How to Make a Paratha (Indian Layered Bread)

by mrityunJ

50K7820

Intro: How to Make a Paratha (Indian Layered Bread)

A Paratha is an Indian layered bread made of a dough of flour and water. It is eaten with a side dish that could be a curry or a dry dish. There are many variations, but the one in this Instructable is a very simple one.

Ingredients:
Atta (dough made of flour and water)
Flour
Oil
Flat surface
Belan (rolling pin)
Tawa (frying pan)

STEP 1: Step 1

Place the dough on a flat clean surface and roll your hands over it till it gets the shape of a thick rod.

STEP 2: Step 2

Break off chunks of the dough forming smaller balls of dough.

STEP 3: Step 3

Roll the uneven balls between your hands till they form rounder balls and then cover them in flour.
Place these balls on a flat surface and flatten them a little.

STEP 4: Step 4

Using a rolling pin, flatten the ball, then turn it a bit and flatten it some more till you get a circular shape that's not too thin. It shouldn't tear very easily.

STEP 5: Step 5

Spread some oil over the surface and fold the circle in half.
Spread some more oil over this surface and fold it in half again.
Cover this quarter circle with flour and then flatten it with a rolling pin again.
The folding creates layers that are the essence of a paratha.

Repeat this step if you want more layers.

STEP 6: Step 6

Heat a tawa or frying pan and place your flattened dough on it and spread some oil over it.
Cook both sides till it turns golden brown with a darker brown pattern on it.

STEP 7: End Product

This is how your paratha should look. Eat it with an Indian curry preferably, or with curd and pickle.

21 Comments

hlagi 10 years ago

ugliest prata I ever seen..

AussieAnglerGal 11 years ago

this looks wonderful! i think that typical white bread loaves are simply boring and i love flat breads :D

micraman 12 years ago

Naice. Come to Singapore! THERE'S PRATA EVERYWHERE!!!!

suayres 12 years ago

Thank you so much for your recipe, and for your very clear, easily understandable presentation. It's a miserably hot day here today, and firing up the oven to bake bread is, well, let's say, distasteful. This is a lovely alternative. Am I correct in thinking this can be made with whole-wheat flour? Thanks again!

mdrgstankovic 13 years ago

Hey I cant wait to try this but one question. The dough do you use just flower and water or flower water and oil ??? PLS give me the amount of water, flower..... i should use.

best wishes

keep baking :))))

mrityunJ 13 years ago

You only need flour and water for the dough. You need oil while cooking. Start with one cup of flour and add water slowly, kneading it as you do so. if you find that that's enough dough leave it at that or just make more. Remember not to let the dough get too sticky or too watery.

fetidpants 13 years ago

Maybe I missed it, but what is the ratio of the water to flour used to make the dough? Also, would besan (chickpea flour) and other flours work basically the same way?

mrityunJ 13 years ago

Other flours would just taste slightly different and might have a slightly different texture. Try it out and see if you like it. Traditionally there are various types of paratha made of many types of grain.

mrityunJ 13 years ago

You keep adding water to the flour and kneading it till the dough is not too sticky, nor is it watery.

tigerpath 13 years ago

http://www.tigerpath.ru

x-treme 13 years ago

Mmmmmm! This tastes amazing! I made it yesterday for fun. :)

Jayefuu 13 years ago

Wow! I love paratha. So much better than naan, yet no one here seems to have heard of it!

shantinath1000 13 years ago

When I was growing up my mom would make these but use ghee (clarified butter) between the layers. Piperjon- you can't have too many layers! this is like a puff pastry in that sense. The more layers the the better!

piperjon 13 years ago

Mmm!! I would be interested to know how many times you can fold and oil and fold and oil before it becomes so insanely thinly layered that it's ruined. Great 'ible! - Pj

555mst555 13 years ago

actually,it's suppose to be flattened out,somewhat like a pizza but much bigger and thinner,then it's folded to a sensible size and it's all done with oily hands and on a huge table that u wont mind getting oily. AAAnd! the key to an awesome prata* is in the dough! and not anything else.

*prata = paratha...same thing. they just speel it that way in my country:)

tecneeq 13 years ago

Mhhhm, that looks good :).

kosmosx 13 years ago

Very appetizing )
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