South indian paratha

kerala paratha or kerala parotta is a layered faky fat bread that is popular across the
whole of south india. it is a variation of the north indian lachcha or layered paratha. they are
also called asmalabar parathas.
i really have good memories of having these crisp and faky breads during our vacations in
south india. we would just have them plain with tea, dunking into the tea or with a nice
coconut based vegetable korma or curry. the outer crisp and faky edges giving way to the
inner soft layers.. yum is the word.
i still remember the hotel where we stayed once.. just in front of our window there was a
restaurant and the cook making these kerala parottas one after the other. he was a master
in his art of making these parathas with his hands he would fip them and back to the
work surface stretching the dough without using the rolling pin. and not a single tear or
break in the dough.
at home we cannot make these parottas this way. the texture would be less faky and crisp
than the restaurant ones, but still good enough to try. generally these parathas are made
from all purpose four or maida. now using all purpose four does give a great texture and
fakiness to the parotta.
however, in this kerala paratha recipe i have used 1:1 ratio of whole wheat four and all
purpose four. you can make fully with all purpose four or with whole wheat four. however
with whole wheat four the texture and taste would be diferent as compared to the parotta
made with all purpose four. it would taste more like the north indian lachcha paratha.
generally in the roadside eateries, they use dalda vanaspati (hydrogenated vegetable fat).
for health reasons, i dont use dalda vanaspati. use a non aromatic and favorless oil to
make these parathas. you can even use butter or ghee. the more fat the more better it is .
however, i have used only 2 tbsp oil for 2 cups of four. you can increase the quantity to 4 to
5 tbsp oil too.
the method is very easy and i have shown a step by step method which will make the
preparation easy to understand. this kerala paratha does not use yeast. hot water is
added while kneading which does make a diference to the texture of the parotta. this is
also an eggless recipe of making these awesome fat breads.
if you have to have these parathas, then make them at home. please dont buy the ready
made ones. they are not good. i have tried them and they were bad. not even an inch
close to the real thing.
i had made peas and potato korma to go with the parottas. you can serve kerala paratha
with any vegetable curry or lentil curry. even the simple dal tastes sooo good with the
parotta.
step by step kerala paratha or parotta below:
1: sieve both the fours with baking soda. make a well and add sugar, salt and oil.
2: add hot water.
3: since the water is hot, frst mix the whole mixture with a wooden spoon. and then when
the heat can be tolerated, knead the dough with your hands. make a smooth, soft and
elastic dough.
4: cover with a damp cloth and keep aside for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
5: divide the dough into 7-8 balls.
6: dust the working surface with four. roll each ball as thinly as possible with a rolling pin.
you have to roll very thin. if the dough breaks or tears, continue to roll.
7: brush oil on the rolled dough on the entire surface.
8: hold the rolled dough from the top on both sides and pleat them till the bottom.
9: holding one end of the pleated dough, roll like a spiral and press the last edge on to the
center.
10: prepare all the spiral balls this way and keep them covered with a moist cloth for 15-20
minutes before you start cooking them.
11: on a dusted work surface, roll each pleated ball into parathas of 4-5 inches. i actually
made them larger about 7 inches.
12: heat a tava or a griddle. place the paratha on a hot tava and fry on both sides drizzled
with some oil on top and the edges till they are crisp and browned. you will see the layers
easily and they will be browned.
when serving, squish the parotta holding them between your palms so that the layers come
up on the surface. serve these yummy kerala paratha or malabar parathas with any
indian vegetable or lentil curry.
sandesh recipe for durga pooja, how to make sandesh
| durga pooja recipes
by DASSANA
22
sandesh is one of the most popular sweets made during
durga pooja. making sandesh is not difcult and is an easy
recipe and this step by step tutorial will help you further to
make these delicious fudge at home.
basically, sandesh is a sweet moist fudge made from
cottage cheese. for making them you have to frst prepare
the fresh paneer or cottage cheese. mash the paneer and
then cook it with a mixture of sugar and jaggery. the
cooking is important and if you over do it, the paneer
becomes dense and rubbery. it took me a total of 9
minutes on a low fame to get the right texture and
consistency in the sandesh.
once you make them you will wonder, why you didnt make
this delicious sweet before. since the actual preparation of
sandesh is very simple and quick unlike making gulab
jamun or rasogullas.
like all popular indian sweets, sandesh is loved by many
and is quite popular in west bengal. there are many
variations of sandesh made for festive occasions. lets start
with this easy version and soon i will share one more
version of sandesh with you.
since i had palm jaggery, i have used it in this recipe along
with sugar. you can easily use sugar in the whole recipe.
the color would be creamish then instead of brownish.
however, palm jaggery gives a really nice rustic favor and
taste to the sandesh.
lets start step by step sandesh recipe for
durga pooja:
1. frst begin with preparing the paneer or chenna. keep
the milk to boil and then curdle it by adding lemon juice. in
a a deep bowl lined with a muslin or thin cotton napkin,
pour the curdled milk.
2. take the four corners of the muslin in your hands and
gather all the curdled paneer together in the muslin.
squeeze the whey.rinse the chenna with the muslin in
running water very lightly. this is to remove the sourness of
the lemon juice or vinegar from the paneer. place a weight
like a heavy bowl or a stone pestle on the muslin for max 1
hour. if in a hurry, then you can keep for 30 mins too. the
paneer will be set by then.
3. take the paneer in a plate or a tray. knead and mash
with the knuckles of your palms. gather the whole mixture
at intervals and continue to knead till the mixture becomes
smooth and soft. add jaggery and sugar and knead for 2-3
minutes again. the jaggery and sugar both will melt and
release moisture in the mixture. you can also pulse the
paneer with the sugar in a blender.
4. add this mixture to a thick bottomed non stick pan. with
continuous stirring cook on a low fame for a total time of
9-10 minutes. after 2-3 minutes the mixture will come to
have a smooth and molten consistency.
5. slowly slowly the moisture would begin to dry up and the
mixture would start coming together. we do not want a dry
sandesh mixture. the paneer should have some moistness
and must not have a dense rubbery texture. also no oil or
fat should be released from the sandesh mixture. you can
see the consistency of the paneer that is required to make
sandesh in the pic below.
6. let the mixture warm or cool. again knead the mixture
with the knuckles of your palms like you did before. then
take small portions and shape them into round fattened
balls or a peda. with a toothpick or fork you can even make
designs on the sandesh. press some pistachio or almond
slices or raisins in the center. you can even use moulds to
shape them.
7. serve the sandesh immediately or refrigerate and
then serve them. if not serving immediately then
refrigerate them as they get spoiled if you keep them out at
room temperature.
if you are looking for more sweets recipes then do
check coconut ladoo, dry fruits ladoo, besan ladoo, rava
kesari and kaddu halwa.