A request that this article title be changedto South Indian parotta is under discussion. Please do not move this article until the discussion is closed.
Parotta
Malabar parotta
Alternative names
Porotta, Barota, Malabar Porotta, Kerala Porotta, Ceylon Parotta
Parotta (or porotta) is a layered Indian flatbread made from refined flour and oil. It is commonly seen in South India, especially in the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and also exists in Sri Lanka.
Parotta is the South Indian equivalent of the Hindi term paratha, which refers to a distinct food.[1] It may also be spelled barotta,[2] corresponding to the Tamil pronunciation.[1]
Preparation and serving
Parotta is prepared by kneading maida (white flour), oil, milk, sugar, and salt. After resting, the dough is beaten, stretched, and kneaded. This step makes the dough pliable and determines the texture of the parotta.[3] The dough is shaped into a spiral, rolled flat,[1] and pan-fried, and then beaten to release the flakey layers.[citation needed] The final result is thin and flakey.[3] South Indian parotta is distinct from North Indian paratha. The North Indian version is made of atta flour rather than maida.[4]
The most common parotta in the state of Kerala is Malabar parotta (also known as Kerala parotta), which has layers formed by kneading oil into the dough and cutting the dough while rolling it.[4][2] The dough contains flour, milk, and a small amount of sugar, and it usually contains eggs.[2]Coconut oil may be used.[1] Malabar parotta is fluffy and very flakey.[2] It resembles the North Indian lachha paratha, which is also flakey but has a different preparation method and is made of atta flour.[4][2] The Malaysian version of parotta, roti canai, closely resembles Malabar parotta,[5] maintaining its spiral shape and flakey texture.[1]
Veechu parotta, from the state of Tamil Nadu, is folded into a square.[4] Ceylon parotta is a minced meat stuffed version of the veechu parotta.[4] It originated in Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon). The Ceylon paratha served at Buhari Restaurant in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, is stuffed with mutton and has an egg-washed crust.[1]
There are several other variants of parotta.[3][4]Porucha parotta, a version from Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu, is deep-fried like a puri and has a hole in its middle. This may be topped with chickpea dal or potato sabzi. The bun parotta, from Madurai, Tamil Nadu, is a cross between a parotta and a bun, with a crispy exterior and a soft interior,[3] and is eaten by being dipped into curry.[4] Coin parotta is bite-sized—about 2 centimetres (1in) across[3]—and is eaten like a taco.[1] In Kerala, chatti paal parotta is made of a stack of three parottas with coconut milk and meat, topped with cashews, raisins, and fried onions; this is steamed between two banana leaves. Other Keralan versions include nool parotta, whose layers are crispy, stringy, and translucent, and kizhiparotta, which consists of parotta and a meat dish tied in a banana leaf bag.[3]Kothu parotta is torn into pieces; this may be mixed with meat, eggs, vegetables, and onions. This dish originated in Sri Lanka and is also common in Tamil Nadu in Kerala.[3]
Parotta may be served with many dishes, including both vegetarian and non-vegetarian curries.[2] In Kerala, Kerala beef fry is a common pairing with Malabar parotta.[4][2] Parotta is also commonly paired with salna, a tomato-based gravy that is cooked with chicken or mutton, or served plain.[1][2] Salna is the most common pairing with parotta in southern Tamil Nadu.[1]
History
Culinary anthropologist Kurush Dalal says that the Malabar parotta is likely to have come with Arab traders from West Asia and sailors from Central Asia, both regions with trade links to the Malabar Coast.[3][4] He notes that wheat is not widely grown in Kerala, indicating a foreign origin for the wheat-based bread.[3][2] In contrast with these theories, it is commonly believed that paratha spread to Kerala from North India, particularly Punjab.[4]
Kothu parotta spread from Sri Lanka to Madurai, where it became popular as a street food, and later to Kerala.[3] Coin parottas originated in Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, in the 1980s, after the Ceylon parotta was introduced by Ceylonese migrant workers who were employed at the Tuticorin port.[1]Nool parotta was popularised by chef Suresh Pillai, who has posted about the dish on Instagram Reels and received millions of views.[3]
Prevalence
Parotta is strongly associated with both Kerala cuisine and Tamil cuisine.[1] The Keralan version, originating in the Malabar region of northern Kerala, is a staple across the state.[3] Parotta has been considered a state symbol of Kerala. The BBC featured the food in a commemoration of Kerala Day in 2023.[3] Parotta with beef fry is also a cultural symbol of the state.[4] Variants of the bread are common in the cuisines of Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Singapore.[3]
Parotta is a popular street food in Kerala and other parts of South India.[2] Parotta is served by informal establishments in Kerala known as thattukada,[3] while kothu parotta is popular in Madurai, from vendors known as roattu kadai.[1] Parottas are also available at tea houses, toddy shops,[2] and restaurants, and are also served at weddings, religious festivals and feasts.[citation needed] Some establishments employ cooks dedicated entirely to making parottas, who develop specific stretching and kneading methods.[3] Frozen parottas are also available.[2]
Gallery
Round spiralled dough ball which gives Parotta its flakey layers.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
