Plain Paratha

Paratha is a type of an Indian bread made using Atta (Wheat flour). The word paratha (or parantha) originates from Punjab which means layers of cooked dough. The paratha can be in any shape – round, square , triangular, it doesn’t matter. The paratha has many layers of the dough in it. Since it is made with oil/ghee, it turns out very soft and when eaten, you can see multiple layers. Paratha’s are of different types – aloo paratha, gobi paratha, paneer paratha , Mooli paratha etc. The difference between plain and stuffed paratha is that the plain paratha has no stuffing in it, it is just atta simply layered multiple times with its own dough, whereas a stuffed paratha has some vegetable filling inside and while eating you will find the stuffed vegetable sandwiched between the dough layers. As stuff paratha already has some vegetables in it, it really doesn’t require any separate side-dish, it goes very well just with pickle and curd, but for plain paratha, it is better to go for some nice sabji/gravy side-dish to enjoy the meal.  This version is a simple plain paratha without any stuffing and just requires only atta for its preparation.

Ingredients:

1. Wheat/Atta - 2 Cups
2. Salt - 1-2 tsp
3. Water - 1 Cup
4. Oil - 1 tsp

To make the dough:

1. Add Atta & Salt in a broad vessel and mix well.
2. Add water little by little and knead well into soft dough.
3. Add little oil at the end and beat the dough well and keep it aside for min 10-15 minutes.

To make plain paratha’s:

1. Make medium size balls out of the dough and keep ready.

2. In a chapathi board, roll the dough using the rolling pin to your palm size (or little less than your palm size).

3. Spread 1 tsp of oil on the roled chapathi and fold into half.

4. Fold one more time and make it into a funnel shape.

5. Dust little Atta (Wheat flour) on it and press the dough to spread it across like chapatti. Don't make it too big and thin. The paratha should be slightly small in shape and thick in size.

6. Heat the tava, spread little oil and keep the chapatti on it and wait till spotting appear from below.

7. Turn the chapathi around and spread little oil on it. Wait for the spotting to appear from below again. Turn the chapathi again and spread little oil on the other side.

8. Keep pressing the chapatti using the ladle and turn in around after every few seconds. The paratha will start puffing up (like poori) on both the side. Once brown spots appear on the chapatti both sides & it is cooked, remove from the tava.

9. Optionally, after removing the paratha from tava, you can spread 1/2 tsp of oil on it. 

Plain Paratha's made this way, are very soft in texture and very nice to eat.