Kothu Paratha

Hey everyone. Today was a busy day for me, loads of laundry, dusting of furniture, a little bit of cooking and such and so I was lazy to make a very elaborate dinner. Thus came up the idea of making Kothu Paratha with the left over parathas I had in my refrigerator. Kothu Porotta is a lip smacking dish and a hot favourite among South Indians.

Of course, this is not the original recipe for the dish. I got this recipe from Amma (Reju's mom) when she came home to spend a few days with us last week. I love all her recipes because they are so simple and delicious. Ever since amma left for Kerala, I have been flirting with the idea of making Kothu paratha and after trying out amma's recipe for the same and it's whopping success it was inevitable. This recipe is originally made with beef but I did it with chicken and made few changes from the recipe that Amma gave me. But the basic recipe remains the same.

This dish is a good snack but I think of it as more of a whole meal served hot with a cool cucumber and onion raita.

Thank you Amma for this lovely dish. I hope you enjoy this recipe and the dish too.

Ingredients

Wheat Parathas/chapathis - 6

Shredded chicken/minced beef - 250 gms (cooked)

Beef/chicken stock - 1/4 cup

Carrots (grated) - 1

Beans (julienned) - 4 to 5

Onion (big) - 1

Tomato (big) - 1

Ginger (finely chopped) - 1 tbsp

Garlic (crushed) - 4 to 5 cloves

Green chilli (slit lengthwise) - 1 to 2 (adjust as per spice tolerance)

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 tsp

Chicken masala - 1/4 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp to 3/4 tsp

Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp (adjust as per spice tolerance)

Coriander leaves

Salt - to taste

Oil

Method

Cook the beef/chicken with a little water along with a pinch of salt, pepper and a small piece of ginger. Cut the parathas/chapathis into small squares/tiny pieces. Keep them aside. Heat oil in a wok and saut'e green chilly, ginger and onions till onions turn light brown. Once the onions have browned, add the grated carrots and beans into it, saut'e and cover and cook for about 2 minutes. Now throw in the turmeric powder, kashmiri chilli powder, garam masala powder, chicken masala and pepper powders and saut'e till raw smell goes away. Then add the garlic and saut'e for a few minutes. Now add the tomato and saut'e till oil floats and tomatoes turn soft. Now add the shredded chicken/minced meat into it and toss till everything is combined well. Add salt and mix well. Close with a lid for a few minutes till the meat turns soft and succulent. Now add the chopped up parathas/chapathis and combine well. At this point, add the beef/chicken stock into it and mix well. Toss for about 1 or 2 minutes on a medium flame and then turn the flame down to sim and cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Now add the coriander leaves into it and toss. Switch off the flame. Do not dry out the mixture, make sure it is moist.

Notes: I have made the healthier version using wheat parathas/chapathis. The dish is originally made with Kerala porottas/malabar parottas.

You can also incorporate eggs into the dish, (the original recipe calls for the same) it adds to the flavour.

Source: Superchef Amma