As much as the foreign land loves their baked breads, the Indian obsession with flatbreads is no less. Carbs are an essential part of most Indian meals, be it rice or roti. Roti, for the unversed, is a type of flatbread that is made from flour (often whole wheat) and rolled into round bread. This is usually paired with vegetables and lentils for lunch and dinner. On the other hand, there are parathas, another type of Indian flatbread that is savoured for breakfast the most. Parathas are a usual suspect on the breakfast table in most North Indian homes. Now, the paratha could be a simple preparation of wheat flour, salt and ajwain or could be stuffed with more hearty fillings like aloo, gobhi, mooli etc.
Tossed on a tawa and cooked till you see black spots on the paratha, the flatbread is a favourite across many northern states. Take Punjab for instance. Their day doesn’t begin until they have stacks of parathas with a glass of freshly-churned lassi. Even in states like Uttarakhand and Himachal, the fanfare of parathas is immense. Moving over the typical stuffings, these pahadi areas enjoy a diverse range of parathas that is unique to them. Gahat ke parathe are a case in point. A Garhwali specialty, these parathas are made from horse gram flour and are only found in particular part of the country.
Looking for breakfast ideas? Look no further. You can also savour these delicious parathas at home with these easy recipes. Here are some classic breakfast parathas to enjoy.
1. Pyaaz Paratha
Pyaaz aka onions are one of the most commonly-used ingredient in most Indian dishes. The crunchiness of finely chopped onions in a dough of paratha makes it tastier. While kneading the dough, onions are also added to it and all of this is combined to be rolled into an onion paratha. You can add coriander leaves too. Make it crispy on the tawa and serve hot.
2. Egg Paratha
Just because you aren’t having your staple eggs and bread breakfast doesn’t mean you’ll lose out on the protein. This egg paratha is a delicious way to spruce up breakfast. The eggs are scrambled with spices and onions and stuffed into the rolled out dough. It is wrapped and rolled out again and tossed on a tawa to be made into an eggy paratha.
3. Mooli Paratha
The freshness of grated radish definitely fragrants the whole house. These are mixed with red chili powder, salt and ajwain. This is then stuffed into the parathas and eaten with a side of achaar or pickle and some curd.
4. Aloo Paratha
This list couldn’t have been complete without the classic aloo paratha. Potatoes are boiled, mashed and made into a spicy mixture before being dunked into a paratha. The crispy flatbread is best enjoyed with a slice of butter on top.
5. Gud Paratha
Oh yes, for the sweet tooth lovers, we’ve got a delicious gud ka paratha too. Jaggery or gud is crumbled and filled into the dough. This paratha is best enjoyed as it is because it is really flavourful.