I've said it before and I'll say it again. One of the greatest incarnations of carbohydrate known to man has been sitting under our noses in the frozen section of most big supermarkets. Paratha. Flaky, buttery, versatile and a doddle to cook (most of them are vegan too). A true gift for those with the patience and perseverance to sift through freezers full of Chicago Town and avocado slices (what's that about?!).
But what exactly is a Paratha? It's a flatbread native to India and lots of surrounding countries. Meaning literally "layers of cooked dough", it's made by filling wheat dough with countless layers of ghee or clarified butter. It's then rolled out into a disc and pan-fried until it puffs up and becomes charred and crispy. It can be a laborious process to do from scratch so luckily the frozen kind are easy to come by.
You could eat these bad boys straight out of the pan as they are, but here are 5 ways to jazz them up and finesse your snack time.
1) The "Love it or Hate it"(10 mins)
Drizzle some marmite all over a cooked paratha and then top it with lots of melted cheese. I used a mature cheddar but anything nice and melty will do. Whack it under a hot grill for a minute or until the cheese has melted and started to brown. Slice it up and enjoy with a few twists of black pepper.
2) The "Thai Style"(5 mins)
Taking inspiration from a classic Thai street food, the banana roti. Although done with a slightly different type of dough, this works really well for a quick sweet snack. Slice up a ripe banana and layer it over a cooked paratha. Top with plenty of sweetened condensed milk and a pinch of salt. If condensed milk isn't to your taste, try it with honey or date syrup. You could even go with peanut butter or Nutella - the paratha is your canvas.
3) The "Bacon Naanwich"(15 mins)
This pays tribute to one of London's greatest breakfast dishes, the Dishoom Bacon and Egg Naan. Crisp up some good quality smoked streaky bacon and fry an egg, sunny side up. On one half of your cooked paratha spread a thin layer of cream cheese or Greek yoghurt followed by your crispy bacon and fried egg. To really top this off (literally), dollop some tomato chilli jam (or spicy mango chutney) and a handful of fresh herbs. Coriander and mint work really well with this but anything you have will do. This is a game-changing breakfast.
4) The "WFH Lunch Special"(5 mins)
I find myself having a lot of these at the moment. This is a great quick lunch using up what you have in the fridge. My go-to uses hummus as a base and some nice fresh leaves on top. Spread some hummus over the top of your cooked paratha. Take a handful of mixed salad leaves and whole leaf herbs and pile it up high in the middle. Top with some seeds, chickpeas, nuts or anything similar you have to hand. Dress with some sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
5) The "Kathi Roll"(15 mins)
This banging Bengali street food dish consists of a saucy curry filling topped with chutney, pickles and fresh herbs. You can make this with almost anything. Try it out with some lightly spiced chicken, paneer or even better - some of our Curry Blocks. I topped this one with some pickled red onion, mango chutney and fresh mint. Fill it up, wrap it up and you're good to go.
FAQs
If it's a plain paratha then tea or a dry chutney or sometimes pickle. If it's a stuffed paratha like Paneer or Aloo then plain curd is the best accompaniment. If it's a cheese paratha then ketchup! I could eat parathas with alu curry and some pickles etc.
What do people eat paratha with? ›
Side dishes which go very well with paratha are curd, fried egg, omelette, mutton kheema (ground mutton cooked with vegetables and spices), nihari (a lamb dish), jeera aloo (potatoes lightly fried with cumin seeds), daal, and raita as part of a breakfast meal.
What is paratha traditionally served with? ›
Paratha are unleavened layered flatbreads made with whole wheat flour (atta), salt, water & ghee or oil. These traditional flatbreads are a staple in Indian subcontinent and are served for a breakfast with a side of curd, chutney, pickle, curries, eggs and meat dishes.
What is paratha good for? ›
Parathas come loaded with carbs, fat, proteins, vitamins, sodium, potassium, and fibre. In addition to being a good source of nutrients, parathas help control blood sugar levels (owing to the resistant starch in potatoes) and are also easy to digest as well.
What goes best with paratha? ›
8 food items that Paratha tastes best with
- Yoghurt. ...
- Achar. ...
- Green Chutney. ...
- Raita. ...
- Butter. ...
- Dal. Enjoy the paratha with a protein-rich dal like Dal Tadka or Dal Makhni. ...
- Masala Chai. Conclude your paratha meal with a cup of masala chai. ...
- Chaas. It's a refreshing and probiotic-rich drink and a perfect companion to paratha.
Parathas are usually served hot and are commonly eaten as a breakfast dish in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. However, they can also be enjoyed at any meal, often accompanied by yogurt, pickles, chutney, and/or chicken or lamb curry.
What is the most popular paratha? ›
- Keema Paratha.
- Gobi/Green peas Paratha.
- Aloo Paratha.
- Usual Malabar Paratha.
noun. (in Indian cookery) a flat unleavened bread, resembling a small nan bread, that is fried on a griddle.
Why is my paratha hard? ›
Cooking the paratha on the right flame is the secret to making a soft and fluffy paratha. Make sure the tawa gets hot once and then lower the flame to medium. Putting the paratha on a very hot tawa will burn it and make it hard, while putting it on a tawa which is not hot enough will make it limp.
What are the disadvantages of paratha? ›
Parathas, as yummy as they are, can be quite heavy for your stomach and are packed with calories and fats. Having this with sugary milk tea can make you consume extra calories at the start of your day. With time, this calorie-rich morning routine could spell out weight gain and other related health troubles.
Before your mouth starts watering, are you on a weight loss diet? Don't worry, you can still enjoy some lip-smacking parathas without adding any extra kilos. Make sure you do not overeat and do not use too much oil, ghee or butter. Happy eating!
Is paratha healthier than pizza? ›
Made mostly using wheat flour, fresh vegetables and ghee (clarified butter which is extremely healthy) or makkhan (fresh butter) the parantha is definitely richer, healthier and tastier. Pizzas are very small and overpriced in India.
What is the difference between paratha and naan? ›
Paratha vs Naan: What's the difference? The short answer is that paratha is a flaky, layered flatbread made from whole wheat flour and ghee, often stuffed and pan-fried. Naan, on the other hand, is a soft, chewy leavened bread made from all-purpose flour, yeast, and dairy, traditionally baked in a tandoor oven.
Is paratha healthy or rice? ›
Plain chapaties (roti) is the best of all to loose weight. However, too much of them would also make you gain weight. Rice are carbs and paratha can be taken occasionally (it contains bad fat when fried).
Is paratha good for belly fat loss? ›
Yes! you read that right Methi Ajwain Parantha can be seen as a great example of weight loss. Although, parathas are known to be oily and greasy, but when you are making it at home, you can use less oil. For this, you should choose wheat flour.
