Malabar Paratha
Who doesn’t love flaky parotta. It is one of my favorite, Love it specially with chicken salna. Paratha is usually called as parotta over here. Here in Nagercoil there are so many parotta shop,They usually serve parota with a lovely salna, it will be so nice to have on a rainy day.
About Kerala Paratha (Parotta)
Parotta also known as Lerala paratha, malabar paratha or porotta in and around many parts of India. It is mainly popular in South of India and Kerala. It is equally popular in Srilanka, Singapore & Malaysia as well. Paratha or Parotta dough is made using plain flour, sugar, salt, oil, milk. The dough is allowed to rest for few hours before shaping and rolling the dough. For healthier option wheat flour is used to make laccha paratha. You can check my ghee paratha which has flaky layers. The Parotta they make is entirely different there are so many methods in doing that, they will just throw the dough in air to make it thin but it doesn’t work for me. But this recipe is so simple and the parota even turns out so flaky and so soft. So every one can try it. I served it with vegetable korma but you could serve it with Chicken gravy or Salna. I had even given Step by step instructions so it will be so helpful to you. You will love my pheni paratha & the popular nool parotta.
Similar Parotta Recipes
Poricha Parotta Bun Parotta Nool Parotta Pheni Paratha
Watch Kerala Parotta Video
Parotta Ingredients
Plain Flour - Use high quality refined flour, It gives the elasticity to the parotta. For healthier option you can use wheat flour, try my laccha parotta. Once the dough is made into dough allow it to rest for minimum 1 to 2 hour which allows the gluten to rest. Milk - use milk to make the dough. Milk tenderizes the dough and makes parotta soft. Make sure you use warm milk for making the dough. If you want you can use ½ milk and ½ water. Salt - Salt enhances the flavour. For every one cup of flour used, you need ¾ tsp of salt. Make sure you use fine flowing salt and not rock salt (sea salt). Sugar - I like to add little sugar when making dough. Sugar helps with the browning of the paratha when it gets cooked. It makes them golden brown. Oil - For making parotta you need generous amount of oil to achieve the flaky texture. Oil is mixed with the dough and also made into a paste with some flour which is applied all over the rolled paratha to create the layers.
Methods of Making Parotta Dough
The key for making soft paratha is getting the dough right (soft & smooth), resting the dough for few hours which allows the flour to absorb the milk better, Rolling it thin and creating the layers. Parotta or paratha dough is made with plain flour, salt, sugar, milk and oil. This is the basic recipe that is used in this method. But Kerala or Malabar parotta is made various method. I am sharing few methods which I have tried before. Dough with Egg - traditionally parotta dough has one egg added into the flour when making dough. Adding egg helps with the soft flaky texture and binds the dough. It also helps create strechy layers when rolling. Technique used to make paratha is called as “veechu” in which paratha dough is carefully thrown in the air to create the thin texture. Egg helps with the process which prevents the dough from tearing. Ghee + Milk - milk, ghee is added when making dough which makes it soft and supple. Slightly warm the milk and use that to make the dough for the softest flakiest paratha. Rava + ghee - a version of paratha called as pheni paratha is made with a combo of rava, flour, ghee, milk, water, sugar and salt. Flour + Baking powder - some recipes uses baking powder added into the flour when making dough. Though I don’t prefer to use that, but it makes the paratha more fluffy.
How to Roll Parotta (Kerala parotta)
Most important part in making parotta is rolling, shaping and creating the layers. Technique used to make paratha is called as “veechu” in which paratha dough is carefully thrown in the air to create the thin texture. For making easy parotta. Make dough as mentioned above. You have to allow the dough to rest for few hours which makes the gluten relax and makes the parotta soft and flaky. I mixed flour and oil together to form a paste. I used this paste to spread all over the paratha which inturn helps creating the flaky layers. For rolling parotta. Take a dough ball and spread it into a thin chapati, Add in a tbspn of maida oil over the chapati and spread it evenly. Now with a sharp knife cut strips on the chapati, pull all the strips together and curl it into a round. Apply some oil on the dough ball and set aside in an oiled plate(See picture). Make every dough ball the same way. Rest the dough for few hours before rolling & cooking. For making best flaky parotta all you need is patience.
Healthy Stuffed Paratha Recipes
Rajma ParathaPaneer ParathaCapsicum Cheese ParathaMushroom Paratha
How to Make Parotta at Home (Easy Way)
Dough & Pre Preparation
Mix every ingredients in a mixing Bowl and form a dough, cover it with a damp cloth and let it rest for about 4 hours. In a bowl add around ½ cup of maida and pour in some oil and make it into a smooth paste and set aside.
Rolling Paratha
The most important part in making parotta at home is the rolling & shaping. Check above for details on rolling paratha.
