Wednesday, April 22, 2009

PAROTTAS MADE IN "THATTU KADA"( ROAD SIDE RESTAURANT)

In Kerala, Malayalees consume parottas, beef and liquor in large quantities. The price of beef has sky rocketed and we,albeit being a pigmy state, have the distinction of being the highest liquor consuming State in the whole of India.

The other day when I was walking I watched a man making parottas. The skill, the dexterity, the co-ordination, and the speed of making parottas in the hundreds amazed me. I was compelled to stand there for sometime and watch the entire process with rapt attention unmindful of people staring at me.

Parottas are made out of maida ( a product of wheat}.

The dough is made into small balls like this.


It is flattened with hand in a round shape.


It is placed on the hot plate.

Oil is sprinkled.

It is turned over and fried

Then it is removed and heaped on top of the others and pressed with both hands on all sides to make it soft and fluffy.

Then it is piled on a large plate ready to be sold.


You can eat it with chicken, mutton or fish curry or just plain dipped in tea.

I am not at all good in cooking. So don’t blame me for the usage of words and terms which may not be correct.

However, I assure you I am good in eating. So any one want to make parottas and give me? I’m hungry!

32 comments:

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

Thank you Joseph for the cookery lesson. It was very interesting to see what other countries eat and drink. also the photo's were very informative. This what I like about blogging one finds out different cultures and customs,
Take care now.

Yvonne.

Mel said...

Joseph, I had so much fun reading this and looking at the pictures. I wish I could have been standing there watching it happen with you in person. I bet the parottas smelled as delicious as they look.

Thank you for the post, Joseph! Have a sparklingly wonderful day!

Your friend,
Mel

Catherine said...

Good job, Joseph ! Now, I'm hungry too ! It looks like waht we call "crèpes". Filled with many good ingredients.

Femin Susan said...

Even i have seen people make poratta in the road side. not so detailed.This make me feel dreadfully hungry. Porattas are one of my favourites.Like you I am also very good in eating.Thanks for sharing.
Cheers!

Blogaire said...

How really interesting Joseph! I have not come across Parottas before so your blog was very informative. Like Yvonne, this is what I also like about blogging, you find out about different cultures and customs - from different corners of the world.
There are many Indian restaurants in Dublin so I think I will visit one and sample a Parotta for myself.
Ádh mór ort (Best of luck)!

Amrita said...

Sir J that made me so hungry that I asked my house help to make some parotas for breakfast, but ours are very simple, not the thick ones you have. We try to make them healthy, have them rarely because of health reasons.

I like south indian parotas though.

Leo said...

Fascinating. I would take mine with tea. Are they sweet? Or spicey?

Danielle&Hannah said...

Oh wow! That looks absolutely yummo! I am a cooking/food lover. And that is one talented guy. Tonight I made Roghan Josh curry. I must put some recipies and food items up! It is lovely to see and learn about other culture.

Hope you're having a lovely week? We celebrate Anzac Day this coming weekend. Catch you soon :-)
Danielle

Joseph Pulikotil said...

Hi Leo:)

It is neither sweet nor spicy. It is just plain.

Herrad said...

Hi Joseph,

Lovely pictures of one of my favourite foods.

Wish I had not seen the photos as I want to eat them now.

We call them rotis in Trinidad.

Love,

Herrad

ps I have come via Mary.

Herrad said...

Hi Joseph,

Lovely pictures of one of my favourite foods.

Wish I had not seen the photos as I want to eat them now.

We call them rotis in Trinidad.

Love,

Herrad

ps I have come via Mary.

FCB said...

Hi Joseph,
I just love eating from small vendors like you pictured here. When I was in Thailand there were street vendors everywhere, and such variety of foods and prices were the very best. We have a few street vendors in Oregon but most are downtown in the city, not where I live in the suburbs. But there are Taco trucks! This is where we get authentic Mexican food and it is one of our favorite places to go out to eat. A taco sells for a dollar twenty five and three fill you up completely. They can be very spicy, but I have eaten authentic Indian food a few times and it is flammable! I think I could be safe in saying that Indian food is some of the most flavorful food in the world.
Great post, what fun,
Fred

Meera's World said...

after seeing this post,i went and got malasian porottas from the store:)thats the only good ones we get here.thanks:)

hpy said...

