Description
A great street side food famous in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Flaky, fluffy, soft circular breads made with plain flour or Maida. First of all, this item literally takes a bath in oil, so people who are health consicous better avoid making this dish. The other thing is , it takes atleast a couple hours to make these parottas, most of which is kneading the dough, beating and shaping. (Parota / Layer Parotta / Layer Parota/ Layer Paratha / Kerala Parotta / Flaky Parotta )| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
| 4 cup | Maida |
| 1 tsp | Salt |
| 1 cup | Water (approx) |
| 5 tsp | Oil (for dough making) |
| ¼ cup | Oil (for kneading) |
| ½ cup | Oil (for shapping) |
| ½ cup | Oil (for toasting) |
Instructions
Dough making and kneading.
Mix maida, salt, 5 tsp of oil and water. Knead to make a soft dough, like how we make for chappattis and puris. Put it in a bowl and close it with a plate, let it stay for 30 minutes. Meanwhile clean your kitchen counter to make a big work surface. Granite countertops works well , mica also is equally good. Now press the dough and knead it by slowly adding oil (1/4 cup) little by little. Repeat the process until the dough becomes very soft (20 minutes approx). Beat the dough , which ofcourse need expertise, but the same can be done by using a rolling pin. (10 minutes approx). Now make ten equal portions (4 cups maida yeilds only 10 parottas) and put them under a damp cloth or kitchen towel, this helps it from becoming dry.
Stretching the dough
Take one portion and roll it as much as you can with a rolling pin, the funny part is, you can watch as you stretch, it rolls back, so apply oil say about a tsp for each parotta and stretch it to paper thin size. It might tear in some areas… thats ok. Stretch using your hands or use the rolling pin, oil makes the work easier.
Shaping the dough
Again apply little oil on the stretched surface of the dough. Now using both your hands try making pleates and fold as you do that. Just like making a paper fan. Start from one side and finsih on the other end. Tap it a couple of times on the conter real fast inother to stretch it lengthwise. Start rolling it backwards from both ends to form a little heart shape. Keep on half of the heart on the other and press it with the center of your palm. Repeat the whole process for each parotta and store them back under the damp towel.
Last stretch and toasting the parotta
Keep a tawa hot and ready while you do the last stretch. Flame should be on meduim high throughout the frying process. Now take one portion of the shped dough and slightly roll it lenthwise and widthwise with a rolling pin, just one side only. The other side should be the firm on the bottom do not flip while doing this. Transfer it straight to the tawa and let cook for few minutes, now flip on the other side and a tsp of oil, you will see it becoming fluffy, flip one more time and then put it back on the counter. Using both hands, try to beat it once, just like clapping, to seperate the layers. Serve hot with Chicken kuzhambu or kurma.
Notes
Can be refridgerated and reheated in a microwave.
Leftover parotta can be scrambled with hand or with help of a food processor pulse it and make kottu parotta or muttai parotta.
Some use egg in the dough to make parotta, but original recipe does not include egg. Whether you make kottu parotta or muttai parotta, you have to first make plain parotta and proceed from there.
Yield: 7- 8 Parottas.
114 Comments
Mullai this is cappuccino, I saw ur parotta pic in puradasi fm Facebook page. Check it out !
Hi cap, Long time.. hope you are doing fine. BTW, i did try but couldn’t find, do you know the date? send me an email pls. Thanks
[…] Parotta […]
I was looking for a perfect porotta recipe for a while now.I had tried recipes from a few food blogs run by indians and had some success.But the best recipe and instruction for Porotta or Prata as they call it comes from a Singaporean chinese guys.
You can see the recipe here:
http://ieatishootipost.sg/2010/06/how-to-make-roti-prata-aka-roti-canai.html
[…] Parotta […]
[…] Parotta […]
Hello Mullai
Thanks for the feedback.yeah u r right .because day before yesterday i prepared with wheat flour and it turned out well as lachha paratha.
Hello Mullai,
Nice to see the recipe and to know that lot of ppl tried n came out well.i had a doubt .can we use wheat flour instead of maida ?
Regards
SindhuBiju.