Cooking Parotta
Heat a tawa on high heat and place this over the pan and cook the parotta on both sides by applying oil till it is golden brown.
Flaky Parotta
Make some 5 parotta the same way,then stack them together and crush them with your both hands vigorously till the flakes separates. Put them in a casserole and repeat the process until everything is done. Serve them hot with your favorite curry.
How to Make Kerala Parotta (Stepwise Pictures)
Parotta dough
1)I used milk for making the dough. You can use half milk and half water also. Warm milk helps to make parotta soft. In a mixing bowl, Take warm milk. 2)Add in salt, sugar and oil. Mix well till sugar is mixed. 3)Add in plain flour and form it into a dough. I like to use a spoon or fork to mix the flour into the milk first, then use my hands to knead the dough. This tricks helps making my hands sticky. 4)You have to knead the dough for at least 5 minutes till it is soft and smooth. Add 1 tsp of oil on top and spread it all over the dough. This helps prevent the dry skin forming on top. now cover the dough with a wet (damp) cloth and set aside for 3 to 4 hours.
Making Oil paste
5)Mix plain flour with oil to form a paste like. This is what we are going to use for spreading over the rolled paratha to create the layers.
Divide Paratha Dough
6)Take the dough on a work surface. Roll the dough into log like. Divide the dough into equal portions using a knife. Shape the dough into smooth round ball and set aside for 10 minutes.
Shaping Parotta
7)Take one portion of the dough. Roll it as thin as possible on the work surface. Don’t use flour for rolling so you get a grip when rolling. When you are rolling, if it springs back. Rest for few minutes and then roll it thin. 8)Spread the flour + oil mixture which we made earlier over the rolled paratha. Spread it evenly in a thin layer. This mixture will create flaky layers. 9)Cut the rolled paratha into thin strips. Cut it as thin as possible. I use a pizza cutter for this process. You can use a knife also for this process. Pro Tip: for more flaky layers, you have cut as much strips as possible. 10)Gather all the strips together. Swirl it into circle, like shown in the picture. 11)Once it is rolled. Place it on a plate, apply some more oil on top.
Resting Parotta
12)Once the parotta is shaped like this, you have place it on a plate. Apply oil on top generously. Allow the dough to rest for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. 13)Now cover the dough with damp cloth and allow it to rest for few hours. Pro Tip: I prepare till this step in advance and allow the dough ball to rest. When I am ready to serve, I take each portion, roll and cook my paratha fresh and hot.
Cooking Kerala Parotta
14)Take a portion of dough on a work surface. Roll it into a thick parotta. You can use your hands to press to shape the paratha or use a rolling pin to roll. Don’t roll it super thin. This parotta has to be little thick. 15)Place the parotta on a hot tawa. Let it cook for 20 to 30 seconds. Flip over using a spatula. Drizzle oil around the sides. Cook for few seconds. Flip over and cook till both sides is golden brown.
Crushing Parotta
- This is one of the most important step in making parotta. Once you remove the parotta from the pan, make 2 more parotta the same way. Stack each parotta on top of the other. Once you have a stack of 2 or 3 parotta. Use both hands to crush the paratha to separate the layers. The more you crush them the more flaky the layers will be. 17)Flaky hot Parotta is ready to serve. 18)Serve parotta hot with raita, curries.
Expert Tips
Make Parotta dough soft and not too stiff else the parotta will turn hard. Allow the dough to rest at least for few hours to make soft paratha. Cook the paratha on low to medium heat and not high heat to make sure the paratha cooks from inside. Crush the paratha while it is still hot to get flaky layers.
Serving Suggestions
Love it specially with chicken salna. It is a popular South Indian dish which taste delicious with veg salna or chicken salna.
Side dish for Paratha
Make sure you check my collection of Side dishes. Parotta Salna Chicken Salna Veg Salna Egg Salna
What are the ingredients of parotta?
Basic ingredients like flour, salt, sugar, warm milk, oil is formed into a soft dough to make paratha. The dough is later rolled, shaped and cooked into paratha. Cooked paratha is crushed using hands to create the iconic flaky layers.
Why is my parotta not soft?
Soft paratha or parotta is achieved by following few steps. Making dough soft and not stiff. The dough has to be let to rest for few hours which results in soft paratha.
Which flour is used to make parotta?
All purpose flour is used in making paratha. You can use wheat flour to make lachha paratha.
What is the difference between paratha and parotta?
Both paratha and parotta are kind of similar. But the usage of the type of flour and process of making makes it differ slightly.
How to make Malabar Parotta at home?
Follow the mentioned recipe to make malabar parotta easily at home. You can also check my nool parotta, Bun parotta, poricha parotta.
Similar Parotta Recipes
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