A paratha refers to a flatbread, which originated in the Indian subcontinent. It is prepared with whole-wheat flour and sometimes stuffed with ingredients like minced meat, vegetables, etc. A paratha can be eaten simply with a dash of butter spread on top. However, it is best served along with pickles and yoghurt, apart from thick spicy curries of meat and vegetables.

The paratha may be round, square or triangular in shape. In some cases the stuffing is mixed up with the kneaded flour. The paratha is thereafter prepared as Roti. The paratha also has a social connotation as well. The comparatively higher expenditure and effort that has to be put up in its preparation as compared to the daily Roti means that the paratha is generally prepared as a special item, or for treating important guests.

The paratha was first discovered in ancient Punjab, which is a region in India. However, it soon became quite popular all across South Asia and today it is available in almost every region of South Asia. Even in the South Indian states; they have their own version of the paratha, the most popular amongst them is the Kerala paratha, which is also known as Kerala porotta.

The Indian immigrants took this wonderful and yet simple dish to Malaysia, Mauritius and Singapore. This resulted in a number of variations like roti prata and roti canai. In Myanmar, it is known as palata and is eaten along with curries or either egg or mutton. It may even be served as a dessert with white sugar. A plain paratha although does not stand up against its stuffed brethren, it definitely wins an edge when it comes to Kebabs. Nothing can go as well as a plain paratha, when it comes to kebabs.

Ingredients

• Whole-grain wheat flour 3½ Cups
• Ghee/vegetable oil 2 Tablespoon
• Water 1¼ Cup
• Salt according to taste

Direction

1. Take the flour in a bowl and add some water to it. Knead it properly to make soft dough. Make sure that it does not stick to your hand.
2. Now take the dough and roll out small balls out of it. Thereafter, take the balls, flatten them a bit.
3. Thereafter, press the resulting dough balls gently and dust it with wheat flour. Flatten to the size of Roti.
4. After this is done, place the paratha over a preheated griddle. After some time reverse the side of paratha. Continue till golden brown patches appear on it.
5. Sprinkle a little bit of oil and then flip over again. Make sure that you sprinkle oil on either sides of the paratha. Cook till it is properly done.
6. Your paratha is ready.

The best accompaniment to a plain paratha is indeed the Kebab. However, if you are a vegetarian, then you can settle for Paneer tikka or Paneer handy.

Tags: direction, Ingredients, plain paratha