Sometimes its easier to decide the main course menu when you are expecting guests, than the accompaniments.Usually a gravy based dish is almost mandatory, but a Roti or chapati seems to be too boring or humble to go along with heavy gravies, and Stuffed parathas makes the meal heavier if served along with Dal, Dry subzi and salad etc.(since for guests its generally an elaborate Menu). In such situations, unstuffed parathas make a good deal.Though these need some practice and patience, and some real good time too, but nevertheless makes a different than usual, and crispy, flaky accompaniment.

Lets discuss one such unstuffed wholewheat flatbread, called satpura phulka, or satpura paratha.

There are many different ways of making unstuffed paratha, and for making satpura, there are two popular ways...one, when seven layers of thin rotis are placed one above each other and re-rolled to make flaky parathas, and other one is the way given below.

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Recipe: Satpura phulka(paratha) (Seven layered flaky flatbread)
Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking Time: 2-3 minutes for each paratha
Makes: in numbers 3 Parathas
Serves:2-3 people
Shelf Life: Tastes best when piping hot, turns stiff if stored
Recipe Level: Medium
Spice Level: Low
Recipe/Post by: Alka

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Ingredients:

2 cups of whole wheat flour(Atta)
Some more flour to dust the paratha while rolling
Salt to taste
Freshly crushed black pepper , or red chilly powder
Oil 2 tsp to add to the flour and some oil for drizzling over parathas

Procedure:

1. Sift the flour, add oil, salt, and pepper and knead a dough using little water. Keep aside for sometime and punch the dough again to make it soft and pliable dough.
2. Divide the dough into 3 portions, roll each one between your palms to make a round ball





3. Take one portion, roll it with the help of rolling pin into a thick disc.
   
   



4. Now with a help of a knife cut it vertically into strips at distance of about one inch (or less) each. Depending upon the diameter of roti, you can get 5-7 strips and it doesn't really matters. So don't panic if you get only 5-6 strips.





5. Now dust some flour over it, and drizzle bit of oil.


6. Carefully take one strip, roll it, place the roll over second strip and roll it carefully over the first roll. Repeat till all the strips are rolled over each other.





7. This gives us a rolled, layered ball of dough.





8. Now dust the surface of rolling board with some dry flour(atta), and very lightly roll the layered ball into a thick paratha.Take care that you do not apply lot of pressure, as it will merge the layers and you wont get a flaky paratha.





9. Repeat the whole procedure with remaining dough and keep the rolled parathas covered (Do not keep these for long, as they will stick to each other,cook as soon as possible).
10. Heat the griddle, place one paratha and drizzle some oil/ghee over it.Toss it , and cook on other side, pouring some oil again. Lower the flame, and cook it till tiny brown patches appear on both sides.
11. Serve hot with any curry, dal or dry subzi or even with plain curd, its very filling , you might need just one paratha to feel "HEAVY".