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paratha

American  
[puh-rah-thuh] / pəˈrɑ θə /

noun

  1. a layered, usually whole wheat flatbread from South Asia, made with ghee or oil, and often stuffed with lentils, potatoes, or other vegetables.


paratha British  
/ pəˈrɑːtə /

noun

  1. (in Indian cookery) a flat unleavened bread, resembling a small nan bread, that is fried on a griddle

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of paratha

First recorded in 1935–40; from Hindi parāṭhā


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Dinner at Kabawa in New York’s East Village begins with “buss-up shut,” a flaky Trinidadian flatbread derived from Indian paratha roti.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026

Jala’s father calls her on the phone, suggesting that she could repair her relationship with her mother by asking for cooking lessons to make traditional dishes like paratha, Indian flatbread.

From New York Times ● Nov. 1, 2023

But there’s no longer the long walk to school with her friends, no more playing tag around her house, no hearty traditional breakfast of fried eggs and paratha flatbread.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 9, 2022

Delicious lamb patties are staged on flaky paratha alongside a trio of colorful sauces in an appetizer with a backstory about a long-ago Nawab of Lucknow.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 22, 2022

I slather butter on a paratha and throw it into the microwave for thirty seconds.

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed

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