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.

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paratha British  

/ pəˈrɑːtə /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of paratha

First recorded in 1935–40; from Hindi parāṭhā

Example Sentences

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

Maybe I never choose aloo paratha because It tastes complicated, like guilt and gratitude and too much time spent away, not seeing my parents enough, and how good to me they are anyway.

From Salon • Dec. 11, 2022

The breads also pale in comparison to the role models at Rasika in Penn Quarter, with the exception of the flaky parota, similar to paratha but thicker and richer.

From Washington Post • Aug. 5, 2022

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

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