How to make paratha

My mother left me some paratha dough at her house the other week to make into paratha and it reminded me of how easy they are to make.  For those not in the know, paratha are a type of Gujarati bread, similar to rotli/chappati but fried. 

This is what the dough should look like

To make the dough, all you need is flour, vegetable or sunflower oil, and water.  I used a 50:50 mix of plain flour and chappati flour but you can do all plain flour or all chappati flour as you prefer.  To mix the dough, you put some flour in a bowl, mix in some oil (for every three cups of flour, about a tablespoon of oil), then gradually add warm water until it looks like dough (as per photo).  I find the best way to do this is to mix with your right hand and keep your left hand clean to pour in more water. 

You can put other things in the dough, if you like - e.g. very finely chopped onion or coriander - but, if you do do this, my advice is not to get too carried away, too much stuff and the dough will fall apart.

paratha rolled out

Having made the dough, if you can leave it for a few hours, that will make them taste better but it's not a big deal if you don't.  Roll them into circles, about the thickness of a ten pence piece.  In order for them not to stick to the surface you're rolling on to and/or your rolling pin, use a bit of flour on your rolling pin and toss the balls in flour before you start rolling them. 

paratha cooked

Heat a little oil in a frying pan (you don't need much) and, when the pan is hot, but not ridiculously hot, fry each paratha on both sides.  It should take no more than about a minute to fry each one - if it's taking you longer than that, your pan isn't hot enough, if it's taking you less time than that, your pan is too hot. 

Nice pile of paratha

Paratha last two or three days in the fridge and you can also freeze them.  If you do freeze them, the best way to reheat them is to do it in a non stick frying pan (without oil, unless you feel you need it to stop them sticking) as then they heat through properly.