Spiced Minty Parathas

Spiced Minty Parathas

Paratha is an Indian flatbread.  It is an unleavened flatbread and similar to the chapati.  It is a staple in many cuisines in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand and Singapore.

A plain paratha is simple to make with just three ingredients flour, salt and water but you do need to allow a couple of hours perparation for proving.  We keep a stash of shop bought plain parathas in the freezer and have them as an alternative to naan.  You can cook from frozen and they are ready in a couple of minutes.

Usually cooked on a tawa, a traditional Indian flat pan, but works really well in a non-stick fryng pan.

These parathas incorporate lots of fresh mint and a few spices, which make them a bit more special than a plain one!

Method

1. Put the flour, salt, oil and fresh mint into a bowl and give it a good mix. Add the water gradually and knead to bring the dough together. This recipe makes about 5 parathas.
2. Cover in cling film and leave to stand for 60 minutes.
3. Combine the spice mix ingredients together by giving them a good zhuzh.
4. Cut the dough into 5 equal size portions. Making one paratha at a time, roll out as thin as you can (using flour to dust your surface), until the dough is about 20cm in diameter.
5. Brush with some melted butter and sprinkle a generous amount of the spice mix onto the paratha.
6. Now comes the fun bit, starting with the edge closest to you, roll the paratha away from you.  In effect you’re creating a swiss roll shape.  The paratha thenneeds to be coiled, so coil one end of the swiss roll inwards until it meets the other end.  Think snail’s shell!
7. Flatten slightly, place on a plate.  Repeat with the other 4 parathas.
8. Cover in cling film and leave to stand for 60 minutes.
9. Heat your Egg to 180°C with a stainless steel grid and a non-stick frying pan or tawa.
10. Making one paratha at a time, roll out as thin as you can (using flour to dust your surface), until the dough is about 20cm in diameter.
11. Place the paratha into the frying pan.  Leave for 1 minute then flip over.  Cook for another minute.
12. Add 1 tsp of melted butter to the pan. Flip the paratha and cook for for 1 minute until it goes golden and flaky.
13. Brush the top of the paratha with a bit more melted butter, flip for the last time and cook for 1 minute.
14. Use a spatula to lift the paratha from the pan and place on a plate.
15. Wrap in foil or a clean cloth to keep warm.
16. Repeat until you have cooked all your parathas.
17. These are great served with curry or we served them with roasted sweet potato and two chutneys:  Green Chutney and Tamarind Chutney.