Sindhu,
Wheat flour may not stretch as Maida and will not form good layers. But can be an option and may turn something similar to this
http://www.spiceindiaonline.com/laccha_paratha_7/
Thanks.
NICE RECIPE
Hi Mullai, how much parathas will this measurement yield? I want to make for 2 adults only.
Jay, this will yield about 7-8 parottas and that should be good for 2 adults and definitely with few leftover for nextdays lunch box. Thanks.
your recipes are simple and the taste is awesome. keep posting ur recipes.
thanks a lot.
thank u mam my fav food…..
Thanks sooo muchhh… You r a sweetheart.. Plzz keep teaching us your recipes. They r simply superb…
Hi Mullai,
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. I have already tried many of your recipes and y’day I tried parotta and ur aattu kaal paaya. Came out really good. My husband wondered if it the parotta was bought from some restaurant!!! Parotta came in layers and was crispy too… Aattu kaal Paaya was good combination for that.
Thank you once again..
Krithiga
hi mullai,
can u pl say where we can get maida?people say that the maida we get in indian store is also all purpose flour is it so?when i made parota with all purpose flour it was hard and not so flaky then i ended up making kothu parota with those parotas it came out good…..can we use self rising flour will that work?
i actually got a frozen meal with parotta and if i thought that was good i cannot wait to try your recipe! 😀
The video is very instructive.
Thanks mullai, I tried it. but was just confused by the cup measurements. I would like to know what amount of flour is in a cup in grams? it is a really good dish.
Hi Mullai ..
I m member in ur blog for more than a year.. Your paratha looks mouth watering.. My husband wanted me to try this immediately.. I tried 3 continuous days in this week. But i was not able to succeed.. I added every thing as mentioned . I added enough oil also.. But when i put in grill , it became dry outside and it remains uncooked inside.. Please help me with this,,
Thanks in Advance..
Suga, pls check the comments section for tips all these have been already discussed. Using all purpose flour, limited kneading are some of the factors which will yield bad parottas. Btw, the parottas will look crispy on outside and soft on inside, if it smells like dough then its not cooked properly. Do not roll very thick and flame should be kept right to cook them evenly. Practice makes perfect, better luck next time.
Hi Mullai,Instead of Maida Shall i use all purpose powder for preparing this.
Sentamil, all purpose will work but the texture of parotta will be little rubbery. Thanks.
Hi Mullai,
I tried this recipe today and everything went so perfect. but i cud c tht it was a bit hard. can u tell me why?
Very good post, thanks a lot.
I tried parotta yesterday it was tasty and soft. My husband liked it very much. I never thought that we can prepare parotta in house. Thanks for ur receipe
I am new to this web site. I feel very bore to cook becaz i dont know cooking. After visiting this web site i am really very interested in cooking.
Thank u very much for all.
Hi Mullai,
I tried this Mullai. It came out good. The problem is some of the parottas are not cooked inside. i think i strected a bit thick. They are crispy outside and soft inside. But they started to get dry within few mins. I don’t know what went wrong. (MAy be too much oil?)
Dear Mullai, i tried your Parotta.It came out very well.Thank you!
Only thing i find it difficuilt is the last stretch of dough.
I roll the dough and try to put it in Hot tawa it SHRINKS.
I cooked it well till it turns brown outside and it is soft too,but i feel like inside it is not cooked well…please correct me 🙂
Once again Thank you for making us to try different receipe which we haven’t thought of we will be doing so… I proudly share with my friends that i made Parotta:):)
Hi
Tried this for first time and it came out good.
Thanks for the recipe.
Berry
great receipe, it is not as hard as i thought
Hi,
I tried the recipe yesterday….
I did in the same way as u have mentioned..
But when roasting it had come out hard on outer side and softer inside….
can u please tell the mistake what i could have done…
thanx.
Was it crispy or hard ??? if you keep toasting for long time over low flame it could make it hard. Medium high flame, tawa should be hot when you put the parotta. quickly toast till they get brown spots, when done remove. It will be softer on inside.. so nothing wrong with that.
hi i made parothas last week,tis very tasty,my husband like it.thanks for posting all the instructions via vedio too.
