No there is not any battle going on between Paratha and Puri here. But yes, we are surely trying to differentiate between the two. These are the 2 popular Indian pieces of bread which are being cooked in most of the Indian houses or you can almost every Indian house. Be it the paratha, or be it the puri, people love eating both. In almost every Indian Dhaba, you will surely find this Indian bread known as Paratha. Similarly, in almost every Indian wedding, you will find the Puri being served. Both of these Indian breads have their place and one can eat them with different types of cooked vegetables.

Paratha – It is also called as flatbread in English. The origin-country of the Paratha is India only. However, it is not just being cooked in India, but it is being cooked and served in other countries also. Like Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Can you guess how this Indian bread was given this name Paratha? This name has emerged from the two words, that are Parat and Atta. The complete meaning of the two words is “layers of the dough which is being cooked”. And if you ever had Paratha, or if you have seen one making Paratha, you will know that it completely resembles the meaning of these two words together. Mainly the Parathas are cooked using the wheat flour (atta or maida). Parathas are more popular in Northern India.

In different places, Parathas are called with different names. Like in Punjab, people call them parontay or prontha. In Bengali and Malayalam language, people call them porota. In Assamese, it is called porotha. In Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Mauritius, people call them farata. In Burma, people call it palata.

Puri – This is a deep-fried Indian Bread, and its origin is also in Indian subcontinent only. The word Puri comes from the Sanskrit word ‘Purika’, which means filled. Other than India, Puri is also popular in Bangladesh, Nepal, Burma, Pakistan, Singapore, and Malaysia. It is deep-fried in oil but still is considered a light meal. Generally, people prefer to eat it with bhaji or curry. That is why the combination of Puri-Bhaji is popular in different parts of India. Puri is cooked using the wheat flour only. But there are different variations of Puri which are completely different in taste and are cooked using other things like Lucchi, Bhatoora, Panipuri, and Sevpuri. In many places, people also offer Puri and Halwa as Prasadam while offering prayers. In most of the languages, be it Bengali or Assamese or Marathi, Puri is called Puri only.

Some similarities in between Paratha and Puri

Before we start talking about the differences between the two, let’s know some of the similarities between the two.

Both Paratha and Puri are cooked using the oil, however which one has more oil and which one has less oil, we will read about that below.

Both Paratha and Puri have different varieties apart from the plain Paratha and plain Puri. We have different types of parathas available like Aaloo Paratha, Gobhi Paratha, Paneer Paratha, Matar Paratha, Methi Paratha, Pyaaz Paratha, etc. Similarly, we have a variety of Puri also like Palak Puri which is also called as Hari Bhari Puri in some regions, Moong Dal Puri, Matar Puri, and a few more. Both are healthier; however, both have lots of fat in them.

Be it the Paratha or be it the Puri, mostly, they are being served during the breakfast only.

Now, we know the similarities in between the two, so it’s the time to know about the differences in between the two.

Differences between Paratha and Puri

You all read above what is Paratha and what is Puri. So, by reading that you would have got a little bit idea of the difference in between the two.

Paratha is a flatbread cooked using oil or ghee. However, Puri is a small round shaped Indian bread, which is deep-fried in oil.

Paratha has few layers inside it and that is why it is named Paratha. Whereas, the Puri forms a shape of a bubble when deep-fried, as the air gets filled inside it. This is also one of the reasons why it is being named Puri, as it gets filled.

They may be prepared using the same wheat flour, but the preparation and the cooking method both are different.

When it comes to the health part, Paratha is considered to be healthier in comparison with the Puri. As paratha soaks less oil even after being cooked using the oil. Whereas, puri soaks more oil, in comparison to Paratha. Too much oil is not good for our health, be it the Ghee or the cooking oil. So, from healths point of view, it is good to eat Paratha instead of eating Puri. One can have Parathas twice or thrice in a week. But one should consume Puri very less often in comparison to the Parathas.

Now, as you know the difference between the Paratha and Puri, we hope you will eat both in moderation. Even if you are a North Indian, try to limit your consumption of the two. They both are healthy but regular consumption of the two can make you obese and can increase the cholesterol level also.