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Showing posts with label Malabar cuisine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Malabar cuisine. Show all posts

Friday, July 8, 2016

Malabar Parotta Roll with Chicken Kasa stuffing

My love affair with Kerala cuisine dates back to my school days. Having a best friend who could trace her roots to the backwaters was the beginning of a life long tryst with one of the most aromatic cuisines that India can boast of. I have come across cuisines that rate much higher on the visual appeal but the aromas that waft out of a Mallu kitchen are nothing less than orgasmic. But more than the noteworthy non-vegetarian recipes that you can find at any decent restaurant, I am sold on the simple vegetarian fare that is consumed in most Kerala households. The simplicity of a thoran, the sharpness of Puli-inji , the sweetness of Erissery and even the yummy richness of a Ulli Sambar makes me go ballistic. Maybe it has got something to do with the fact that my friend's family was a strict vegetarian (Nambiars to be precise ).

Growing up together during all those years, we had our share of group studies, pimples, body image issues and not to forget the crushes ( often the same guy ). Ok, this is no secret but most girls in a class will have a crush on the class topper ( undoubtedly a nerd but one with a measure of cuteness thrown in ) at some point of time. The guy who bags most of the sports prizes comes a close second while the third position is generally reserved for the resident 'Tansen'. And going by my interactions with the kids in our society, the status quo still continues.

But getting back to our group study sessions, the finger-licking Mallu food was definitely an added attraction. No wonder most of the studies (and gossip) happened at her place. So, when it was time to experiment with a fusion dish that spanned '2 states', I just had to pick up something that belonged to God's own country and marry it with one of Odisha's culinary gems. Hence, the decision to bring together the flaky and crisp Malabar Parotta and the deceivingly simple Chicken Kasa to make a sumptuous evening snack ( something like the Kathi rolls but very different in taste and texture). A word of caution though. Getting it done is definitely a labor of love but one that will be definitely worth it !

Read on for the recipe -


















Preparation Time - 1 hour 15 mins

Ingredients -

For the Malabar Parotta -

  • 2 cups maida
  • 1 cup of milk ( room temp)
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 3-4 teaspoon oil
  • water as required
  • salt to taste
  • more ghee/oil for frying

For the Chicken Kasa - 

  • 600 gm Chicken (with bones)
  • 1 large tomato
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 inch ginger
  • 10-12 garlic cloves
  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 2 green cardamom
  • 2 cloves
  • 2-3 dry red chilis
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp red chili powder
  • 1/5 tsp garam masala
  • 3-4 tsp oil
  • salt to taste
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • cilantro for garnishing

Extras -

  • Onion rings ( soaked in water and vinegar in 1:1 ratio )
  • tomato sauce
  • a dash of lemon juice

Cooking

For the Malabar Parotta - Break the egg into a bowl. Add the salt and sugar to it. Beat lightly. Add to the flour along with the milk and a little water. Mix gently till you get a slightly sticky dough. Cover and keep aside for 15-20 mins.

Start kneading the dough once again. Add some flour or a little oil if it seems too sticky. Knead for 5 mins till the stickiness reduces to a large extent. Spread some oil over the dough. Cover with a towel and keep aside for another 10 mins.

Rub oil generously all over your hands and start kneading the dough. Knead for 5-7 mins till most of the moisture is absorbed and the dough looks smooth and even. Divide into 4-5 portions and shape each one into a ball. Rub oil all over the dough balls and keep aside for half hour.

Sprinkle flour over the working surface and roll out each ball. Brush a little oil all over the roti and sprinkle flour evenly over the surface. Take hold of one edge of the roti and fold it like you would fold a paper to make a fan. Once it is folded into a long shape, twist it into a coil around of the ends. Brush more oil over the coil and keep aside for another 5-10 mins. Repeat for the remaining dough balls.

Finally, take each coil and roll out into a parotta. 

Heat a tawa. Place the parotta over it, cook for 1-2 mins and then flip it over. After 1 min, add ghee and fry on one side till small brown spots begin to appear. Then it flip over, add more ghee and fry on the other side as well. Take care that you press it down while frying to separate out the layers.

Repeat with the remaining ones.

For the Chicken Kasa - 

Wash and marinate the chicken with the salt and turmeric for 10 mins.

Take the onion, ginger, garlic, red chili and whole spices in a chutney jar. Grind into a smooth paste. Add it to the marinated chicken along with 2 tsp oil. Mix well. Let it stand for 20-30 mins.

Heat the remaining oil in a heavy bottomed vessel. Add the sugar and red chili powder. Just as it starts to smoke, add the marinated chicken. Toss on high for 2-3 mins. Cover it ans cook till half done.

Add the finely chopped tomatoes at this stage. Cover once again and cook till soft ( the meat should be easily separated from the bones). The curry should be dry at this point. Add the garam masala and chopped cilantro. Mix in and remove from flame. 

[ Note - The chicken should get cooked in it's own juice. If at any point, the curry looks too dry, sprinkle a few drops of water to avoid getting it burnt. ]

Once it is bearable to touch, separate the meat from the bones. 

For the finishing touches, take a parotta, add some the chicken pieces and a few onion rings. Drizzle the sauce over the parotta. Add a dash of lemon juice. Wrap it up and dig in !

Important - You have obviously been good !! Reading till the very last line of this post :) . Ok, so here is a suggestion that will make this recipe super easy.

Try this with a Heat & Eat packet of Malabar parottas. They are delish, especially the ones sold by ID . Yes, even I do this when I am in the mood to cheat ;) .


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