paratha

The tradition & historical record

Paratha (Hindustani pronunciation: [pəˈɾaːʈʰaː, pəˈɾãːʈʰaː], also known by other spellings) is a flatbread from the Indian subcontinent, consisting of a wheat dough, typically whole wheat, that is folded and rolled with ghee, forming multiple layers, and shallow fried. Paratha may be stuffed with various fillings, the most common being potato. Paratha is one of the most popular flatbreads in India. The folded, whole-wheat version is prevalent in the Northern Indian subcontinent, and is distinct from South Indian parotta, which uses refined flour. Variations also exist in the cuisines of Myanmar, Mauritius, Malaysia (where it is known as roti canai), and the Caribbean (where it is known as buss-up-shut). Although paratha is sometimes said to have originated in Punjabi cuisine, it may have evolved from similar flatbreads from regions connected to India via the Silk Road. Possible origins include the Persian flatbread waraki or from breads introduced by Arabs in India. Sanskrit recipes for versions of paratha appeared in the 12th century. The popularity of paratha increased during the Mughal Empire, which introduced it across the region. During the British imperial era, indentured workers from India introduced paratha to Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and Mauritius. In India, several versions of paratha were popularised after the 1947 partition. Paratha is eaten as the central component of a meal, with various accompaniments, often including dahi and pickle. ¹

The word paratha is from Hindi, derived from the word para, meaning 'layer'. In Indian English, the bread is always referred to by the specific term paratha, rather than bread. The word for paratha differs across India. Alternative spellings include parantha, prantha, parata, prata, and parotta. It is spelled as palata (Burmese pronunciation: [pəlàtà]) in Myanmar and farata in Mauritius. In the Gulf countries, as well as in East Africa, the breads referred to as chapati are more similar to a paratha. ¹

Like most Indian breads, paratha is wheat-based and unleavened. The dough is made of atta (whole wheat flour), water, and salt, which is covered in ghee. Oil may be used instead of ghee, and white flour (maida) may be used instead of whole wheat; maida is used for more tender, flaky parathas. Vegetables, herbs, and spices may be added; ajowan is a commonly used spice in plain paratha. The common wheat, the dominant species of wheat in the northern Indian subcontinent, results in the light, spongy texture of North Indian breads such as paratha. The flour used in paratha is typically of low extraction, although high-extraction flour is sometimes used. It may also use resultant atta, the coarse byproduct of sifting atta. In commercial preparations, potato flakes may be used as a binding agent. ¹

The dough is kneaded by hand. It is rolled out with oil or ghee, then folded. This process of lamination is performed two or more times. This usually forms a triangle with four to six layers; it may also be folded into a circle or square. Stuffed versions of paratha are instead made by shaping the dough into balls and placing a filling inside before rolling them out. Paratha may be rolled out using a dough sheeting machine that may produce thousands of parathas per hour. Both plain and stuffed parathas are shallow fried on a tava, a type of iron griddle, until browned, with or without additional ghee. Sometimes, particularly among street vendors, paratha is fried in a shallow pan filled with oil, thus containing more fat than a paratha cooked on a tava. Some versions are instead baked. Paratha may be brushed with ghee after serving. While frying, paratha forms distinct layers. The lamination of the dough results in a soft, flaky flatbread. ¹

Paratha exists in both plain and stuffed varieties. Dozens of varieties are commonly consumed. Regional variations differ based on cooking method or filling. ¹

India has two categories of plain paratha: North Indian paratha (also known as sada paratha), made from atta, and South Indian parotta, made from maida. Both are similarly flaky and layered, but the South Indian version achieves this texture through repeated stretching and coiling rather than rolling and folding. Some versions of paratha have spiraling layers, forming a circle or square. Lachha paratha (lit. 'layered paratha') is a kind of North Indian paratha with many circular layers, formed by shaping a circle of dough into a coil before rolling it out again. It has a crispy texture and is the same size as a regular paratha. Ulte tave ke paratha is a North Indian paratha cooked on the bottom side of the pan, the same method as roomali roti. Cornmeal, atta, palm sugar, ajowan, and green chilli are used to make makkai paratha, while ginger and chilli are used for adraki mirchi paratha. Sattu, a type of chickpea flour, is used to make sattu paratha, a breakfast dish eaten in Bihar, Jharkhand, and part of Uttar Pradesh. In the Eastern Himalayas, the legume gahat is crushed into a paste that is added to paratha dough. Paratha has been made with atypical ingredients for nutritional value. For example, it may be made with mulberry leaves as a nutritional supplement, which also increases shelf stability of the flour. Other ingredients that may sometimes be used in the dough include amaranth, flaxseed, sorghum flour, and buckwheat flour. ¹

Many varieties of stuffed paratha exist. The most common is aloo paratha, with a spiced potato filling. Aloo paratha uses ingredients such as coriander leaf and green chilli and spices such as amchoor and garam masala, and its proportion of dough to filling may vary. Along with aloo paratha, the stuffed parathas common in Punjabi cuisine are gobhi paratha, with cauliflower, and mooli paratha, with radish. Keema paratha uses keema (minced meat), such as lamb, while methi paratha uses fenugreek leaves. Other common fillings include peas (matar), onions, spinach, and paneer. Aloo palak paratha contains both potatoes and spinach. Dal paratha is stuffed with cooked dal such as mung beans. Pudina paratha uses mint. Sweet parathas include gurh ka paratha (jaggery paratha). ¹

Anda paratha contains beaten eggs; the paratha may simply be coated in eggs, or it may have a filling of eggs, onions, chilli, coriander seed, and ginger added during frying. Anda paratha is a common Punjabi breakfast. Among the Sunni Bohras of Gujarat, egg paratha, known as baida paratha, is a festive food. In Punjabi cuisine, stuffed parathas are often prepared from leftovers. For example, paratha filled with leftover rice dishes is known as chawal ka paratha. Bathua paratha has dough mixed with the boiled leaf vegetable bathua and green chilli. This is eaten as breakfast in winter in North India. Paratha stuffed with besan (chickpea flour) is known as birahi. A type of paratha from Chhattisgarh uses a dough with wheat flour, rice flour, and leaf vegetables. Khoa (milk solids) may also be a paratha filling. ¹

The text above is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Paratha”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. ¹

paratha is fried flatbread originating in the Indian subcontinent, according to the structured record cited below. This entry was generated automatically from that record and has not yet been reviewed by a person familiar with the tradition. ²

The source record links this tradition to 3 external registers, which can be verified through the citation. ²