Every year, viral food trends find a way to surprise, shock and occasionally confuse the internet and it looks like 2024 will be no exception. Barely a day into the year a new viral food concept surfaced that has left netizens divided. The creation in question – Vodka Aloo Paratha.
In a video shared by Roop Sharma (@roopfitnessfoodie) on Instagram, she surprised viewers by making a twist on regular paratha dough with vodka instead of water. She then filled the dough with an aloo sabzi mix and poured the remaining vodka on top while it was cooking for good measure instead of using ghee or oil. The video currently has 3 million views and counting, with people in the comments having very mixed reactions to the dish.
This isn’t the first time Sharma has found virality through an alcohol based dish, and in the past she racked up over 11 million views on a Maggi noodle dish made with dark rum. But although many people have made jokes about it being a gimmick or an unnecessary dish designed for views, or even just a funny video referencing a similar dish made in the movie Humshakal, there is a solid logic behind Sharma’s dish. Though it may sound outlandish, alcohol is commonly used in baking and even has a scientific advantage over water in some cases.
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Incorporating a hint of vodka into the dough enhances the flakiness. The primary role of alcohol in baking lies in its ability to facilitate the binding of fat and water, thereby enhancing the overall flavour. It hinders the gluten from forming a cohesive structure while baking, resulting in a significantly airier crust. Introducing vodka into your dough contributes to a flakier and even more delightful baked product. Additionally, using vodka means you can skip on oil or ghee in the preparation process.
So while this dish may be going viral for all the wrong reasons, it’s a far cry from other viral dishes which were actually designed for shock value and an interesting way to kick off another year in the internet’s food experiments.