Gandham Venkateswara Rao

South Indian Parotta: an unleavened flat bread.

Publisher Summary South Indian parotta is wheat flour-based circular, unleavened, multilayered flat bread. It is one of the staple food items in the southern states of India. Parotta is made from wheat flour, salt, water, and oil for spreading of the dough; however, optional ingredients such as sugar and egg are also used in the preparation of parotta. A parotta with creamish white color, having light brown spots on the surface, a circular shape, a soft and pliable handfeel, a soft and slightly chewy texture, with distinct layers, optimum oiliness, easy breakdown in the mouth, and typical pleasant taste and aroma is considered to be highly desirable. Protein quantity and quality are the best indices for predicting the quality of parotta. Alveograph index of swelling and deformation energy of dough are considered to be indicators of the overall quality of parotta. Use of additives such as L-cysteine hydrochloride, proteinase, xylanase, sodium stearoyl-2- lactylate, and guar gum separately modifies the rheological properties of the dough and improves the overall quality of parotta.