Dear Mullai, Thanks a load for this easy instructions. Flaky paratha and chicken curry is a fave of my husnand. So, everytime we buy take away for the parathas, while i prepare the chicken at home. Now I can prepare and serve both by myself, Im sure he'll love it. I've tried few other recipes of yours like Lemon rice, Veg Pulao…all came out very tasty. Now a days I browse this site regularly for my everyday cooking.
Dear Mullai You deserve all the praise showered on this site. Whenever our taste buds relish this parota we think of you. Keep posting sis.
Mullai,
I tried this ( in fact this and the Roti Canai by adding egg), as everyone said this has loads of oil, but I guess once in a while its good to have a nice meal. I never thought in my life I could make Parottas, now I feel very confident and can proudly tell other , how to make or point to your excellent video and pictures.
Regs
Jaya
hai mullai
it was the first time i tried paratha
iam happy to see ur video and tried the same way
my husband really appreciated it.
thanks for the recipe
regards
dana
dear mullai…i bumped into ur site, while looking for an easy recipe for parotta! earlier,i did try once, with my cousin brother's help..[he's a hotel managmt student ]…i cudnt succeed…n finally gave-up on seeing his style — the regular road side scene..with lots of strain..:( 🙁
the very same nite…i browsed for an easy recipe..n….i came across ur site…believe me,i tried it the very next de..n am happy to say…that i cud make soft n layered parottas…thanks alot n hugs …for giving such a wonderful recipe… the greatest dis-advantage [fm my side] ..is that it consume lots of time…[i take nearly 15min ,for each parotta..]..so it has b/c..a menu for special occasions…:) 🙂
this recipe had induced me 2 become a regular viewer of this blog…n now am a member too……thanks alottt…
Hi Aishani, thanks!!! guess now, you know why most people in India choose take outs when it comes to preparing this dish. Yep!! it takes time, energy and drinks too much oil.. if you cut down on any of these, will result in a mess. Got to give up something to get something..ahaha.. Living miles away from home makes us desperate and long for howntown food. Afterall we deserve these sinful delectable hometown delights once in a while.
dear mullai,
today we made parotta as per your recipe. it came out very well. even before i have made parottas seeing other recipes but it hasnt come so well. thanks a lot. continue
your marvellous work of posting such good recipes.
with luv,
salai varumpadham.r
hi mullai
i made parotta yesterday….infact this is the 4th time i am doing….it came out excellent….we all love it….i couldn’t imagine i can do parotta at home….your recipes are great….thanks a lot for taking time and giving us a wonderful recipe…..parotta is very famous dish in our home….my son loves it….thanks again…
Hi mullai, I tried this Parotta and it was very delicious. A lot of hard work, but worth all the effort. The only drawback I could find is 'too much oil' and 'all maida'. This is one of my all time fav. food. The video actually helped me a lot. Thanks. I just wanted to bring to your notice that the same picture and video with the recipe is copied by one Usha. She has posted it in her blog. Have a look. aminhungry Thanks for your recipe. Loved it. Mythreyee.
Hi mullai,
tried this parotta told the taste was so good. but when i was rolling the parotta in the final stage i wasnt able to get the flaky layers. it all got pressed into one..but i was able to see it. i know we have to roll it slowly i did the same but didnt turn out the exact way.. any suggestions for this..
Hello,
I am a regular visitor to this site. This parotta was the one that pulled me to your site. Mullai, you are doing such a great job. Awesome!!!! Wanted to post my first response here 🙂
Kalakee podureenga. namba oor ponnu ippadi panratha paarkarthukku perumaiyaa irukku. Keep it going!! and God Bless.
Nan(dhini) 🙂
Nandhini, thanks for your feedback. Neenga entha ooru??
dear mullai, thanks a ton for the recipe.my sister keeps buying frozen parottas for her son ( WHOSE FAVOURITE DISH IT IS).SO I WAS LOOKING FOR A RECIPE .I ACCIDENTLY CAME ACROSS THIS SITE . I’M HAPPY I DID IT. THANKS SOMUCH. NOW I THINK I’LL DO THIS MORE OFTEN.I’M GOING TO TRY THE RECIPE IMMEDIATELY.BYE.
