Paratha, a beloved South Asian flatbread, offers a delightful textural experience with its flaky layers. Surprisingly easy to make, the magic lies in the layering technique. This recipe will guide you through the process, from mixing the dough to achieving perfectly crisp and layered parathas.
Parathas share similarities with both flour tortillas and puff pastry. The dough’s ingredients and ratios resemble a flour tortilla, while the layering technique echoes puff pastry, resulting in a unique and satisfying texture.
To begin, combine 500 grams of all-purpose flour, 10 grams of salt, and 30 grams of vegetable oil in a bowl. Mix these dry ingredients thoroughly with your hands. While traditionally, maida flour (with slightly lower protein content) is used, all-purpose flour works perfectly well.
Once mixed, add 300 grams of room temperature water and continue mixing with your hands until no dry flour remains. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 15 minutes to relax.
After resting, knead the dough in the bowl for about five minutes. Perform the gluten window test by stretching a small piece of dough. A translucent window indicates proper gluten development, essential for the paratha’s elasticity and chewiness.
Divide the dough into equal portions. Eight 100-gram pieces or ten 80-gram pieces are ideal, but you can adjust the size based on your preference. Place these dough portions on a sheet tray and let them rest for another 15 minutes before rolling and folding. This resting period is crucial for creating the signature flaky layers.
The key to achieving flaky layers is rolling the dough thinly until translucent, spreading ghee (or clarified butter) evenly, and folding it strategically. Several folding techniques can be employed.
The triangle fold, as described by Madhur Jaffrey, involves rolling the dough into a circle, brushing it with ghee, sprinkling with flour, folding it in half, adding more ghee and flour, and folding it again to form a triangle. This method creates distinct, visible layers.
Another method, the fold and coil, involves rolling the dough thinly, spreading ghee, folding it halfway to create accordion-like folds, and then rolling the rectangle into a coil. This technique produces numerous layers.
A variation of the fold and coil method involves pinching the rolled and ghee-spread dough into a log, resulting in super-fine layers. This technique yields the lightest and flakiest results.
Regardless of the chosen method, allow the folded dough to rest for at least 15 minutes before rolling it out into an 8-9 inch circle. The cooking process is simple and offers two options.
The first option involves frying the paratha in a pan over medium heat with oil or ghee until golden brown and cooked through, flipping multiple times. Scrunching the cooked paratha releases steam and exposes the flaky layers.
The second method, ideal for make-ahead preparation, involves dry-cooking the paratha in a pan over medium heat without oil until the wet spots disappear and a light browning appears. Cool the parathas on a rack with parchment paper between them and freeze for later use. When ready to serve, fry the frozen parathas with ghee as in the first method.
Parathas pair beautifully with various Indian vegetable dishes or can be enjoyed plain. A sprinkle of sugar and cinnamon adds a delightful sweet touch. Whether you savor them with a meal or on their own, parathas offer an unparalleled textural experience.
