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What You Need:
(To Make: 4 breads)
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1 cup whole-wheat flour
6 tablespoons ghee,
¼ to ¾ cup cold water
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Translate this recipe:
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| How To Cook: |
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1. In a bowl, combine the flour and 1 tablespoon of the ghee. With your fingertips rub the flour and fat together until they look like flakes of coarse meal. Pour ¼ cup of water over the mixture all at once, knead together vigorously and gather the dough into a compact ball. If the dough crumbles, add up to ½ cup more water, a tablespoon at a time, until the articles adhere.
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2. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough by folding it end to end, then pressing it down and pushing it forward several times with the heel of your hand. Repeat for 7 or 8 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Again gather it into a ball, place it in a bowl, and drape a kitchen towel over the top. Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes before rolling it.
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3. To shape each paratha, break off about one fourth of the dough and shape it into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll the ball into a round about 7 inches in diameter. With your fingers, brush the top of the round with a teaspoon of the remaining ghee. Fold the round in half, brush the top with ½ teaspoon of ghee, and fold it in half again to make a four-layered quarter circle.
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4. With the rolling pin, press the layers together and flatten the paratha somewhat, leaving it roughly triangular or shaping it into a circle again. Repeating the entire process, roll and shape the other three parathas in a similar fashion. (The parathas may be covered with a dampened kitchen towel and kept at room temperature for 3 or 4 hours before they are fried.)
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5. Heat an ungreased 10-to 12-inch skillet with a nonstick finish or a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or griddle until it is so hot a drop of water flicked into it splutters instantly. Place one of the parathas in the pan and, moving it about constantly with your fingers, cook until the top is slightly flecked with brown.
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6. With a wide metal spatula, turn the paratha over and spread about a teaspoon of the ghee over its top. Cook for 2 minutes, then turn it again, spread with another teaspoon of ghee, and cook for 1 minute longer.
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7. Transfer the paratha to a heated plate and drape a piece of foil over it to keep it warm while you fry the remaining parathas. (When you have mastered the technique, you will find you can fry 2, 3 or even 4 parathas at a time, epending on the size of your skillet or griddle.)
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8. Serve the parathas warm with a meal. They are traditionally accompanied by plain unflavored yoghurt or any rayta. Parathas may be cooked ahead and reheated in an ungreased skillet for a minute or so on each side.
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