If you want to impress someone you can make this absolutely wonderful, buttery and flaky paratha. While it doesn’t take that much time overall you’ll need to plan ahead because this has to sit and rise twice. It’s worth the wait because you get so many deliciously pull apart layers that make eating this kind of like eating a flattened croissant. If you can, use ghee but if you don’t have any on hand butter works very well. You can easily fill these or use flavored butter to make the experience extra decadent.
Paratha
Make the dough by combining the flour, oil, and salt in a bowl then add about 120ml of warm water and mix together with your hands until a shaggy ball forms then knead that ball for 5-6 minutes until it smooths out, adding more water or flour if needed then cover and set aside for an hour. (Dough should be slightly tacky but not wet).
After dough has rested, divide into 4 equal portions. Dust a flat surface and with a rolling pin, roll a portion out into a large rectangle that is so thin you can almost see through it. It sould be about 40x25cm.
With your hand, spread a knob of softened ghee across surface of rolled out dough. Starting from the top, roll dough into a tight log, then coil that log into a circle and press down gently and set aside on a baking sheet with a silpat or baking paper on it. Repeat with remaining portions of dough then set aside prepped dough for an hour.
Once rested again, flour a surface and with generous flour on top of the dough, roll each coil out into a circle about 20cm in diameter.
To cook: Heat skillet over medium-low heat. Working with one paratha at a time, cook in the dry skillet until it dries out, about 3 minutes per side then add a small amount of ghee to the pan and allow to crisp in the heated ghee for 30-60 seconds per side.
Adapted from Serious Eats