The dough for the paratha is similar to that of a poori but is rolled out very differently to give it multiple layers. It is cooked on a cast-iron griddle rather like a pancake, with butter, ghee, or oil to keep it lubricated. This particular paratha, among the simplest to make, is triangular in shape. Parathas are a very popular breakfast food when they are eaten with yogurt and pickles. They may also be served at mealtimes with meats and vegetables.

　　

Ingredients

makes 8

　　1 1/2 cups chapati flour or whole-wheat pastry flour

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　1 tablespoon olive or canola oil plus a little more

　　About 1/4 cup melted butter or melted ghee

　　

Step 1

Put the flour and salt into a bowl. Dribble in the oil and rub it in with your fingertips. Slowly add about 1/2 cup or more water and gather all the flour together. You are aiming for a soft dough. Knead for 8–10 minutes. Form into a ball. Rub it with oil and slip it into a plastic bag for 30 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Set a cast-iron griddle or cast-iron frying pan over medium heat. While it heats, knead the dough again and divide it into 8 even balls. Keep 7 covered as you work with the eighth. Flatten it a bit and, on a floured surface, roll it out into a 5-inch round. Brush the surface with butter/ghee and fold in half. Brush the top with the butter/ghee again and fold in half again, forming a triangle. Roll out the triangle on a floured surface, keeping its basic shape, until the three sides are about 5 inches long. Brush the griddle with butter/ghee and slap the paratha onto it. As soon as one side is golden, turn it over and add a little more butter/ghee. A few dark spots are fine. Adjust the heat, if needed. Do not let the paratha turn brittle. Remove and wrap in foil. Make all the parathas this way. The foil bundle may be reheated in a medium oven, or individual parathas may be heated for about 30 seconds each in a microwave oven.

　　Excerpted from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka by Madhur Jaffrey. Copyright © 2010 by Random House. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.Buy the full book from Amazon.