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Paratha is a flatbread that originated in the Indian subcontinent. It is usually made with whole-wheat flour, fried in ghee, and sometimes stuffed with vegetables, especially boiled potatoes or radish or cauliflower and paneer (Indian cheese). A paratha could be eaten simply with a blob of butter or cheese spread on top but it is best served with thick spicy curries of meat and vegetables. It can also be eaten with curd or pickle.
The paratha was conceived in ancient north India but it is unclear which particlar north Indian cuisines actually inspired it. Its origin is likely to have multicuisine influence (Sindhi, Punjabi, Garhwali, Bihari, Bengali and so on). Regardless of its origins, it soon became popular all over India. All south Indian states have their own versions of the ubiquitous paratha, the most popular being "Kerala Paratha," also called Kerala Porotta. The Kerala Paratha is popular all over India so it can be said that the humble paratha has come full circle. The story doesn't end in India though. Bangladesh, Pakistan, Burma, Nepal and Sri Lanka inherited the paratha tradition too. And immigrants from south India took the paratha to Malaysia and Singapore (where it has become staple).
South Asians immigrants took this dish to Malaysia and Singapore, resulting in variations such as roti canai and roti prata. In Myanmar (Burma), where it is known as palata, it is eaten with curries or cooked with either egg or mutton, or as a dessert with white sugar. Htat ta ya,lit. a hundred layers, is a fried flaky multilayered paratha with either sugar or boiled peas (pè byouk). Paratha in Trinidad and Tobago differs from the south Asian paratha in that it is generally thinner and larger. In Trinidad and Tobago it is commonly called "buss up shut" ("burst-up shirt"), especially by non-Indo-Trinidadians.
Some common types of paratha
- Plain Paratha (made in thousands of different ways)
- Gobi Paratha (stuffed with flavored cauliflower and vegetables)
- Aloo Paratha (stuffed with flavored potato and onions)
- Paneer Paratha (stuffed with cottage cheese)
- Kerala Paratha (popular version pronounced "Porotta")
- Roti Prata (Singapore & Malaysia - highly variable)
- Lachha Paratha (Punjabi)
- Eastern Paratha (usually thinner from Eastern India and pronounced "Porotha")
- Kheema Paratha (stuffed with flavored minced meat)
- Anda Paratha (stuffed with egg)
- Pudina Paratha (laced with dry mint)
- Ceylon Paratha (from Sri Lanka)
- Ajwain Paratha (layered paratha laced with a spice called Ajwain)
(each of these could have its own versions):
See also
External links
"Paratha"