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South Indian parotta

Maida where the northern paratha is atta, and the dough is coiled into a spiral.

Egg. Vegetarian, but not vegan — contains egg, dairy (ghee).

Ingredients

Method

  1. MAIDA WHERE THE NORTHERN PARATHA IS ATTA, AND THE DOUGH IS COILED INTO A SPIRAL. Its article draws the distinction itself rather than leaving it to be noticed: parotta is A LAYERED INDIAN FLATBREAD MADE FROM MAIDA (REFINED FLOUR) AND OIL, it IS SOFT, FLAKEY, AND LAYERED, and IT IS DISTINCT FROM THE NORTH INDIAN PARATHA, WHICH USES ATTA FLOUR. And the commonest one, the Malabar or Kerala parotta, IS KNEADED WITH OIL AND SHAPED INTO A SPIRAL BEFORE BEING ROLLED OUT.
  2. SO THE LAYERS COME FROM A COIL, NOT FROM FOLDING. Aloo paratha, as on its own page, is laminated by rolling and folding in three. This is a long thin sheet pulled out, gathered into a rope, wound into a snail and then flattened -- which gives rings of layers rather than sheets of them.
  3. THE DOUGH IS SOFT, EGG-ENRICHED AND RESTED FOR HOURS. Flour, egg, sugar, salt and water kneaded ten minutes to a slack dough, then oiled all over and left two hours at least. Four is better. It has to stretch almost to transparency without tearing.
  4. DIVIDE IT, OIL EACH BALL, AND REST THEM AGAIN. Five balls sitting in oil for half an hour. Oiled dough stretches; floured dough springs back.
  5. STRETCH EACH BALL ON AN OILED SURFACE UNTIL YOU CAN SEE THROUGH IT. Press out with oiled palms, then lift and let it hang, working round the edge. Holes are forgivable; a thick patch is not.
  6. GATHER THE SHEET INTO A ROPE AND WIND IT INTO A COIL. Pleat the long edge like a fan first if that is easier, then roll it up from one end like a snail. Tuck the tail underneath.
  7. PRESS THE COIL FLAT AND ROLL IT GENTLY, THEN COOK IT ON A MEDIUM TAVA WITH OIL. About a centimetre thick. Four or five minutes a side until deep gold in patches.
  8. THEN CLAP IT BETWEEN YOUR HANDS TO OPEN THE LAYERS. Hot off the pan, held at the edges and slapped together twice, which loosens the rings. Ghee over. Its article names what goes with it -- KORMA, BEEF FRY, OR TOMATO-BASED SALNA -- and the relatives: veechu parotta FOLDED INTO A SQUARE, Ceylon parotta the same with a filling, and kothu parotta TORN APART AND MIXED WITH OTHER FOODS.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under India · All recipes