Malabar Paratha (1 Piece) Recipe

Combine dry ingredients

In a mixing bowl, whisk together 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup fine semolina, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp sugar until evenly distributed.

Incorporate oil

Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the dry mix. Rub it lightly between your fingertips into the flour for about 30 seconds until mixture becomes crumbly and slightly cohesive.

Form dough

Add warm water gradually (about 1/2 cup) and mix with a spoon or your hand until a soft, slightly tacky dough forms. Knead for 4–6 minutes until smooth and elastic. If dough feels too sticky add up to 1 tsp additional flour; if too stiff add a little water (1 tsp at a time).

Rest dough

Lightly coat dough with a few drops of oil, shape into a ball, put it back into the bowl, cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. Resting hydrates semolina and relaxes gluten for easy rolling and layering.

Portion dough

After resting, divide the dough into one equal piece (this recipe makes one large Malabar paratha). Roll the ball lightly on a floured surface to remove air pockets.

Roll thin

Dust the work surface and rolling pin with a little semolina (1/2 tbs). Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a very thin circle roughly 10–12 inches (25–30 cm) in diameter. Aim for near-translucent thinness but be gentle to avoid tearing.

Apply ghee and make layers

Brush the entire rolled sheet lightly and evenly with 2 tsp softened ghee or butter. Starting from one edge, roll the sheet tightly into a cylinder (like a Swiss roll). Keep the roll tight but not stretched.

Form coil

Take the rolled cylinder and coil it into a spiral (snail) shape, tucking the tail underneath. Flatten the coil gently with your palm to form a flat disc, then let rest 5 minutes to relax the layers.

Final rolling

Dust again lightly with semolina or flour and roll the coiled disc gently into a 7–8 inch (18–20 cm) circle about 2–3 mm thick. The paratha should show faint concentric layers.

Preheat pan

Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet or cast-iron tawa over medium-high heat until hot (about 1–2 minutes). Reduce heat to medium.

Cook first side

Place the rolled paratha on the hot skillet. Cook the first side for about 30–45 seconds until pale golden with small bubbles forming.

Flip and oil

Flip the paratha. Brush or drizzle about 1/2 tsp oil or ghee on the cooked side and about 1/2 tsp on the top. Cook the second side for 30–45 seconds until golden brown spots appear.

Press and cook evenly

Flip again and press lightly with a spatula to encourage puffing and even browning. Cook each side in 20–30 second intervals, adding small amounts of oil (total about 1 tbsp used) as needed, until both sides are crisp and golden with well-defined layers (total cooking time ~2–3 minutes).

Finish and rest

Remove paratha from skillet and immediately smear a little softened ghee or butter (optional) on top for shine and flavor. Let rest on a plate for 1 minute to settle before serving.

Serve

Serve hot. Traditional accompaniments include vegetable kurma, chicken curry, or pickles and yogurt. Paratha can be torn to show layering and served with chutney or curry of choice.