The Paratha is a bread or flatbread of Indian origin, whose name comes from the combination of two words meaning “layers of cooked dough.” It closely resembles our piadina, but in reality, it is different and is a very versatile bread in the kitchen. Indeed, Paratha can be served for breakfast or as a snack. Alternatively, it can be stuffed to become a nutritious dish.
The recipe is very simple and requires very few ingredients to make this bread. It is basically a dough made of flour, water, salt, oil, and ghee. In my version, I replaced the latter ingredient with butter, but you can also use clarified butter. To prepare this Indian flatbread, some manual skill is needed, but it compensates with very quick cooking. You just need a flat pan, like the one used for cooking crepes.
This Indian bread, whether seasoned with oil or stuffed, has a very pleasant taste. You can make it for a typical Indian dinner at your home, or as a substitute for bread. Now follow me into the kitchen, because the Paratha will be ready in a click!
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 5 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 248.12 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 43.00 (g) of which sugars 1.06 (g)
- Proteins 6.63 (g)
- Fat 6.56 (g) of which saturated 2.57 (g)of which unsaturated 1.18 (g)
- Fibers 1.32 (g)
- Sodium 390.86 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 79 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
Tools
- Bowl
- Spoon
- Rolling pin
- Pastry board
- Brush
- Crepe pan
Steps
First, put all the ingredients in a bowl: flour, water, salt, and oil. Mix first with a spoon, then knead with your hands until you obtain a soft, non-sticky dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest for 1 hour.
In the meantime, melt the butter (or ghee) and let it cool. Then, take the dough and roll it out to form a rectangle 2 inches wide and 10 inches long. Brush with the cooled melted butter and roll the rectangle into itself to form a sausage shape. Then divide it into 5 pieces and roll them out to form a disc about 6-8 inches in diameter. Proceed in the same way with all the pieces.
Separately, heat a crepe pan and cook the first bread disc without adding fats. When bubbles form, turn it over and continue cooking on the other side. Continue in the same way with all the remaining dough discs.
The Paratha bread is ready! Serve it hot as an alternative to classic bread.
Variations and tips
Store the bread in food bags for two or three days in the refrigerator. When needed, heat it for a few minutes in a non-stick pan.
You can fill the bread with mayonnaise, yogurt sauce, mousse, and cold cuts or cheeses.
