Pair Your Malabar Parotta With These Dishes

Malabar parota is one of the tastiest breads that’s found in the Indian cuisine. Soft, flaky and absolutely yummy, this parota is relished across India. Originally, a delicacy of the south, malabar parota, also known as Kerala parota or barota, is made of maida or refined flour. Traditionally, milk, eggs and a hint of sugar are added to the flour dough while making the malabar parota. However, keeping the customer’s preferences in mind, many restaurants can be requested to avoid using egg as an the ingredient while making this bread. Malabar parota is a versatile bread that can be paired with any curry (even butter chicken!) here are a few dishes it’ll pair fabulously with: 

1) Kadala Curry 

This spicy curry from the cuisine of Kerala, is made from black chickpeas and coconut and is one of the best curries to pair your malabar parota with. Don’t confuse the kadala curry with kaale chane ki sabzi, which is a popular black chickpea dish made in the northern parts of India. There is a significant difference in the way both these curries are cooked and also in how they taste. For example, in kadala curry, grated coconut is an important ingredient, whereas, in the Punjabi kaale chane ki sabzi, so is not the case. Also the gravy of the kadala curry is more watery compared to its north-indian counterpart.

2) Chicken Chettinad 

Chicken chettinad is a classic chicken curry from the cuisine of Chettinad, Tamil Nadu. This curry consists of chicken which is marinated in turmeric, yogurt, a paste of red chilli, coconut, kalpasi, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, black pepper, onions, ground nuts, sesame oil and garlic. Chicken chettinad pairs very well with malabar parota and foodies usually also order fish fry along side the combination of chicken chettinad and malabar parota to enjoy an authentic Chettinad cuisine meal! 

3) Fish Curry 

Fish Curry, which is otherwise knows as malabar matthi is a Kerala and Goan dish. It is made from sardines which are cooked in a Kerala style curry. The curry also has assorted vegetables like onions and okra. While the fish is relished primarily with rice, malabar parota also pairs well with it. The dish is extremely popular in Sri Lanka, Kerala and Goa. Some variations of the dish include ingredients such as coconut milk or tamarind juice. 

4) Kerala Stew 

The Kerala stew is a vegetable based curry from the cuisine of Kerala. Also called as ishtu, this dish is basically, a combination of vegetable curry prepared with thick and thin coconut milk and dry spices. The creamy curry pairs well with malabar parota. The Kerala vegetable stew is aromatic and mildly spiced. It's a delicious, filling, and simple vegetable stew.

In case you’re tempted to try your hand at making the malabar parota, here’s a recipe by Chef Kunal Kapur: 

Ingredients: 

1. 2 cups of flour (maida)
2. 2 tsp sugar
3. ½ tsp salt
4. ¼ cup milk
5. 2 tbsp oil
6. ½ tsp milk
7. Water

Method:

Add the sugar, salt, oil and milk to the flour (Maida) along with water, in the said order, while mixing with your hand. When all the ingredients are homogenised - knead the dough till it forms a smooth ball.. Once you have a smooth ball, let it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. After resting, roll it into a log, and divide it into 4 smaller balls. Cover the smaller balls with oil generously. There are 2 methods for rolling these out : 

The first method: 

1. Roll the ball out into a fairly thick circle with a rolling pin and add some oil on top.
2. Put one hand’s fingers under the rolled out parota with the thumb over it, and the other hand’s fingers above the rolled out parota with the thumb under it - side by side. Lift the parota in a circular motion and swiftly slap it back down on the work surface. Keep moving clockwise/anti-clockwise so that the parota is extending evenly in all directions. Once it’s thin enough to see through - add more oil on top, gather the parota diametrically to make a rope (gather, do not fold) and role it from one end to the other to form a rose. 

The second method:

Roll it out with your hands on a rolling pin without the stretch and slap motion. Use a clean workspace where you can roll out the dough balls (add more oil gradually) with the rolling pin till it’s thin enough to see through. If you’d like to use your hand - gently use the heel of your palm to push the parota’s edges outwards. It’s essential that both the work surface and top of the parota are well oiled. Once it’s thin enough to see through - add more oil on top, gather the parota diametrically to make a rope (gather, do not fold) and role it from one end to the other to form a rose.