ਪਰਾਂਠਾ

What does paratha mean in Punjabi?

Paratha (ਪਰਾਂਠਾ), also said as parantha or prontha in Punjabi, is a layered flatbread made from whole wheat dough, brushed with ghee or oil, folded so it cooks in layers, and shallow fried on a tava. It is thicker and richer than a plain roti, and a stuffed paratha can be a full meal by itself.

How a paratha is made

The cook kneads atta, whole wheat flour, with water and a little salt, then rests the dough. A piece is rolled out, spread with ghee or oil, and folded over itself, sometimes into a triangle and sometimes into a spiral for a lachha paratha. Rolled again and fried on the hot tava, the layers separate a little as it cooks and the outside turns golden and crisp in places.

For a stuffed paratha, the filling goes inside the dough before rolling. The filling must be fairly dry, or the bread tears as it is rolled. The paratha is then fried like the plain kind and often served with a knob of butter melting on top.

Parathas at a Punjabi table

Parathas are eaten at any meal in Punjab, and most of all at breakfast, often with chai. The best known stuffed kinds are aloo paratha with spiced potato, gobhi paratha with cauliflower, and mooli paratha with radish. A plain or stuffed paratha is commonly served with dahi, pickle, or a sabzi, and leftover dishes at home are sometimes used up as a filling the next morning.

Is a paratha the same as a roti?

No. A roti is a plain flatbread cooked with little or no fat, while a paratha is folded with ghee or oil into layers and shallow fried, so it is thicker, flakier and richer.

What fillings go in a stuffed paratha?

Common fillings are spiced potato, cauliflower and radish, and paneer, peas, fenugreek leaves and minced meat are also used. The name of the filling comes first, as in aloo paratha or gobhi paratha.

How is paratha used in a sentence?

You can say: ਸਵੇਰੇ ਅਸੀਂ ਆਲੂ ਦੇ ਪਰਾਂਠੇ ਖਾਧੇ, which means we ate potato parathas in the morning. More examples are given below on this page.