What is Paratha Bread?

Golden-brown, flaky, and buttery, with a variety of yummy stuffings – paratha is an Indian flatbread that is traditionally enjoyed for breakfast. Some might choose to have their paratha as an evening snack, accompanied by a cup of tea.

Depending on the stuffing, parathas can actually become a separate dish as the flatbread is not only tasty but also rich in calories.

Paratha comes in a variety of shapes. A round one is, possibly, the most widespread option, but don’t be surprised, if you ever come across a square, triangular, or even heptagonal paratha.

An Introduction to Paratha Bread

The word ‘paratha’ literally means ‘layers of cooked dough’. However, nowadays, this unleavened bread is not only about the thick dough; parathas are also known for their delicious stuffings.

By the way, the main difference between roti (the most widespread Indian bread type) and parathas is that the former is made only with flour and water, while paratha requires ghee or oil.

That is exactly why the preparation of parathas has a deeper meaning behind it. It takes a lot longer and requires more effort to cook this type of flatbread, in comparison to the daily roti.

A paratha can be prepared as a special dish and is usually served to important guests. Taking into consideration the fact that the bread comes accompanied by melted ghee, lassi, or curry and is stuffed with vegetables – a paratha is a relatively rich and quite an extraordinary Indian dish.

The History of Paratha Bread

The ‘grandmother’ of paratha bread is, perhaps, Puran Poli. It is a type of flatbread that came in different shapes and sizes and was stuffed with a sweet filling.

Puran Poli was already known in 1000 – 1526 AD, according to the book written by Nijjar “Panjab Under the Sultans”. The author mentions that this flatbread was loved by the aristocracy and the nobility in Punjab.

Recipes for stuffed wheat flatbreads that sound a lot like modern-day parathas have also been mentioned in Manasollasa – an early 12th-century Sanskrit encyclopedia that covers such topics as ethics, economics, and governance.

Paratha bread might have also originated in Peshawar, Pakistan.

Ingredients in Paratha Bread

You are going to need only a few ingredients to prepare the actual bread:

• Wheat flour

• Ghee (a class of clarified butter from India)

• Salt

The ingredients for the stuffing can vary a lot depending on whether you are going for a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian meal.

By the way, the states in the south of India have their own version of parathas – parrota. The main difference is that the bread is made out of white flour instead of wheat flour.

Paratha Bread Nutritional Information

Parathas are known for being high in calories. In fact, that’s one of the main reasons why Muslims from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh choose to have this type of food for breakfast during Ramadan.

The flour and butter mixture in the paratha bread is calorie-rich and thus keeps the people feeling full for longer.

Of course, there are quite a few variations of paratha, but a single flatbread may have around 126 calories.

The good news is that this type of bread is not just calories – parathas are made out of wheat flour which means that they also have fiber, protein, sodium, potassium, calcium, and iron.

How to Make Paratha Bread

All you would have to do is roll out the dough, brush the layer with ghee, fold it, and then repeat the process a few times.

After that, the future paratha is cooked on a buttered grilling grate. The heat will make the layers a bit puffier – this is exactly what gives the bread its flaky texture.

Paratha is unleavened bread. This means that you are not going to need yeast or any other leavening agent to make the buttery deliciousness.

Paratha Bread Recipes

Parathas can be stuffed with a wide range of different ingredients. Boiled cauliflower, potatoes, chili, garlic, radish, ginger, paneer (Indian cheese) – all these products can help elevate the flatbread’s taste.

To go the extra mile, you can serve the bread with chutneys, curry, yogurt, or pickles. In Punjab, for example, the flaky flatbread is traditionally paired with refreshing lassi.

Paratha Bread FAQ's