INDIAN CUISINE: Paratha (Parantha)

Paratha or parantha is Indian flatbread. The most characteristic feature of parathas are layers of the dough - crispy from outside and soft ones inside. This is the reason why it is a bit more difficult to make parathas than rotis or chapatis - it takes some practise to learn how to make the layers and at the same time to be careful that the bread puffs. However, there are a few types of paratha among which each of them goes well with any kind of vegetable dish, lentils, rice, soya chunks or meat. Some will require more skills and practise, some less. Parathas will usually be made fresh right before the meal.

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Paratha is a type of Indian unleavened flatbread. Traditionally parathas will be made with Ghee - however, you can use any oil or butter instead of it. While simple roti/chapati dough is made with only two main ingredients - flour and water - into paratha dough we add some ghee/oil/butter as well. But on the other hand, even if you do not add it into the dough (suppose you are not able to eat or you are avoiding extra grease for some other reason) - parathas will turn out just fine. The key point is not to put grease into the dough but between the layers of the dough. The dough should be soft but firm and not sticky. The amount of the ingredients is not so important - it depends on how much and how big parathas you want to make. Slowly start adding water into the dough (and a few table spoons of grease). When the dough is not sticky anymore and it is soft, let it rest for around 10-15 minutes.

Corn-wheat Paratha Dough

Layered parathas are the most simple to make - though it takes practise to perfect the technique. If you are making parathas for the first time, give yourself some time. If you have already mastered puffing rotis/chapatis earlier, then this will not be a big problem for you. This layered paratha is meant to be the simplest because the layers are simply made by folding the rolled out dough. First of all, the dough needs to be rolled out in a round shape, just as if you would be making a roti. Then you take a bit of grease, traditionally ghee, and spread it thinly on the rolled out paratha. You fold it once and fold it again that you get a nice little triangular shape. When you have rolled all of your parathas like this, you heat the pan on high or maximum temperature and roll out the triangles. Rolled out layered paratha is then put on the pan. You have to wait a bit, until the bubbles become visible on the surface, and turn it over. Once you have done than, take  maximum one half of tablespoon of grease and gently spread it on the top side of the paratha. Gently press paratha where there are no bubbles. Flip the paratha and do the same thing once again. Paratha should be puffed at this point.

Simple Layered Paratha

Another way of making parathas is a bit more difficult but once it becomes a habit, it goes smoothly. This one is called lachha paratha and it has more than 3 layers. The procedure is the same as simple layered paratha until the folding point. When the grease is thinly spread on rolled out paratha, you sprinkle it with flour and try to spread it evenly with table knife. The other easier option is to have a plate with flour next to you and just dip that side of paratha into it. After that, the paratha has to be folded like a hand fan - folds are made by folding the dough back and forth. This way you should get a layered stick which you stretch a bit and fold it in a spiral, kind of like a snail's house :) when you are done with all parathas, you roll them out and fry them on the pan in the same manner.

Rolled Parathas

At last, there are stuffed parathas. There are many types of stuffing you can use. Mostly they will be mashed vegetable or lentils, sometimes even spices. The stuffing will be like an inside layer itself. the procedure is again the same until the folding part. Instead of folding you will be adding the stuffing in the middle of the rolled out paratha. Cover the stuffing with the rest of the rolled out dough. Once you have done this to all parathas, gently and softly roll them out. Be careful not to break the dough - else the stuffing will come out. Apply grease from both of the sides of the stuffed paratha on the pan in the same way as already described.

Parathas with lentils and fried potatoes

These are the three basic and most common ways of shaping and making parathas. Any flour can be used for the dough as long as it is finely grinded. You can also use harsh corn flour but make sure that at least one third of the dough is wheat flour. If not, the dough will be breaking in dry pieces and it will be difficult, almost impossible, to roll it and make layers. You can also use rice flour if you are gluten intolerant. You can add grease in the dough as well as salt - but it is not compulsory as parathas will turn out just fine. It is the technique that matters the most. The rest can be adjusted up to your preferences and health condition.
Parathas can be eaten as breads along with the other dish, alone with a gravy or sauce or it can be used as a roll, just like tortillas. They can be also made in different shapes - triangular, round, squared etc.

INDIAN CUISINE : Flatbreads!

If you do not know much about Indian cuisine, you will be surprised to find out that Indians usually do not make nor eat bread and buns as Westerns. Indians have more types of bread and sometimes even more names for each of them. Those which are not complicated to make will be made at home right before the meal - fresh.

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Most of the Indian breads are flatbreads - a flatbread is a type of thin unleavened bread. It basically means this - the dough is made without yeast (naans, for example, will be made with yeast), the bread is made by rolling the dough out into a layer and one bread is kind of equal to one slice of the Western bread. You are not making one whole bread from the dough. By cutting the dough and shaping the smaller parts into balls, you are making "breads." One bread will usually be for one person, just as a slice of bread is. The breads can be smaller or bigger, thinner or thicker, with or without stuffing. It depends on your preferences as well as on the method of making each type of the bread.

The simplest Indian flatbread to make is called roti and/or chapati. The basic ingredients for the dough are flour, a bit of salt and water. Some put a bit of oil into the dough as well, or any kind of other grease like butter or Ghee - clarified butter. These ingredients are basic for making any kind of Indian bread in general. Baking rotis can sometimes be tricky and this is the part where most of the Westerns will freak out because they have to accomplish that the bread puffs! It sounds difficult and unusual but it is not as difficult to achieve it as it seems. Once you have mastered the puffing part, you are literally ready for baking any kind of other Indian flatbread!

A puffed flatbread should look something like this:

Puffed Roti/Chapati - Indian Flatbread

The good thing about Indian home-made breads is that you know exactly what are the ingredients and they are additive-free. You can adjust the dough according to what you can eat. For example, if you can not tolerate gluten, you will simply use the gluten-free flour - such as rice flour, corn flour or the mixture of two or more gluten-free flours in case one is more expensive and the other is cheaper. In addition, this is a very good method of saving money on something you eat daily because one kilo of flour costs as much as one bread, while you can make more breads from one kilo of flour. To conclude, the breads will definitely be more healthy AND more fresh than those which you buy in a store.

The dough of each bread can be used in preparations of meals from other cuisines as well. For example, Indian flatbread called naan can also be used as a pizza dough like in Italian cuisine while rotis and parathas are good as flatbreads for making rolls such as for burritos from Mexican-American cuisine.

Creativity is your only limit!