Paratha
Amazingly, the method for making these lovely flaky breads was not gleaned from Madhur Jaffery or any Indian cookbook, but a kid’s cooking series tie in pamphlet which I dug up when my mum moved house. It’s so easy, small children can do it. I usually make a massive batch and freeze them between clingfilm and use straight from the freezer as neccessary.
Ingredients
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup wholemeal flour
Drop oil
pinch salt
warm water
some soft butter or veg oil
Veg oil for cooking
1. Mix flours together in a bowl, add salt and oil and mix. Stir in enough water to make soft dough. Cling wrap and chill for a bit if you can be bothered but I never can.
2. Break dough into walnut-sized pieces. Roll one out as thin as you can on a dusted worksurface. Spread each one thinly with butter (if you want you could add the fat by brushing oil on with a pastry brush but it’s just more washing up really). Now cut the dough from the centre to one edge. Start at one edge and roll dough into a cone. Dab a bit more butter in the centre and fold the ends in. Now roll this ball out as thin as you can. Repeat with other breads.
3. To cook, heat frying pan till very hot, add a drop of oil. Put in the paratha and cook till browned and a bit bubbly. Turn over and repeat. It’ll only take a minute or two on each side.
Tips:
I usually roll out a few paratha first and then roll the rest out as I’m cooking.
To freeze, layer the raw breads (done up to stage 2) between greased clingfilm. Place on tray and freeze. Once frozen solid you can remove the tray and wrap in more cling film so they don’t get frostbite. To cook, add frozen disc to hot pan and allow a little more cooking time.
Variations:
If you add a lot of oil to cook in you get a more poori-type of affair, a fried bread rather than a toasted one.
You can add spices (some cumin or kalonji seeds are good) to the flour and make as above.
I have tried stuffing these with a potato masala mixture but it’s never really worked that well for me.
