Homestyle Square Porota | Bangladeshi Basics

These square porotas are what I grew up eating at home my whole life!

Rich flaky homey delicious, I was always fascinated by how Ammu (my mom) used to whip them up like it was nothing, and with this recipe I am here to help you do the same! And if you’re worried about not being able to roll a perfect square or circle, don’t be. The porotas taste just as good lopsided, haha!

A common problem people face when making these at home, are the porotas being difficult to roll out.

This can be combated by letting the dough rest for atleast 30 minutes after kneading, and 5-15 minutes between rolling. This will allow the dough to rest and become stretchy/malleable. If you skip this step your dough will be very difficult to roll out and will keep shrinking back to it’s original shape after rolling.

You can also make your porota dough a day ahead, this makes some of the softest porotas!

Make your dough and store it covered in the refrigerator overnight, then just take it out an hour before rolling them to bring them up to room temperature again.

Another problem is the porotas turning tough after frying.

This is due to either there being too much flour in the dough, or from frying the porotas on the wrong heat setting.

The dough should have just enough flour to keep it from being sticky,I use 1 cups water for 2 1/2 cups of flour, and then add a bit more flour if needed. If the dough is sticky, just add a bit of flour and knead again, if it is dry, add a bit of water to your hands and keep kneading until it softens a little.

When frying, fry the porotas on medium-high to high heat. When cooked on a lower setting, the parathas cook too slow and tend to get dry/tough.

Try out these Recipes to go with your beautiful porotas!

• Crispy Chicken Chaap

Watch the full process here:

INGREDIENTS  

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup water (room temp)
• oil (for rolling and frying)

INSTRUCTIONS 

Mix together in a bowl your flour, sugar, and salt.

Slowly pour in your water as you mix everything together to form the dough.

Put the dough on a wooden board and knead for about 5 minutes until soft and smooth, adding a bit more flour or water if needed. The dough should have just enough flour to keep it from being sticky.

Form into a ball and put it back in the bowl. Spread some oil on top to keep the dough from drying. Cover with clingfilm or a wet kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 1 hour.

After resting, pull your dough into a cylinder shape. Cut into 6 pieces for large porotas, and 8 pieces for small porotas. Form into small balls, cover again and let rest 5 minutes.

Take a ball and flatten it into a disk with your fingers. Sprinkle some flour and roll your dough out on a wooden surface until thin and round. Spread a generous amount of oil onto the top with your fingers.

Pull one edge 2/3 of the way in, and then the other edge over the first so that the dough overlaps in the middle to form a long rectangle. Then repeat the same process for the other two edges to form a square.

Repeat process for each ball. Once they’re all square, cover and let them rest again for 5 minutes

Put your pan on the stove on medium-high/high heat

While it’s heating up, roll out your first paratha on a clean wooden surface. You won’t need flour as the now oily parathas only stick to the wooden surface enough to make it easier for you to roll out. They should peel off easily when ready to fry

Once your pan is hot, pour in about a tablespoon of oil and spread it around. Hold the paratha by two corners and lift off the wooden surface and straight onto the pan.

Let the bottom of the paratha cook for 30 seconds, just enough for you to flip it. This will help to spread the oil on both sides more evenly, and keep the paratha from getting dry.

Fry until golden brown, flipping occasionally and making sure to press down on the paratha with your spatula sometimes while it’s cooking so it cooks properly in the middle. Add more oil if desired.

Roll out your next paratha while the last one cooks, this way you can just peel it off and put it in the pan when you’re ready to fry.

Repeat until all your parathas are rolled out and fried, stacking them on a plate to keep them moist and warm. Serve immediately once they’re all done, and Enjoy!