Pratha Recipes

PARATHA RECIPE, HOW TO MAKE PARATHA

Steps:

• Mix together wheat flour, salt, oil in a wide mixing bowl.
• Pour water little by little as needed & make a stiff non sticky dough.
• Knead well to make the dough soft and pliable. If the dough is hard or dry knead with moist fingers.
• When you press down the dough with a finger, you must feel it is soft and dent easily.
• Wrap it in a moist cloth or cover it in a container and set aside for 30 mins.
• You can also grease the ball with a few drops of oil and cover.
• Knead the dough lightly & divide to 8 parts.
• Then roll to balls & keep them covered.
• Take a few tbsp of flour to a small bowl & flour the rolling area lightly.
• Dip a ball in the flour and dust off the excess. Too much flour on the parathas can make them hard.
• Place the ball on the rolling area and flatten it slightly with fingers.
• With the help of a rolling pin begin to roll each ball to a round layer or roti of 7 inches. Do not put pressure on the dough, roll it with light hands.
• Apply ghee all over the paratha and fold ⅓ part of it. (check step by step photos in the post)
• Then apply the ghee to the folded part as well & repeat folding the other ⅓ part.
• Apply ghee over the 3 layered long strip and fold ⅓ part of it.
• Then repeat the other ⅓ part & you will have a square.
• Sprinkle little more flour if needed to prevent sticking.
• Then roll the square further to make a 7 inch square paratha.
• Apply ghee all over the roti & fold it to half to make a half circle.
• Next apply ghee over it & repeat folding it to get a triangle shape.
• Sprinkle a bit of flour & begin to roll evenly to a triangle paratha.
• Heat a griddle until hot on a medium high flame.
• Dust off any excess flour over the parathas. Transfer paratha to the griddle gently. Cook it until you begin to see bubbles, then turn it to the other side.
• Fry on a medium high flame on the other side as well pressing down with a spatula.
• Pressing down helps the parathas to puff up and the layers get separated and get cooked through.
• Turn the parathas too and fro. Cook until brown spots appear on both the sides.
• Drizzle ghee or oil on both sides.
• Remove the paratha to a wired rack or plate lined with a clean cloth or kitchen tissue.
• Stack them one over the other to keep them soft.
• To cook the next paratha make sure the pan is hot but not extremely hot that it burns the parathas. If you see any flour on the griddle gently and carefully wipe off with a thick clean cloth.
• Serve paratha with curry or chutney or just yogurt.

PARATHA

Steps:

• Combine the atta with 1 cup of water in a large steel or glass mixing bowl. Mix well and knead to form a smooth dough. It should not be too soft or too firm. You might need to add a few tablespoons of water if the dough is too firm, but be careful to add a little at a time so you don't overdo it. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
• Divide the dough into 8 balls. Keep a bowl of atta and some kosher salt nearby. Flatten one of the balls into a patty and dip the patty lightly in the flour. Roll into a thin round (about 5 inches in diameter). Lightly brush the top with the ghee or oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt if desired and very lightly dust with a pinch of flour. Fold over to make a semicircle. Brush the top with ghee and sprinkle with salt and flour again. Fold over to make a triangle. Roll it again to end in a thin triangle (as thin as it was when you first rolled the ball). Don't worry if some of the oil oozes out or if the shape is not perfect.
• Heat a seasoned cast-iron skillet or a heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
• When the skillet is hot, add the paratha and dry-cook it until light brown spots appear on each side, about a minute per side. Then, add about 1/2 teaspoon ghee and cook each side until the spots darken and the paratha becomes slightly crispy and has a glazed look, about 30 seconds per side. If you like it extra crispy or 'karak' as we say in Hindi, cook it a little longer. Repeat with the other balls. Once you get the hang of it, you can roll the next ball while cooking the previous one.
• In India, we put the parathas in an insulated chapati box or insulated casserole dish to keep warm as we go. Alternatively, you could wrap them in a towel or kitchen cloth to keep warm.

CARROT PARATHA

Steps:

• Mix together grated carrots and flours in a bowl. Mix in cumin, cilantro, garam masala, and salt. Let sit in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
• Remove from the refrigerator and form a golf ball-sized piece of dough into a ball. Roll ball out into a thick flatbread (paratha). Repeat with remaining dough.
• Heat a cast iron pan or griddle (or tawa) over medium heat. Add paratha in batches and cook until brown spots appear on both sides, about 5 minutes per side.
• Cook with or without ghee on a tawa or a heavy bottomed pan till brown spots appear on both sides.

PARATHA

Steps:

• Sift the flours and salt into a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of ghee and mix well. Add the water and mix to create a firm dough. Knead the dough for 10 minutes, form into a ball and wrap with plastic. Let rest 1 hour.
• Divide the dough into 12 balls of equal size. On a lightly floured board, use a rolling pin to roll each ball into a thin disk about 7 inches in diameter. Brush each disk with 2 teaspoons of ghee. Using a knife, cut a straight line from the center to the outer edge of each disk. Starting at the cut edge, roll the dough into a cone shape. Stand each cone on its wide end and gently press down on the top, flattening it slightly into a roughly circular lump of dough. Lightly flour the board again and gently roll each lump into a circle about 5 inches in diameter.
• Heat a griddle or cast-iron pan over medium heat and brush generously with ghee. Cook the parathas, 1 at a time, turning them and brushing them with ghee, until they are golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Lower the heat if they begin to scorch. Serve hot.

ALOO PARATHA

Steps:

• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add potatoes, cover, and steam until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and cook until light brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add chile peppers, curry leaves, and ginger; cook and stir for about 1 minute. Add potatoes, turmeric, and salt; cook and stir carefully for about 5 minutes.
• Transfer potatoes to a bowl and allow to cool, about 15 minutes.
• Place 1/2 cup flour into a shallow bowl. Combine the remaining flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large mixing bowl; salt to taste. Mix with your hands while gradually adding water. Knead dough until a smooth ball forms. Divide into 6 evenly round balls.
• Roll each dough ball into a thick, circular shape. Form the cooled potato mixture into 6 round balls and place a potato ball on top of each dough circle. Fold all the dough sides over the potato filling to cover. Flatten each stuffed dough slightly while dipping both sides into the bowl of flour.
• Roll each dough to a thin, circular shape and set a few inches apart on parchment paper.
• Set a large skillet over medium heat and lightly spread with remaining oil. Place a stuffed paratha on the hot skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip over and cook the other side for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a serving plate and continue this same process for all the parathas. Serve hot.