Hi Sudha,
This dish has got too much oil and its not advisable to consume often. Its ok to have once in a while, anyhow thanks for your feedback.
dear mullai, thanks a ton for the recipe.my sister keeps buying frozen parottas for her son ( WHOSE FAVOURITE DISH IT IS).SO I WAS LOOKING FOR A RECIPE .I ACCIDENTLY CAME ACROSS THIS SITE . I’M HAPPY I DID IT. THANKS SOMUCH. NOW I THINK I’LL DO THIS MORE OFTEN.I’M GOING TO TRY THE RECIPE IMMEDIATELY.BYE.
super
hi mullai thanks for the recipe. TOday i tried ur recipe everything was ok but only thing is the parotta is little hard.. why is that so?
Dear Mullai,
I am looking for recipe how to make parota which is known as pratha in other aisa countries. Thank you so much…
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. My friend and I tried this parotta last week and it came out very well. The video really helped. A picture is thousand words! A movie is thousand pictures I guess. Appreciated!
Hi mullai,
This nite i tried ur parotta and radha’s mint kurma both came out well.
Thanks
deepu
Nice combination Deepu, good to know you succeeded. Right now browsing your tandoori chicken and literally drooling.
thankyou for sharing the recipe .I have not yet mastered it ,but tastes close to the Parottas back home.
Mullai, thanks for the all of the information and the video, I look forward to using it. However, since I’m a busy student and not the best of cooks, I was wondering if I could freeze the dough before using. If so, at what stage? Would it be right before rolling the dough for the final time before putting on the pan to cook?
Hi Mullai,
I tried this but I didnt get the layers seperated after rolling. Anyways taste was superb. Will try again till I get it perfectly.
Mercy
super………
Hi
i am south african indian and will try it.
Thanks
Jane, thanks for visiting.
Mullai, I made parotta today.It was awesome. Thanks to you. Meanwhile ,I was looking for a food processor for months now. As you are a queen in cooking, Shall I ask you for recommendations for a good food processor which you use in your kitchen(if any)? Thanks.
Queen of cooking??? not yet!! To be honest, I rarely use it. My heavy duty Osterizer blender comes with a small basic model food processor, which I never touch except for huge batches of mincing or chopping. If you cook large quantity on a regular basis then you might need one. It comes out in different size and price range, choose one after analyzing your need. Happenned to read some good reviews for this Cuisinart product, while browsing for a good processor to knead dough. Even though I don't do much of slicing and dicing in my day to day cooking, I've always wanted one of these in my kitchen, atleast to do the kneading job. Well, write to me if you come across a better one.
Thankyou for the reply Mullai.
You know, I am one of the regular visitors to your site now. We invited some of my husband's friends over for lunch and one of them brought carrot halwa when he came. As it was delicious,I asked him where he learned preparing such a nice dish from and he pointed out to your website. You are doing a wonderful job ,I was amazed as the guy who'd made that halwa, is unmarried, but his preparation tasted as if it was an expert's work.
Thanks so much. I happened to stumble to this website. Its great work. I Love to cook and its great to see these wonderful recipies. I am a fan of Chettinad food and my fav is the Muttai Kozhanbu which I learnt from a friend. I will try your recipe of Paneer butter masala and Chicken Chettinad.
Is there any way of making the Parrota with less oil ??? I feel guilty using so much oil…. also I have to look for kalpasi…. cant find it where I live in the US. Will look out for it.
Thanks again
Sonia
Hi Sonia,
Nice to know you, parotta with less oil will end up like crispy biscuits, moreover, by the time you sit to eat, it will be very hard to chew. Some people use egg, which is called roti canai, but still that too needs oil. I will come up with that recipe soon. BTW, where do you live in US, most of the Patel Brothers Indian stores have them. Some of them mail order too. Let me check online too. Anyways thanks for visiting.
Thanks for the prompt reply. I live in Erie, PA now. The closest Indianstore is Pittsburgh or Buffalo, both of which are 2 hours away 🙁 Its sad.. but i stock up well as I prefer cooking Indian food everyday.
I loved your other recipes too… will try all of them. As suggested will look up online if they deliver.
