Punjab and northern India. Paratha is the bread of the Punjabi morning — served with a cup of sweet chai, dahi (yoghurt), and mango pickle. It is the most common home breakfast in northern Indian households.
Paratha is India's layered flatbread — whole wheat dough (atta) rolled out, brushed with ghee, folded, rolled again, and cooked on a hot tawa until the layers separate and the exterior is crisp. Plain paratha, aloo paratha (potato-stuffed), and gobhi paratha (cauliflower-stuffed) are the three essential versions. The layering technique is similar to puff pastry — ghee between layers of dough creates separation during cooking.
- Malaysian roti canai (layered flatbread fried in ghee — the Malaysian version, lighter and more layered than paratha); Yemeni lahoh (fermented flatbread cooked on a tawa — a related flatbread tradition); Tibetan balep (unleavened flatbread cooked on a tawa — the high-altitude version).
Masala chai and dahi (full-fat yoghurt with a pinch of salt) — the canonical paratha accompaniments. Or with dal makhani for a Punjab lunch.