Basic Indian Triangular Flatbread (Paratha)
As “pasta” is to the Italian and “noodles” is to the Chinese, the same way, paratha is to the Indians! If you are an Indian curry addict, then learning this basic triangular paratha is a must. If you are not a curry lover, which is less likely, try parathas with the commonly available tomato sauce in your town, and it will taste no less! These can be also eaten with Indian pickles (which range from sweet, sweet and sour, to spicy). You might have come across a number of paratha recipes, some being stuffed, but this simple paratha (very popular among the Bengalis) has a beauty of its own…
These parathas should be crisp, not to the extent that these break off easily, but you should be able to tear the small pieces effortlessly. The only way to make these crisp is to initially cook it over slow flame for a few minutes and then increasing the flame to medium. If you cook them over high heat, the parathas would cook from outside, but these will be raw from inside. Also, there are chances of the product getting burnt. So you have to be very careful in controlling the flame at the right time!
These Indian flatbreads taste best if you fry them in Indian ghee (available in Indian stores) or butter, instead of oil. Also, serve them immediately to savour the crispiness to the fullest! Each cup of whole wheat flour makes three balls for rolling out into these unique triangles. I have made an attempt to explain the process of making these triangular flatbreads as stepwise as possible. Hope you will try it out and share your experience with me soon!
Basic Indian Triangular Flatbread (Paratha)
Ingredients:
- Whole wheat flour (gehun ka atta): 1 cup
- Salt: ¼ tsp
- Water: ¼ cup
- Ghee or butter: 7 tbsp
Method of Preparation:
Combine the first three ingredients to make smooth dough. Please add little water at a time while kneading. Make sure it is not powdery with flour, in which case you’ll have to add a little water and knead more till the desired texture is reached. If it feels sticky, add more flour and knead again. Finally, it should look like this:
Make three equal-sized balls from this dough. Take one of them, flatten it slightly and smear some flour on the ball.
Now roll out a medium-sized circle, making sure that the thickness is even all around.
Take ½ tsp ghee or butter and spread it over the circle.
Fold the circle, so that it becomes a semi-circle. Again, spread ghee on this.
Fold this one more time, as shown below.
Press the small triangle slightly, between your palms. Put some flour again and start rolling this out.
First, elongate the paratha. Smear a little flour on both sides.
The next step is to roll it wide. Ensure that the corners are thin and the body of the paratha is comparatively thick.
The final size should be a little smaller than twice the size of your computer mouse.
Heat 2 tbsp ghee and let it start smoking. Slide in the triangulr flatbread carefully (it should not fold).Reduce the flame to “low” for 2 min.
After 2 min, increase the flame to “medium” and flip when you find the paratha has started swelling up.
Fry the other side for 2 min. Flip again.
Press the corners and the body of the flatbread slightly. Flip again after 2 min. You should see that the flipped side is nicely brown-tanned.
Repeat, till both sides have brown marks.
Serve immediately with your choice of curry, pickle, yogurt, tomato sauce or even jam!
I like it with my favourite hot and sweet mango pickle. The paratha is eaten directly using your hand: no forks, knives or chopsticks, please! Enjoy your bite.
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May 21, 2011 @ 9:13 pm
Yum these look delicious! Thanks for sharing.
May 21, 2011 @ 10:32 pm
yummy paratha and lovely step by step pictures
May 22, 2011 @ 4:31 am
Trish, thank you. I hope you’ll try them very soon!
May 22, 2011 @ 4:38 am
createwithmom, thanks! When you eat these Indian parathas in restaurants, they generally don’t fry in ghee or butter, but they use just plain oil. But, the authentic taste comes from using ghee in this recipe. Hope you’ll make these flatbreads soon!
May 23, 2011 @ 5:17 pm
Wonderful instruction on making the parathas! I must try it soon. : )
May 23, 2011 @ 7:30 pm
This looks a lot more tasty than the different flatbreads that I have seen and ate. Your recipe and photos really indicate that homemade is always better..you will no longer find it on my grocery list! Thanks for sharing.
May 23, 2011 @ 7:54 pm
OH I have always wondered how to make this! Must try soon. Yumm!!!
May 24, 2011 @ 9:04 am
Curry and comfort, yes, I make it a point to make the global readers understand every nuance of Indian cooking. Thanks for the comment and for stopping by! Have a great day!!
May 24, 2011 @ 9:07 am
Oh, that’s a wonderful decision to make these parathas at home! You will see the vast difference in taste, compared to those sold at supermarkets, when you make your own. Happy cooking (fresh parathas)!
May 24, 2011 @ 9:09 am
Lindselicious, sure! Please try it and let me know about your experience soon!
May 24, 2011 @ 10:34 pm
Hi Purabi! Thank you for coming to my site and leave a comment! You have homemade Paratha recipe! This is my favorite, and now my daughter’s favorite! I’m going to keep this recipe and give it a try! 😉
May 25, 2011 @ 10:14 am
I would love to make my own parathas some day, I havent gotten up the courage as of yet to do so. Your post is very helpful and inspiring!
May 25, 2011 @ 10:29 am
Nami, sure! Do let me know how your daughter liked these triangular parathas. Thanks for the comment.
May 25, 2011 @ 10:31 am
The Mistress of Spices, these parathas are a part of our daily breakfast. Now, I’m sure, with this elaborative post, you can make them with ease!
May 26, 2011 @ 12:43 pm
HI, love your awesome recipes. I’m following your blog for some time now.
From cakesensation.blogspot.com
Cheers
May 26, 2011 @ 1:45 pm
Hi,Jasmin, so glad to meet you on my blog! And so glad to hear the appreciation for my blog. Thanks for being my follower. Happy cooking!
June 1, 2011 @ 12:25 pm
I have a little obsession with flat breads lately so I think this recipe and me are going to get along QUITE well. 100% whole-wheat also increases the allure. Seriously, I’m thinking about lunch already and I haven’t even had breakfast.
June 1, 2011 @ 2:49 pm
Appron Appeal, oh, then have atleast half a dozen in your lunch (two are enough, actually)! These whole-wheat parathas are considered very healthy indeed! In India, we prefer selecting the best quality wheat ourselves, then we’ll clean the lot and dry them under the sun, and finally get the grinding done. All for the sake of getting absolutely flavourful parathas!!
June 11, 2011 @ 10:13 am
Lovely Pics and Nice Preparation.
June 11, 2011 @ 7:57 pm
I’ve made aloo parathas before, but this recipe sounds delicious. I’m looking forward to trying it soon!
June 30, 2011 @ 11:33 pm
I am very interested in Indian breads of all kinds; this one seems not too hard to make and I will be trying it soon and follow your instructions.
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