Can you also plz tell me….. what is 'Sour cream' really…. in India sour cream was very different and is really sour… but here I dont know exactly in which recipes to use them. I sometimes thicken soups with it and turns out good.. at times it curdles… Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Also I have an amazing recipe for Banana Nut Bread….. its fabulous… I'd like to share it with you.
Kindly let me know how to go about posting it.
Thanks again,
Sonia Ganesh
ps: and yes you need lotta oil in Parotta, only then its tasty… at school when we made it, was yummy…then dint care abt issues like weight…but now….have to think about it 😉
Hello Mullai akka,this is your newest member from Germany(Sri Lankan Tamil)!!Thanks for the great Video and receipt!I love this site,although i have three sisters in law i am now the king of the kitchen!Thanks to you!!!!!Keep on the great work!
Hi Jegan,
Very glad to hear your comments. Thanks and pls do share the link with your friends.
Your video is awesome. I couldnt understand the entire instructions but after watching the video, your instructions made lot of sense.
I just kneaded some dough and in the process of trying it out.
In the middle, I couldnt wait to post my comments to your webpage 🙂
Thanks Heaps Mullai ! I am definitely going to try this recipe !
I VE BEEN LOOKING FOR THIS PROCEDURE FOR A LONG TIME…
I VE TRIED MY OWN IDEAS…BUT NOTHING REALLY WORKED PROPERLY..
I M GOING TO GIVE A TRY FOR THIS METHOD..
LET ME SEE WHAT IT RESULTS…
I VE POST MY COMMENT WHEN I M DONE..
Hi Mullai
I tried the recipe for porotta this weekend and it came out really good. This is a recipe that i have looked for in years and I was so happy to make it at home.
Loom forward to trying all your other recipes!
Hi Mullai,
I just finished making parottas following this recipe and I followed your instructions to the hilt. They came out perfectly. My husabnd and I enjoyed them a lot. The kneading and beating was done very well by my husband. So,they came out very well and we both enjoyed them. I made them with maida, they came out very white.
My husband was mentioning that teh peopl who make them on the streets stretch the parotta before putting on tava what did he mean, I couldn’t quite understand that part.
Thank you for such detailed step by step recipe with the video, I made them for the first time and they turned out perfect. After the kneading, the dough becae very soft as you said they would.
I love cooking and I normally make naan now I can make these for a change. It is strange, we have to put loads of ghee for naan; it doesn’t work for parotta, well I am not complaining, of the two, this one is healthier.
Will visit this site again to try some other south indian dish.
Thanks again
Padmaja
Houston, US
Hi Mullai,
Thank you so much for this recipe.
Your video really tempted me to do this recipe. I followed your recipe expactly except used less oil when shaping and it came out great. I know this will be one of our family’s favorite. Thanks again.
Sudha
hai
i was looking out for this recipe for quiet a long period.the pictures are looking awesome .i would give a try and wish me goodluck.thanks for the recipe
Mullai, I followed your recipe exactly with peanut oil and my dough didn’t have the elasticity that your dough has. Nor was it white in color, like yours. What do you mean by
…Beat the dough , which ofcourse need expertise…
What do you want us to do with the rolling pin.
To be very frank, this preparation requires quite a lot of attempts to master.
1. Do not use all purpose flour which is often termed as maida, I have tried with both the flours and only maida parottas taste good. Pure maida dough will look white in color, all purpose will result in pale yellow dough.
2. Beating the dough… you must have seen this back in India, how street vendors use to beat the dough over and over again on granite slabs. Something like how we do for washing clothes, by beating them over a huge stone. Trying putting the dough on the kitchen counter and hit it with the rolling pin, until it tends to become soft.
3. I have specified time for each process, do not hurry….which is normal and we will have the curiosity to see the final product, but without proper kneading this dish will become a waste. Finally the main ingredients you need for this dish is Patience patience patience.
Thank you so much !
This dish is my Favourite ever…
After having eaten this at the local akka kadai in chennai,
Now that im abroad i miss it like crazy !
Thanks to this i can try it atleast once a month and it came out GREAT !!!
Hi Karthik, good luck with your attempts and thanks to you for visiting my site.
Mullai,
I will use peanut oil. Would pure Ghee work also instead of peanut oil ?
