Kerala Paratha

Layered wheat flatbread — maida (refined wheat flour) kneaded with water, salt, and a small amount of oil into a soft, smooth dough, rested for thirty minutes, rolled thin, folded repeatedly to create many layers, coiled into a ball, rested again, then rolled out and cooked on a hot griddle with a drizzle of oil until golden with dark spots, then beaten between the palms while hot to separate and fluff the layers. The finished paratha has many distinct, flaky, slightly chewy layers that pull apart and are used to scoop up curry. Unlike North Indian parathas (which are stuffed or unlayered), the Kerala paratha is defined entirely by its layering technique. The preferred bread accompaniment for beef curry, chicken curry, or mutton curry in Travancore's non-vegetarian kitchens; sold at every roadside tea shop in southern Kerala.