Paratha Recipes

Parantha is the name given to Indian flat bread that is eaten in Northern India although a variation of the same is also common in some of the southern states. A paratha is a thicker and heavier to digest variation of the Indian Roti since it is slow cooked and shallow fried on the skillet.

There are many types of parathas and the paratha details for all of them are different, both in terms of ingredients as well as the process of making them. The main two categories of parathas are the plain parathas and the stuffed parathas. The plain paratha details are the same for the ingredients in the plain paratha category; they differ only in the way it is made whereas the stuffed paratha details are different for the ingredients used for stuffing in different kinds of stuffed paanthas that are made.

In a typical Punjabi household, parathas and yogurt with pickle is the daily breakfast relished by young and old alike. These breakfast parathas could be plain or stuffed with vegetables such as boiled and mashed potatoes, grated radish, carrot, onion, cauliflower, cabbage.or any other vegetable of choice. These stuffed parathas are made savory by the addition of salt and other condiments and have to be slow cooked on a skillet with a lot of clarified butter or edible oil so that the grated vegetables stuffed in the paratha also get cooked.

Non vegetarian parathas are also popular amongst the meat-eating class in different states of Northern India. There is not much difference in the paratha details of vegetarian and non vegetarian parathas except in the filling. The filling or stuffing of non vegetarian parathas could be mince meat, boiled and minced eggs seasoned with salt and condiments of choice.

Paranthas make for a hearty meal and is undoubtedly heavy to digest for the urban populace who lead sedentary lives. It is an appropriate breakfast for the Punjab and Haryana farmer, who leaves for a hard day’s job in the fields after enjoying this hearty meal. For the less physically strenuous life of the city, cereal and fruits are a much healthier choice. And for those who must have their daily paratha, it is better to make a few changes in the paratha details and reduce the butter and oil portion while making the paratha and make the paratha lighter on the stomach. Then perhaps it could be  a better choice as breakfast food.