shape of the dough needs to be soft and flexible.
7. It can be wrapped with a moist cloth or put on a cover. Set aside and cover for at least 30 minutes.
8. The dough is divided into 8 equal parts and then roll it into balls. If you want, you can also work the dough a second time and form it into balls. Make sure to cover them up until we are done using them.

How to roll Paratha square?

9. I suggest using melted Ghee to roll since regulating the amount used is simple. Ghee can be melted in a small bowl before you place it aside. Sprinkle lightly with flour on the area to roll. Form a ball. Sprinkle some flour on it.
10. Make an even layer. Uniformly apply Ghee with your fingertips. Ghee can be substituted with oil. You can sprinkle some dry flour in this recipe.
11. The roti is folded in 1/3, like the illustration below. Repeat the process of applying Ghee.
12. Then fold the remaining 1/3 inwards and use Ghee to spread it.
13. Repeat the fold.
14. Finalize.
15. roll this out uniformly, forming an even paratha. It is also possible to sprinkle flour before rolling. I prefer rolling up to five parathas, then frying them until they are done to avoid drying. Finish rolling and fry remaining.

Make Triangle Parathas

16. I created a round layer before adding carom seeds. It’s optional.
17. Fold it in half.
18. Fold it in half to make a quarter.
19. Then roll it up to form an even paratha. Don’t make it too thin.

Toasting

20. As you prepare the other of the paratha, warm a tawa pan over very high heat. Once it’s hot enough, then transfer the paratha into the pan. Soon, bubbles start appearing. Then you’ll need to change the temperature as required. Extremely high temperatures can burn the tins, while low-level flame causes them to become rigid.
21. Turn it over to the opposite side. Press gently using a wooden spatula. The mixture begins to expand, and the layers become cooked and separated. Add Ghee as desired.
22. If you’re on a low-fat diet, skipping Ghee when you fry is possible. Stir fry until the food is cooked and black spots start to show.

Arrange the parathas in a stack for them to make them more soft.

How can you make the paratha soft?

• Cover them with kitchen tissue or an unclean cloth.
• Set a dishcloth or kitchen napkin into a dish or box and place them in a stack. Make sure they are covered.
• Avoid cooking them on low heat because this can cause them to harden.

Pro Tips

1. Making dough properly is crucial to making soft, flaky parathas. The dough may also be created using a food processor, hand mixer, or kitchen aid using a hook or attachment for kneading. Sprinkle some flour on the dough if it becomes too sticky when kneading.
2. Ensuring you use the right amount of oil and water is another crucial aspect of making the perfect parathas. The dough shouldn’t become sticky or crumbly. If it is, you can sprinkle a little flour. If the dough is too firm, sprinkle some water on the dough and then knead.
3. A few minutes of resting the dough for time allows the dough to absorb the water and keeps the parathas supple for many days.
4. Fats: I use oil when making for lunch because Ghee is known to soften the paratha during colder temperatures.
5. Additionally, you can mix in a teaspoon or two of curd (Indian yogurt)while mixing the dough. It helps the parathas remain soft throughout the day.

Variations

1. To make vegetable paratha, Mash 1 1/2 cups boiling mixed vegetables and mix it with 1 cup of flour, along with 1/2 tsp garam masala and a pinch of salt and half tsp red chili powder, and a few coriander leaves.
2. For making spinach paratha: Blend 1 cup of spinach, 2 to 3 tablespoons of water, a clove of garlic, and 1 chili. Add 1/4 teaspoon garam masala until it forms, and make a fine paste. Mix it with 1 cup flour salt and 1 teaspoon oil. For a complete recipe, check Palak Paratha
3. To make masala or spiced paratha, add half a teaspoon of every red chili powder garam masala and 1 tablespoon of kasuri methi, and some coriander leaves to one cup of flour. Mix the dough to create masala paratha. It is also possible to sprinkle it on top of the layers.
4. To prepare methi paratha, add one cup of finely chopped methi leaves and 1 cup of flour, and ingredients like ginger, spices, and herbs.
5. To change the plain paratha into a leisurely breakfast, you could make these egg-based Parathas.

Ingredients (Us Cup = 240ml )

•  2 cups of wheat flour (atta or substitute it with all-purpose flour)
•  2 teaspoons oil to mix (optional)
•  1/4 to 1 cup of water (or the equivalent of lukewarm water)
•  1 teaspoon of salt (optional add salt if desired, and adjust according to your preference)
•  2 to 3 tablespoons Ghee or oil (use when needed)

Cooking Steps & Instructions

Make Dough

• Mix wheat flour, salt, oil, and salt in a large bowl.
• Add water slowly until you have the dough firm, not sticky.
• Work the dough well, making your dough smooth and elastic. If the dough is too stiff or dry, work it out with moist fingers.
• As you press the dough using your finger, You should feel it is smooth and easy to dent.
• In a damp cloth, wrap it in the container, and place it for about 30 minutes.
• It is also possible to grease the ball with a few oil drops. Cover.

How to Make Paratha?

• Make the dough by hand lightly and split it into 8 pieces.
• After that, roll them into balls and cover them.
• Add a couple of tablespoons of flour in a smaller bowl and then dust the area off, rolling gently.
• Dip a flour ball in a bowl, then dust off any extra. A lot of flour on parathas could make them challenging.
• Put the ball on the surface of the rolling and then gently flatten it with your fingers.
• Utilizing the rolling pin, begin to make each ball into the shape of a round, seven inches of roti. Don’t put too much pressure on the dough. Move it using your fingers.

Make Square Paratha

• Spread Ghee across the paratha, then fold the paratha in 1/3. (check the steps in the blog post)
• After that, apply the Ghee to the folds. Repeat folding the second 1/3 of the piece.
• Spread Ghee on the long, 3-layer strip. Fold in 1/3 of the strip.
• You can repeat the second 1/3 of the pattern and get an equilateral.
• Add a little flour if necessary to keep the flour from sticking.
• Roll the square again until you have a 7-inch Partha square.

Make Triangle Paratha

• Ghee is applied all across the roti and makes it fold in one half to create an equilateral.
• After that, apply Ghee and fold it again to create a triangle.
• Sprinkle some flour on the surface and roll equally into a triangle-shaped paratha.

Fry Paratha

• Make sure to heat a griddle over a medium-high flame.
• Clean up any flour that has accumulated on the parathas. Place the paratha on the grill gently. It should cook until you start bubbling, then switch to the opposite side.
• Fry in a medium flame, then flip it over by pressing it with the spatula.
• By pressing down, the parathas can puff up, and then the layers are separated and cooked to perfection.
• Then turn the parathas over and to. Cook till brown spots start to form on both sides.
• Ghee or oil can be drizzled over both sides
• Transfer the paratha onto an unwired plate or rack lined with a clean, dry cloth or kitchen towel.
• Place them on top of each one to make them more soft.
• For the second paratha to cook, ensure that the pan is not too hot enough that it scorches the parathas. If you spot any flour on the grill, gently wipe it off using a clean, thick cloth.

Serve with curry, chutney, or simply yogurt.

Important Notes

1. If the dough is dry, add the flour before kneading it.
2. If the dough becomes rigid or stiff, moisten your hands and knead the dough.
3. The dough with the stand mixer or food processor.

Nutrition Facts (estimation only)

• Calories 155
• Calories from Fat 45