Paratha (Layered Flatbreads)

Instructions

Shaping the dough

1. Divide the dough into balls, as in the basic chapati recipe.
2. Brush a little oil on the work surface. Flatten the ball into a disk.
3. Rub a little oil onto the rolling pin and roll the dough into a large thin sheet (it doesn’t matter at this stage if it isn’t completely round).
4. Brush some more oil over the surface of the dough and sprinkle with a little bit of flour.
5. Starting at the end nearest you, lift the edge of the dough. Peel it away from you and then back towards you, folding the dough to create a ‘z’ shape fold. This fold should be about 2 inches wide. Repeat the process, but this time picking up the folded portion. Continue this way until you have a strip of dough with a concertina fold all the way through.
6. Holding the two ends, give the dough a gentle stretch, and then from one end, start rolling up the strip into a spiral shape. When completely rolled, tuck outer end underneath. Put this rolled spiral to one side and cover. Repeat the process with the other balls of dough.

Rolling the dough

1. Brush a little more oil on to the surface. Gently press the spiralled dough into a disc and then carefully roll into a circle. To keep the layers, work gently and don’t roll the dough quite as thin as for chapatis.
2. As with the basic chapatis, you can get into a rhythm rolling out the next paratha while one is cooking.

Cooking the dough

1. Cook the dough in a hot frying pan, 2-3 minutes each side. Before turning, brush a little more oil on to the surface of the dough. There shouldn’t be any raw bits of dough and it should be nice and golden.
2. Stack in a clean towel or under foil to keep warm while cooking the other dough spirals.