Warqi Paratha

Ingredients


4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg, beaten
2 cups white flour, maida
1\2 teaspoon salt
water for mixing


Method


Combine flour and ghee in a small frying pan and fry this over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Take off from heat and keep aside. Mix sugar and egg with a fork and add to flour mixture. Return pan to heat and stirring constantly, cook on medium-low heat, until sugar is dissolved, do not over cook the mixture. Remove from heat and keep aside to cool completely.


Combine flour and salt in a large bowl, add water, pouring it fast at the beginning to bind the flour. Then slowly add more water, little by little and knead, until soft dough is formed, about 3 minutes. Place the dough on a work surface or in a shallow tray (parat) and knead well until very soft and pliable dough is formed, about 5 minutes. Cover with a moist cloth and keep aside to rest in a warm place for at least 15-20 minutes.


Divide dough into 10 equal parts. Roll each part into a smooth ball. Cover the dough balls with moist cloth to prevent them drying out.


Working one at a time, lightly coat one dough ball with a little dry flour and place it on floured work surface, flatten it slightly and roll it out into a circle of 6-7 inches. Divide the cooled egg flour mixture into 10 parts. Spread one part evenly over the circle and roll it up into a long sausage. Carefully lift up the roll and place one end in the center of your palm. Wind the rest of the roll around it. Repeat with remaining balls. Keep the balls covered with moist cloth.


Start heating the tava or frying pan over medium heat. Working one at a time, pick up a ball and place it on the floured work surface. Press the ball lightly but firmly, to flatten it into a round disc, turn to coat the other side with flour. Roll the disc into a very thin circle, about 8-9 inches. pressing and stretching with the rolling pin with a brisk back-and-forth motion, going from edge to edge to keep it circular. Dust the circle from time to time to prevent its sticking to the work surface or rolling pin.


To grease the tava put a little ghee on it and wipe it with kitchen towels. Lift the paratha carefully, place it on the hot tava, and cook until the side in contact with the tava is almost cooked, about 30 seconds. Smear a little ghee on the surface and flip it with a spatula and grease the other side with a little ghee. When the underneath side is cooked, about one minute, turn paratha again and cook the other side again. It is essential to check and keep the tava at the right temperature at all times. If the tava is too hot, the bread will brown quickly and will burn and if it is not hot enough, it will take long time to cook, and the paratha will become hard, tough and leathery. 6. When the both sides of paratha are crisp and brown, remove it from tava, if desired, spread with ghee and serve at once.