Food Encyclopedia

paratha

This flaky East Indian bread is made with whole-wheat flour and fried on a griddle. Parathas range from the simple to the exotic. The basic version simply has ghee (clarified butter) brushed between multiple layers of dough that are then folded and rolled out again. This technique creates a flaky bread resembling puff pastry. More exotic paratha versions are stuffed with various chopped vegetables, fruits, herbs or spices, and named for those ingredients. For example, aloo paratha (stuffed with potatoes and onions), gobi paratha (cauliflower), paneer paratha (cheese) and pudina paratha (mint).