CHENNAI: Have you ever watched a parotta ‘master’ in action? If you were ever in Kerala — or some of our very own local jaunts and hadn’t witnessed the making of a parotta, you might have missed out on one of the most creative ways of cooking food.
It is hard not to notice the musical rhythm of experienced chefs (known as ‘masters’) as they beat the dough into thin layers and roll it into a ball. The ball is flattened and cooked on a hot flat griddle. Using a long spatula, each side of the parotta is cooked well. The aroma that wafts in the air can trigger a sudden appetite in a good number of people. All those ‘health articles’ and expert advice on ill-effects of maida vapourises in a jiffy.
Finally, the steaming parottas are then placed on a flat surface and scrunched with both hands, which gives them their unique flakiness, all in a flourish. At sundown, this is a common sight on the streets, especially in Kerala. Thattukadas and small restaurants come to life where these crispy, flaky parottas are sold.
While Malayalis need no introduction to the porotta, here’s a look at how the dish fares in places outside Kerala. Just across the border, in Tamil Nadu, it is called ‘barota’. Malabar parotta, also known as the Kerala parotta, is made of maida or refined flour. Traditionally, milk, eggs and a pinch of sugar are added to the flour dough. However, in some places, based on the customer’s preference, eggs are avoided.
Often served with Syrian beef roast, chicken curry, egg masala and seafood dishes, the parotta has been an evergreen favourite in Kerala. Vegetarians, too, relish it with kadala curry, vegetable korma, and some even with sambar and chutney!
Of late, new variants of the parotta are also trending. Coin parotta, for instance, is not very different from the Malabar parotta in taste or ingredients, but differs in size and is slightly crispier. Kothu parotta (minced parotta) is the most popular variation from Tamil Nadu. Parotta is shredded into pieces and tossed with chicken and egg, giving it a burst of flavours.
Some restaurants also come up with vegetarian versions of this by mixing shredded parotta with onions, capsicum and other vegetables. Other innovative versions include parotta in Chinese style chilli parotta. It is similar to kothu parotta; but the chunks are fried before being tossed with the sauces. Veechu or Ceylon parotta, a thinner, more layered variety, is a famous bread of Sri Lanka.
Call it by whatever name, a parotta is a parotta, and we just can’t stop loving it!
Egg Parotta roll
Recipe by Chinnu Sebastian
Ingredients
To make dough
All purpose flour
(refined flour): 2 cups
Free range egg: 1
Warm milk: 1/3 cup
Warm water: ¼ cup
Oil: 2.5 tbsp (2 tbsp + ½ tbsp divided)
Salt: 1 tsp
Baking powder: ¼ tsp
For filling
Two to three eggs, one cucumber, carrot, tomato sauce, hot chilli oil, salt to taste
Method
Note: Wheat parotta can also be used instead of maida parotta.
Chicken Baida Parotta
Recipe by Muktha H S
Ingredients
To make dough
All purpose flour (maida): 2 cups
Free range egg: 1
Warm milk: 1/3 cup
Warm water: ¼ cup
Oil: 2.5 tbsp (2 tbsp + ½ tbsp divided)
Salt: 1 tsp
Baking powder:¼ tsp
For filling
Chicken minced: 300 grams
Onion chopped: 1 cup (reserve 2 tbsp for later use)
Ginger paste: 1 tbsp
Garlic paste: 1 tbsp
Green chilli: 2, chopped
Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp
Coriander powder: 1 tsp
Garam masala: ½ tsp
Black pepper powder: ½ tsp
Cooking oil: 2 tbsp
Coriander leaves and mint leaves: 2 tbsp each, chopped
Salt to taste
Lime juice: 1 tsp
For rolling parotta
Free range egg: 2
Salt: ¼ tsp or to taste
Pepper powder: ½ tsp
Chopped onions: 2 tbsp
Coriander leaves: 1 tbsp, chopped
Extra oil for roasting parotta
Extra flour to dust
Method
To make dough
For chicken filling
Note: Heat a iron skillet/pan, drizzle 1 -2 tbsp of oil.
Place the parotta and cook on medium heat on all sides until it is crisp, flaky and golden in colour. Once done, cut into half and serve with tomato ketchup/sauce or mayonnaise mint chutney.
Mexican Parotta Rolls
Recipe by Lisa Joji
Ingredients
To make dough
For chicken fillings
Other ingredients
Method
Heat butter/oil, add onions and sauté for 1 minute. Add salt, chicken and cook for five minutes. Add pepper, cumin, oregano, paprika, coriander and mix well. Remove the chicken and mix cream cheese and sour cream. Apply this mix over one parotta. Add lettuce, peppers, chicken on one side of parotta with two sprigs of coriander. Roll the parotta tightly. Cut into small rolls and serve.
Mughlai Parotta
Recipe by Kartik Dey- Kolkata Food Junction
This parotta version is a flaky, refined-flour pastry filled with a mixture of eggs, keema, spices & seasoning .
Ingredients
For the dough
Flour: 75g
Sugar: 2g
Salt: 1g
Vegetable oil: 8g
Warm water: 40g
For the filling
Onions: 10g
Green chillies: 2g
Ginger: 2g
Coriander: 3g
Egg: 1
Cooked keema: 20g
Breadcrumbs: 10g
Roasted peanuts: 5g
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
Method
Thukku Parotta
Recipe by Kaasa Kitchen
This is an alternative version of kizhi parotta and a favourite among parotta lovers. The hotspot of this dish is Kaasa Kitchen in Fort Kochi, where it’s a popular dish. Sharon Gafoor of Kaasa Kitchen says, “In olden days, the workers who used to go to Willingdon Island in Kochi for work had to leave by 7 am. Since lunch would not be ready during that time, they would buy parottas from a nearby shop, pour some curry and add it to a small tiffin box. By noon, it would have turned soggy but it is very tasty. We have recreated this same dish. We make this dish by putting everything inside a tiffin box and letting it simmer in low flame.”
Ingredients
To make dough
Method