I’m on a mission: to spread the gospel of hot, fragrant rounds of Indian flatbreads. They elevate a meal and take minutes to cook.
The ones I grew up eating are not the ones I make today. Whole-wheat flour, especially the more refined Indian durum whole wheat called atta, available at Indian markets, nudges them in the direction of good for you.
At the simpler end of the unleavened spectrum, chapatis and rotis — different names for basically same thing — can be brushed with a bit of ghee (clarified butter) or without it, in low-walled, cast-iron skillets called tawas or on griddles. The pleated dough of parathas makes them trickier to form, yet worth it for their flaky layers. Savory herb- or vegetable-stuffed parathas are irresistible.
A lesson from executive chef Vikram Sunderam of Rasika in Washington, D.C., who was recently nominated for a James Beard award, taught me to keep the paratha filling as free of moisture as possible, or it will break through the dough during rolling. His mint version is refreshing, and his gobi (cauliflower) paratha could almost be a meal in itself.