Ghee will not suit for this recipe.
Mullai, Great video for making parothas. One question, What type of oil is used- Olive, Corn, peanut, Coconut, vegetable ?
Let me know
You can use any cooking oil, my choice would be peanut oil.
Mullai,I was looking for this recipe for along time.Video helped alot.I made it and I could not get the dough as you showed in the video.
But I am not going to give up.I will try again.
Can you please post Chilli parotta which is famous in Chennai.
Hello Mullai,
I am happy to find a good recipe of Parotta.
There are enough descriptions to do that : pictures & video are good to know if my Parotta at the end will be the same that your Parotta. 🙂
I am exploring all your recipes. And after, I print them and pray for the good result.
Hi kalios,
Try a small batch to start with. Please keep in mind….never cut down the quantity of oil, which would make the parottas too hard. Good luck with the recipe and thanks a bunch for visiting my page.
Stuffed parothas recipe please………
Hi Gargi, check this link
http://www.spiceindiaonline.com/stuffed_paratha
Hi Mullai,
I was looking for a parotta recipe and found this interesting website. I dint have Maida or UB AP flour so used bleached AP flour. It was fabulous, my husband loved it. I bet it tastes great with maida. Will be trying it again with maida soon. Will let you know how it turned. the best part is the video, it really helps for complicated recipes like parotta.
Iam just a amateur cook and have a blog about the recipes I have tried so far, do drop by sometime.
Big Fan
Priya
Mullai.
It was awesome!!
Thanks for bringing home some real south indian parotta.
hai mullai,
i really wanted to try parotta whenever i ate in the restaurants but i thought i can never try it at home.after i saw ur video i really want to try it.tks so much mullai-Deepa, Singapore
Deepa, Sometimes it might take a few attempts, do not funk. To start with, try a small quantity, after mastering go ahead with large portions. Well..good luck with the recipe.
Hi Mullai
Mouth watering recipes….U rock!!!!!
Sadhana Raveen
Awesome!!! I tried this last week. The instructions are very accurate. The video really helps. You did a great job posting this recipe. Keem ’em coming…
Hi Mullai,
you have done an excellent job by posting the video…one picture is worth thousand words! Great job!
Thanks,
Aarthi
Thanks Aarthi.
hi there im vidhya from uk i just happened to see ur site u r doing a amazing job ur site is lot helpful to beginners like me cheers for the gr8 receipes
Vidhya, I am glad to hear that you have found the recipes useful. Thanks for your nice words. Appreciate them.
Hai , itz excellent , good maam, since i’ve know the process of paratha making, but donno how make to make layers, after seein ur clipings, wow…… wonderful, Now i can make my favi Yummy yummy paratha, ofcourse credit goes to u only maam.By the way let m e know that exact process of making Kerala Aviyal.Goodluck mullai.
Meenakshi, thanks a bunch. You are making it too formal, just call me Mullai. Ofcourse, will work on the avial recipe. Can you pls post this request in the forum? Anyone with the recipe might share with us.
Great help. The video was good. thanks
Real great idea to put the details in a video. You could have a better Tawa, man….
Hi………. the video is awesome…so easy to understand……. great goin mullai…
very nice one one must b an expert to do such a magic output with few ingredients. could u pls post similar video for making stuffed paratha n jus give tips abt making soft chappathis. whenever it is possible for u.
Hey Mullai …video is just awesome … congrats !!!
will surely try this recipe !
Sharlet… Glad you liked them,
its going to be a treat for your taste buds. Good luck.
I tried this recipe and it came out really well and this website is really good …the way u have presented the recipes is really great and please post more tamil recipes …and this video presentation helped me a lot …..keep it up….
cheers
rose fernandes
Hello Rose,
Thank you, Sure I shall do my best.
can i use all purpose flour for making parotta??the parotta in the picture looks gr8…
You can, but the taste differs. I have already tried with All-pupose, which didn’t work well. In case, if you are using that, try with Unbleached All-pupose flour which closely resembles Maida. But i would suggest to go with Maida.
the parotta looks awesome!!! can’t wait to try it..:)))
Hi Amin.. Check my cooking video too.