It would be nice to taste a parotta or two! It must be like some kind of bread, good with anything, sweet or salty, or even without anything, dipped in tea or coffee just like you wrote. Good for the health too.

Jeanette said...

Gday Joseph, Thank you for the cookery lesson on making Parottas
very interesting, I like seeing how other county's food and customs..Ill be back to see more..

Merle said...

Hi Joseph ~~ Thanks for the cooking lesson. They sound nice and tasty.
Thank you for your comments on my blog. Glad you enjoyed the jokes and
the one my son sent about Australians
I am glad you got some laughs, but I think you had better stay with your
medications.Have a great weekend.
Regards, Merle.

venuss66 said...

Look yummy!:)

Unknown said...

Hi JPC,I do feel like eating Porotta with Beef fry after seeing your post. Planning to eat Porrota for dinner today. My favourite dish is "Appam & Egg Curry". THOUGHT OF THE DAY - "LIVE TO EAT". Cheers!

Joseph Pulikotil said...

Hi Paul :)

How are you? How is your family?

When are you starting your blog, now that you have submitted your thesis? You remind me of Phantom. You will suddenly appear and disappear. I wonder when will be your next appearance.

Best wishes :)
Joseph

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

Hi Joseph, thanks for your visit.
in my next installment I have photo's of the Family Vault.
It wasmost interesting finding out all about Shelley. They called the son Percy Florence because he was born in Florence Italy.Yes PB. SHELLEY was married twice,although he was an athiest he has a monument
at nearby Christchurch Priory.

Take care.

Yvonne.

Swarna said...

Those parathas look good. But there is always the doubt that they contain eggs :(. Wish I could prepare those 'ring' parathas.

Tanya said...

Oh, you got me starving, now I must have Indian for lunch!

Gerald (SK14) said...

not heard of parottas before - at first glance i misread the title as parrots which sent my mind in a strange direction - they sound delicious - something like pancakes - think it is time for me to get cooking now!

Rhapsody Phoenix said...

Namaste...

This brings back memories of home. PAROTTAS we also make on the twin Islands of Trinidad and Tobago (home is Trinidad). Trinidad an archipelagic state, basically one in a cluster of islands in the Caribbean sea. It is the fifth largest island of the West Indies nestled between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean.

There we make parottas and also have a varied twist on it called "busup shut" where the parrotas are put between cloth and beaten with the hands that seperate them in bit size manageable pieces that we use to eat with cury chicken, dal & baggie. We also have the dalporie which conntains split yellow peas in the middle. The Dalporie we eat like a wrap filled curried meats, potatoes, baggies, pumpkin etc.

hmmmmm, yum! thanks for the reminder of home.

Rema said...

Ha good! yummy, all say maida is not good to consume. But I too love this parottas. Infact all at home. Very simple item you explained very well.

Joseph Pulikotil said...

Hi Rema:)

Welcome:)

This post is essentially meant for those who have no idea of parotta.

I tried my best to explain it. Probably you would have done it better:)

Every one likes parottas. I also eat it sometimes provided it is hot although doctor has told me not to eat oily things since I have a slight heart problem. I am taking tablets. But I have to be careful.

Many, many thanks for your comments.

Have a bright and beautiful day Rema:)
Joseph

Rema said...

Actually, it is better we avoid oily things after certain age. But then at times one gets tempted.

Joseph Pulikotil said...

Hi Rema:)

I agree with you. Fried things are more tasty. Sometimes I eat pazham porris and sugian also. As you rightly said the temptation is too much:)

Have a nice day Rema:)
Joseph

Rama Ananth said...

Yes Joseph, it is amazing how fast they make this parota. I just love the smell also. Now a days they make it with whole wheat flour also, but still it is very oily, and it is certainly okay to have it once in a while. ID is a brand that sells ready made parotas made both with whole wheat and the maida ones too. They are really good and one can have with some Kurma. To get that fluffiness and the crispness one has to use lots of oil.

P.N. Subramanian said...

Surely it is very interesting to witness the skills of those vendors. I could not develop a taste for the Malabar Parottas as they are made of Maida. We like the ones made out of wheat flour.Apart from Beef, Chicken or Fish curries, they also offer pure veg Korma.

Unknown said...

Uncle wonderful description of Keralas love towards Porotta.... i feel so hungry to hav som wen i saw the snaps u had put in....

Joseph Pulikotil said...

Thanks Aby. Happy new year