Kerala Parota and Paneer Butter Masala

Kerala Parota is a popular dish from Kerala ( I know, by its name we can tell that it's from Kerala😝). Traditionally, it's made with all purpose flour or maida in general. Kerala Parota uses loads of fat into it to make it super feathery and fluffier. Fat could be oil/ghee/butter or combination of these. Key point in making Kerala Parota is totally dependent on the dough. More the soft and pliable the dough is, more the soft layered and light the Parota is. Right amount of hydration, kneading and resting period of dough is equally important.

Most suitable curries to savour with Kerala Parota are vegetable kurma and paneer butter masala. Keralites, please throw some light here incase if I have missed any curry that goes really well with Kerala Parota. I personally loved Kerala Parota even more with Paneer Butter Masala.

Paneer Butter Masala is kinda king of paneer based curries. Core ingredients include paneer, butter and delicious onion-tomato gravy. Butter gives a rich flavour to curry which cannot be obtained by other fats. If you're a person who loves paneer and butter, then this must be one of your favourites.

Recipes:

Kerala Parota

All purpose flour & Whole-wheat flour - 350g & 100g

Or

All purpose flour - 450g

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Sugar - 1 Tbsp

Water - 340g

All purpose flour - 2-3 tbsp for dusting

Oil & Ghee mixture - 1/4 cup

Oil - 1 tbsp to grease the bowl

• In a large bowl, add all ingredients except oil-ghee mixture and oil. Form a sticky dough. Adjust water according to the flour used. It should be a sticky dough but not stiff dough.

• Dust your Kitchen counter with some flour and start kneeding until the dough turns soft and pliable. I generally use stretch and pull method and sometimes slap and fold method.

• Approximately it took around 10-15 min for me to get the soft dough.

• In the same mixing bowl, add bit of oil and rub the bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and turn upside down so that dough is coated well with oil.

• Cover it with damp kitchen towel and set aside for 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours.

• By now, dough should be super soft. Make around 10 portions of it. Place all portions on a greased surface. Brush a little oil on top and cover with damp towel. Leave it for 15-20min

• On a greased surface (oil & ghee mixture), place a portion and flatten it out with hands and form a rectangular shape. Use rolling pin to flatten it thinly.

• Add oil and ghee mixture, may be half teaspoon. Spread nicely and dust a bit of flour. Just kind of dab the flour so that it is lightly soaked in oil and ghee mixture.

• Using a pizza cutter, make stripes of 1 inch. Using your fingers, push the stripes towards middle stripes. You will end up having an elongated dough. Stretch it a bit length wise and start swirling from one of the ends. Secure the last portion of it to the back of it.

• Set aside for 10-15 min in a greased bowl or greased surface. Cover it with damp kitchen towel. Make sure dough doesn't get dried up at any time.

• On a greased surface, take one swirled dough and start flattening it with hands or rolling pin. Roll it slightly thicker than chapati.

• On a hot tawa, add a bit of oil and ghee mixture. Place the rolled parota. Cook both sides with ghee or oil or both. Take it off flame once it's cooked well. Crush the parota in clap motion while it is still warm and serve with Paneer Butter Masala and veggie salad🥰

Paneer Butter Masala

Onion-tomato gravy:

Onion - 2 large

Tomatoes - 4 large

Chopped Ginger - 1/2 tsp

Cashews - 1/4 cup or 10-12 cashews

Green chillies - 2

Dried red chillies - 3

Oil - 1 tbsp

Water - 1/2 cup

Tempering for gravy

Cubed Paneer - 300g

Butter - 3-4 tbsp

Oil - 1 tsp

Cinnamon - 1 inch

Cloves - 2

Bay leaf - 2

Cardamom - 2

Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Green chillies - 3

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam masala - 1/4 tsp

Kasuri methi - 1 tbsp

Heavy cream - 3-4 tbsp

Salt - 1 tsp or adjust accordingly

Coriander - 2 tbsp

• In a pan, heat oil. Add chopped ginger, 2 green and dried red chillies. Saute for a min.

• Add onion and saute until it's translucent. Add tomatoes, cashews and water.

• Cover the pan with lid and stir occasionally until cooked completely. Should take around 10 min.

• Let it cool down and then grind this into a fine paste.

• In another pan, heat butter and oil. Add in the spices ( cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and bay leaves ).

• Once it turns aromatic, add in 3 green chillies, ginger garlic paste and chilli powder. Saute for a min and not more than that.

• Add in the grinded paste/onion-tomato gravy, turmeric and salt. Saute it for about 2 min. Caution, while boiling, gravy might splash.

• Put the paneer cubes. Cover and cook for 5 min.

• Add garam masala, kasuri methi and cream. Adjust salt of needed.

• Take it off flame. Garnish with a spoon of cream and chopped coriander.