Parotta should not be confused with Paratha.
| Alternate Name: | Parotta, Porotta, Jaffna Parotta, Ceylon Parotta, Malabar Porotta, Kerala Porotta |
| Country: | Jaffna, Sri Lanka, South India |
| Type: | Flatbread, crispy multi layered bread |
| Main Ingredient: | Maida (Flour) or Atta, ghee or oil |
Parotta or Porotta is a layered flaky flatbread made from Maida or Atta originating in Kerala, India[1] . Outside Kerala, it's popular in other parts of Southern India, Tamil areas of Sri Lanka, and widely available in countries like Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates.
Parottas are often available as street food[2] and in restaurants. In some places it is also served at weddings, religious festivals and feasts.
Parotta originated in the Malabar Coast of Kerala, which then spread to Southern India through the Sri Lankan Tamil migrant workers who introduced it as "Veechu Porotta" or " Porotta" in the coastal Tamil Nadu region of India. Veechu porotta is basically a more flattened version of a normal porotta and it doesn't have layers.In Virudhunagar, the porotta is traditionally deep-fried and called Enna (oil) porotta, which is quite differently prepared compared to the veechu porotta and the Malabar parotta. The so-called Ennai or Poricha parotta is also a famous dish in Tuticorin.
It is prepared by kneading maida/wheat flour, egg (in some recipes), oil or ghee and water. The dough is beaten into thin layers and later forming a round spiralled into a ball using these thin layers. The ball is rolled flat and pan-fried.[3] [4] The final result is a flaky and layered, quite similar to warqi parathas in appearance. It is often served with a meat curry, such as chicken, goat, beef, or lamb.