Paratha Manjula

Find Manjula's Kitchen on the internet and you will have a ton of fun watching her cook Indian vegetarian dishes.  She is kind, calm, happy and knowledgeable, and quite the character.

I learned how to make parathas - a classic Indian flatbread from her videos, and it's easy.  Don't have fresh naan hanging around for that curry you just made?  Make these in a snap.
Dough:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
about 1/2 cup water

about 2-3 Tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup flour on a plate

Mix the dough ingredients together with your fingers, using only about 3/4 of the water. Add more of the water as needed to make a smooth elastic dough. Knead the dough gently in the bowl for a minute or two to assure a smooth elastic consistency.

Add a few drops of oil to the bowl and roll the dough ball in the oil to moisten the surface. Cover the dough with a damp paper towel and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Now knead the dough for about 30 seconds. Divide the dough into 5 separate balls and roll them in your palm.

Flatten to make a disk. Roll a disk out on a floured surface to be about 3-inches. Use the back of the spoon to spread a dash of oil on the rolled-out disk.

Fold disk in half and oil the top surface of the half moon. Fold the half-moon in half again.

Dip a triangle in dry flour and roll out to about 6-inches, sprinkling with dry flour as needed to avoid sticking. Repeat with remaining disks, one at a time.

Heat a large cast-iron or non-stick skillet to medium-high heat. Fry the parathas dry, one or two at a time. In about 10-15 seconds, the paratha will change color and begin to bubble.

The paratha will start filling with air - flatten with your spatula as they cook.

Flip paratha and spread a bit of the oil on the cooked side, slathering with the back of your spatula. In another 10-15 seconds, flip again. The paratha should have nice golden spots. Remove paratha from skillet and keep warm in a covered bowl, so they do not dry out.

Makes 5 parathas.