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Buttery Flaky Parotta

Buttery Flaky Malabar Parotta

Shri Repp
Parotta is a buttery flaky South Indian flatbread that is made with dough that is pleated with ghee!
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Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Bread
Servings 8 parottas

Ingredients
 

Dough Ingredients

  • 3 cups (415 g) all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon (285 g) sea salt
  • 1 ¼ cup warm water
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil melted, plus more to brush on top
  • Vegetable oil to prevent sticking

Filling Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted ghee
  • 1 teaspoon flour

Instructions
 

Make Dough 

  1. Mix the 3 cups all purpose flour and 1 teaspoon sea salt in a large bowl.
  2. Now add 1 ¼ cup warm water (100F) to the flour mixture and mix until the flour is hydrated and a dough ball is formed.
  3. Add half of the 2 tablespoons vegetable oil to the dough and knead for an additional 5-7 minutes until the oil is incorporated with the dough. At this stage, the dough will be slightly bumpy on the surface and tough from all the kneading. Rub the surface of the dough with the remaining half of the 2 tablespoons vegetable oil.
  4. Cover the bowl loosely with a damp towel and let the dough rest for atleast 2 hours and up to overnight. This will allow the gluten to relax, make the dough easier to work with, and yield a softer parotta.

Make ghee/flour paste

  1. While waiting for dough to rest, make a ghee/flour paste from 4 tablespoons unsalted ghee and 1 teaspoon flour.

Fold Parottas

  1. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces roughly (85 g) and form dough balls.
  2. Pour and rub vegetable oil across a large, clean working surface to help stretch the parotta and prevent sticking. Place one dough ball onto the oiled surface and roll into a thin rectangle as thin as you can get it with a rolling pin.
  3. Next, use your hands to slowly stretch and pull each corner of the parotta even thinner and then press the corner firmly into working surface as to not allow it to shrink back. You want the parottato be so thin that you can see your fingers through the parotta dough (maximum thickness ⅛").  The thinner you can stretch out the dough, the more flaky layers you will get. Don't worry about small little holes that may form when stretching the dough. If the dough resists too much, it means that it needs more time to relax before ready to work with. 
  4. Use a brush to spread ~1 teaspoon of the melted ghee/ flour mixture across the thin dough. If the ghee was sitting for a long time in a cold temperature, it may need to be reheated until it is back in its liquid form.
  5. Create small pleats starting from one end of the rectangle, holding each pleat until you get to the opposite side. 
  6. Once pleated, hold the two ends of the dough which should now be a long pleated rope. Gently swing the rope up and down to elongate and stretch the dough a little bit more.
  7. Starting from one end of the rope, start coiling the dough into a tight spiral, tucking the end of the rope to the underside spiral.
  8. Repeat steps with the remaining 7 dough balls and let spirals rest for another 15 minutes.

Griddle Parottas

  1. Using a rolling pin, flatten each of the spiraled dough balls into approximately 8" in diameter. If you plan on eating these at a later time, you can freeze them but make sure to separate each disc with parchment paper so they don't stick.
  2. Grease a skillet with oil or additional ghee on medium heat.  Add rolled out
    parotta to the skillet and allow it cook  for approximately 4 minutes on each side or until it turns a golden brown . 
  3. Once the parotta is cooked, place it in the center of the towel and squish and scrunch the sides of the towel to release the layers in the parotta.Repeat steps 1-3 with the remaining dough balls.
  4. If you wish, brush additional ghee to the parotta to make it extra decadent and enjoy with your favorite korma or side dish.
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Notes and Tips

  • You may be tempted to add more and more flour when making the dough but resist the urge to. Instead, if the dough is too sticky, coat the surface of the dough with additional ghee or vegetable oil.
  • Make sure to keep each your parotta dough that is not being covered loosely with a towel when not worked with.
  • If you plan to serve these parottas at a party or meal prep them, I recommend par cooking them for 3 minutes on each side, popping them in the fridge, and then griddling them the rest of the way (1 minute on each side) when needed.
Did you make this recipe?Tag @moonriceshri so I can see your amazing creation!