Bengal is a culinary haven. From Kathi rolls, sandesh, rasmalai, rosogulla to shorshe illish, luchi, macchi bhat and more, there are so many classic recipes, leaving us spoilt for choices. While all these aforementioned sweets and curries are hugely popular, it is lesser known what Bengalis eat as bread. Considering this, here, we offer you a recipe for paratha made in the Bengali style, which goes excellently with ghugni and other such curries. This flatbread is known as a Petai Paratha. You're probably wondering now why this paratha is called a petai paratha. Well, that's because Pitai or Petai is a Hindi word for "beating." Pitai paratha is a maida-based unleavened Indian bread that is brought down and beaten up after cooking.
For the unversed, the beating technique softens the paratha and causes it to melt in your mouth. It's similar to laccha paratha from North India. Many people in Bengal enjoy this bread with ghughni as a filling breakfast. However, it can also be combined with other curries such as aloo dum, fish curry, and others for a lavish restaurant-style lunch. Without further ado, let's learn how to make it at home.
Bengali-Style Petai Paratha Recipe: How To Make Bengali-Style Petai Paratha
- To prepare this, all you require are a few ingredients such as all-purpose flour, oil and water to knead the dough.
- Take a large mixing bowl, add flour, salt and oil, and mix well. Make sure to sieve the flour before kneading the dough.
- Now, add lukewarm water in portions, and mix well. Don't worry, the knead would be a bit sticky. Once done, set it aside for 20-25 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 7-8 parts, and roll it into balls. Roll one ball thinly and largely. Don't be concerned about the shape. It should be almost transparent.
- Smear oil all over the surface then cut a conical shape from the centre to the edge and roll the paratha. Cook the paratha on a hot griddle, flipping as soon as you see light brown spots. Apply oil to both sides.
- Avoid overcooking the paratha. Lastly, remove the paratha from the griddle and beat it with both hands.
Serve and enjoy with your favourite curry! Let us know how you liked it in the comments below.