Cookbook:Prata

Prata
Category	Recipes for flatbread
Difficulty

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Prata, also known as roti prata, is a popular South Indian flatbread that's crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It's a versatile dish that can be enjoyed with various accompaniments like curry, sugar, or condensed milk. The key to perfect prata lies in stretching the dough as thin as possible and cooking it until golden brown and flaky. It's a beloved street food in Singapore and Malaysia, often enjoyed for breakfast or as a late-night snack.

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp melted ghee or vegetable oil
• 1 cup water
• Additional ghee or oil for cooking

Procedure

Dough

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and sugar.
2. Add the ghee and mix well.
3. Gradually add water while kneading the mixture until you get a smooth and elastic dough.
4. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for at least 1 hour.

Shaping

1. Divide the dough into small balls, each about the size of a golf ball.
2. On a lightly oiled surface, flatten each ball with your hands. Then, use a rolling pin and your hands to stretch the dough as thinly as possible into a rectangle without tearing it. Ideally, it should only be 1–3 mm thick for greater flakiness later. If necessary, let the dough rest to help it relax.
3. Brush the surface of the dough sheet with some ghee or oil.
4. Fold one side of the dough to the center, then fold the opposite side over it. You should now have a long, thin strip of dough.
5. Take one end of the strip and start coiling it into a spiral, like a snail shell. Tuck the end under the coil to secure it. Press the coil down with your palm to flatten it into a round.

Cooking

1. Heat a little ghee or oil in a skillet or other flat pan over medium heat.
2. Place a piece of the shaped dough on the pan and cook for 2–3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crispy. Remove from the heat.
3. Repeat the cooking process with the remaining dough.

Notes, tips, and variations

• Allowing the dough to rest is important, as it helps in achieving a thinner, softer, and more pliable texture.
• Serve hot with curry, sugar, or condensed milk.

Variations

• For cheese prata, add shredded cheese while folding the dough before cooking.
• For egg prata, spread beaten egg over the stretched dough before folding and cooking.