HOW TO MAKE PLAIN PARATHAS

This post is a great beginners guide to making soft and flaky plain homemade parathas.  Parathas are the perfect unleavened flatbreads that are delicious with many Pakistani and Indian dishes. They are enjoyed as breakfast and brunch and served with jams or chutneys. The choices are endless when it comes to enjoying this homemade flatbread. 

WHAT ARE PARATHAS 

Parathas are simple South Asian flatbreads that are prepared in a variety of ways. They are unleavened and made with flour called Atta which is a specific type of hard whole wheat. Parathas are thick, layered, flakey and crispy, cooked on a griddle with little oil, butter or ghee. The plain Parathas are made with a simple dough prepared with water and flour and sometimes some oil or salt. Parathas can also be stuffed with meats, lentils or vegetable fillings. The dough for Parathas and Rotis is prepared similarly. Once you learn how to make plain Paratha dough you can use different ratios of atta flour or all-purpose flour. All across the South Asian regions Parathas can be prepared little differently from the filling combinations to the shapes. I am going to show you how to make square Parathas. 

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PARATHAS, ROTI & NAAN?

Parathas are definitely a labor of love and require more steps than making a roti. Parathas are usually made thicker than Rotis and have a flakey layer from fat like oil, butter or ghee. Then additional fat is needed to shallow fry on the griddle. Roti is usually plain, thinner and no fat is needed to cook them. 

Naan is a soft leavened bread made from atta flour, all purpose or a combination, traditionally cooked in a clay oven called a Tandoor.   Naan dough can also be prepared with eggs or yogurt. There are many different varieties of naan. Naans can also be plain, buttered or stuffed. 

SHOULD YOU USE OIL BUTTER OR GHEE

Layers of the parathas will be created from fat and the folding methods. Each type of fat will give you a little different flavor. In my experience the oil gives Parathas a very soft texture. Using butter adds a lot of flavor and makes the Parathas very crispy and flakey.  I would recommend that you try using each type of fat and see what flavor and texture you prefer the most. 

HOW TO MAKE PARATHAS 

THE DOUGH

Plain Paratha dough is very simple and is prepared just like dough for Roti. You want the dough to be smooth, soft and pliable which makes it easier to roll out. 

You can add a few tablespoons of oil, butter or ghee and a pinch of salt into the dry flour before adding water. Work in the fat using your hands, the texture of the flour will get grainy. Sometimes I add oil and other times I skip since I will be using the oil as the spread for the layers. I also sprinkle salt on each individual paratha when rolling. These are all variations you can try. 

You will start by slowly adding lukewarm water to the flour. Using your fingertips in a circular motion bring the dough together. Initially the dough will look dry and coarse. You want to keep kneading using knuckles and folding the dough. You can continue to add the water, a tablespoon at a time. If the dough becomes too wet add little flour and keep kneading. If the dough is very stiff, continue adding water. 

Continue kneading for about 5-7 minutes. Then you want to rest the dough. Wet your hand and moisten the dough, cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let it rest on the countertop.  This will continue to form the gluten. When I am in a hurry, I rest the dough for 15-20 minutes. When I have more time, I allow it to rest for 30-45 minutes. Once it’s done resting knead again for a few minutes. The dough should be smooth, soft and pliable. 

If you realize the dough has become very soft, then you can refrigerate for a few hours or overnight and it will be easy to work with. 

If you are not using the dough right away. Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge and use it within 3-4 days. 

USING STAND MIXER TO KNEAD DOUGH

Keep in mind a stand mixer will mix with more power than your hands. You want to keep the speed very low when using a mixer. Kneading the dough at a high speed will form the gluten too fast that will make the dough very tight and tough. I recommend you start off learning to knead the dough using your hands. Once you really get to know what the dough should feel like then you can use the stand mixer. 

SHAPING THE PARATHAS

Parathas can be made square, round and triangle, and this can be done using many different techniques. In this post I am sharing how to make square Parathas.  If you are a beginner, I would recommend that you make smaller Parathas. Working with a smaller piece of dough will really give you practice, and it will just be a lot easier to handle. 

Don’t worry so much about getting the shape just right but trying to roll out the dough evenly. 

HOW TO FREEZE/REFRIGERATE PARTIALLY COOKED PARATHAS 

Parathas are something my family enjoys routinely but can take a little longer to cook daily. Partially cooking the Parathas and placing them in the fridge or freezer is such a time saver. You can fully cook the Parathas and store them, but I don’t like the texture and just feel like they don’t taste that good. When you partially cook Parathas and store them, they still need to be fully cooked, so they have that fresh taste and aroma. 

Sometimes I do this weekly where I make a batch of Parathas, store them in the fridge if we will go through them soon. If I make a big batch then I store them in the freezer. You get fresh Parathas in no time without the mess. 

1. To make the process go faster. I roll and layer and shape all the Parathas and keep them covered so they don’t dry out. Then I will have 2 rolled out at a time.
2. Heat the griddle and have your oil, butter or ghee ready.
3. Place Paratha on the hot griddle. Within 15-20 seconds you will start to see it get cooked, don’t oil. Then flip it over, give it another 5 seconds and take off the griddle & place on a clean kitchen towel to cool. They will look raw, but the dough shouldn’t be wet or sticky. Don’t allow Parathas to cool without being covered, they will dry out and that will make them tough.
4. Prepare all Parathas in the same manner.
5. Stack & place parchment paper top & bottom of the stack so they don’t get soggy. Place it in a Ziploc bag with dates. Place the bag in the refrigerator & keep for up to a week.
6. You can also place the bag in the freezer. Make sure to squeeze out extra air from the bag to prevent freezer burn. You can also place parchment paper between each paratha as well. You can place it in the freezer for a few months, but I don’t freeze for that long.
7. When you are ready to cook these Parathas don’t defrost all the Parathas, only take out however many you will be cooking. Take them out of the bag from the fridge or freezer, place on a paper towel, let them come to room temperature or thaw. This does not take long. Have the griddle ready, spread some oil on the griddle and continue cooking them just like you would when you are making them fresh.