Parotta Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Parotta

Alternative names	Porotta, Parotta, Malabar porotta
Type	Flatbread , crispy multi layered bread
Place of origin	India
Main ingredients	Maida or Atta, ghee or oil

Parotta, also called Porotta, is a yummy, layered flatbread from the Indian subcontinent. It's like a flaky pancake! This bread is super popular in Indian states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu. You can also find it in Karnataka, Maharashtra, and even in countries like Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

You'll often see Parotta sold as street food or in restaurants. It's also served at special events like weddings and festivals. People usually eat Parotta with a tasty meat curry. This could be chicken, goat, beef, or lamb.

How Parotta is Made
- Preparing the Dough
- Cooking the Flatbread
Where Parotta Comes From
- Spreading to India
- Becoming "Malabar Parotta"
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How Parotta is Made

Making Parotta is a fun process! First, a dough is made from flour. This flour is usually maida (a type of white flour) or atta (whole wheat flour). Sometimes, eggs are added, along with oil or ghee (clarified butter) and water.

Preparing the Dough

The dough is kneaded until it's smooth and soft. Then, it's stretched and beaten into very thin layers. Imagine making super thin ribbons of dough! These thin layers are then carefully folded and spiraled into a round ball.

Cooking the Flatbread

After forming the ball, it's rolled flat again. This flat, round dough is then cooked on a hot pan. It gets golden brown and crispy on the outside, but stays soft and flaky inside.

Where Parotta Comes From

Parotta has an interesting history. It is thought to have come from a Turkish dish called Börek. The first Parottas appeared in the Jaffna area of Sri Lanka. This region is home to many Tamil people.

Spreading to India

Workers from Sri Lanka brought Parotta to the coastal Tamil Nadu region of India. They called it "Veechu Porotta" or "Ceylon Porotta." It quickly became popular there.

Becoming "Malabar Parotta"

By the late 1970s or early 1980s, Parotta was well-known across Kerala. In the 1990s, street food vendors, called thattukadas, made it even more famous. That's when it started to be called "Malabar Parotta," named after the Malabar Coast region of Kerala.