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Nani Amma made chinni (sugar) paratha for me everyday. I was four and the school bus made a stop to drop me to Nani’s house at 12:30pm Sunday through Thursday, and there she was waiting for me by the gate, with open arms and a warm chinni paratha.
Nostalgia takes us to a beautiful place in our minds, and an enchanting way to relive the past is to live it in the present, hence I embarked on the journey of making parathas for my family, aloo (potato), keema (mince meat), mooli (white radish), cheeni (sugar) and the plain paratha; with simple goodness like no other.
Also read: Exploring Delhi’s underbelly: Parathay Wali Gali
In the subcontinent, wholesome homemade chappati (whole wheat Tortilla) is a staple at every meal, hence when the household wants to add oomph the morning breakfast; a wide variety of parathas are served. Paratha is a variant of the chapatti and the phrase, 'bread is the staff of life' holds much more meaning for the desis of the world than any other demographic.
It is unclear as to when the paratha came to be. When exactly was it that ghee (clarified butter) was lavishly spread on the chapatti before being put on the tawa (a slightly concave cast-iron frying pan) we will never know, but it definitely originated in the northern part of the subcontinent, also alleged to be from as far north as Afghanistan.
Also read: In praise of parathas
The stuffed paratha is a delicious variant of the plain paratha and it may simply be that the abundance of vegetables inspired the cooks to make all kinds of delectable fillings, ranging from the spicy white radish, to mince meat paratha and simple sweet goodness of sugar and jaggery.
Another legend suggests that during pre-partition India it was the norm that cooks added ghee (clarified butter) to almost everything, and when they fried the chappati in a wok full of ghee the end result was the fabulously rich puree (deep fried tortilla).
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The cooks loved the taste and decided to do something a little different; mix ghee to the dough before exposing it to the heat of the fire. This resulted in parathas when the whole wheat dough was cooked on the tawa; and when the same was put in a tandoor (underground clay oven) it created the baqar khani.
The subcontinent fell in love with the paratha, especially the province of Punjab where stuffed parathas or kulchas became dhaba (roadside) food; with a side of lassi (yogurt drink).
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Lassi, refreshingly delicious to the core, is believed to have originated centuries ago in the region of Punjab where doodh (milk), like the chappati has almost always been a staple. During the intense Indian summer of the Punjab the hardworking farmers used to consume a chilled concoction of milk, curd and sugar. The drink was served in clay pots, and at times chilled in the cool rivers flowing through the villages.
The sweet and tangy drink gained popularity all over the subcontinent, and it came to be noticed that its consumption during the summer months kept the body hydrated and refreshingly cool. Lassi became a favourite of the region and today ingredients like mint, ginger, mango, cumin, cilantro are added to the drink, but there is nothing quite like the original; a happy blend of yogurt, milk, chilled river water and a lot of sugar.
The paratha and lassi duo is unadulterated joy on its own, but to compliment my stuffed and plain paratha endeavor, I needed a side of a light savoury raita (yogurt dip) and chutney, and what better than Borani Bademjan!
Bademjan is an ancient Persian and Afghani eggplant and yogurt dish from which our very own baigan raita is inspired. This is a delightfully rustic dish, making the most of summer’s favourite vegetable. The eggplant in its wholesome sponginess absorbs the flavours of garlic infused yogurt and the two textures blend in melted harmony creating a taste authentically unique.
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The eggplant, also known as brinjal and aubergine, was first stumbled upon four thousand years ago in the region we now know as Pakistan and India. Most believe this purple delight to be a vegetable, but the botanists consider it to be a fruit, a distant cousin to the bell pepper, tomato and potato.
In the subcontinental and Mediterranean cultures, the eggplant is considered a vegetable that brings a cooling effect after its consumption, and the ancient Chinese culture also refers to the eggplant as a yin vegetable; one that is water based and brings a less dense, cold and damp energy with it. Summer is at our doorstep and what better way to combat the scorching heat than the earthy paratha, sweet lassi and the charming baigan raita as your next meal on a hot day.
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When it was time for me make this fabulously down-home meal for my family, I called Anjum Khala for the paratha recipe, she lives in the heart of Punjab and makes scrumptious parathas. For baigan raita, I turned to my dear friend Shehla Shaukat, her recipe comes from the heart of Persia. Here it is, from my kitchen to yours.
Paratha (makes 6 to 8 parathas)
Ingredients
16oz whole wheat atta or flour
Lukewarm water as required to form dough
Salt to taste (optional)
Oil for applying on paratha disc, and for shallow frying
Potato Stuffing
Boil 2 to 3 medium sized potatoes. Once boiled, peel, add salt to taste, ½ tsp cumin, ¼ tsp red chillie powder, 1 tsp chopped cilantro, ¼ tsp chopped green chillie and mash together to form stuffing.
White Radish Stuffing
Grate 1 to 2 white radishes, cover and set aside for half hour. Press hard between both palms and drain excess water. Once drained add salt to taste, pinch of red chillie powder, 1 tsp chopped cilantro, ¼ tsp chopped green chillie and mix well.
Keema Stuffing
Brown ½ medium sized onion in 2 to 3 tbsp oil, once golden brown add 1 lbs ground meat, ½ tsp cumin, ½ tspchillie powder, ½ tspgaram masala, ½tsp ginger and garlic paste and salt to taste.
Cook on medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, raising the heat to high and stirring constantly for another 5 minutes or until the oil separates from the meat.
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Method
Combine flour and salt in a bowl, adding warm water until a soft dough is formed. Knead the dough until it is smooth and firm and leaves the edges of the bowl. Cover and let it rest for half an hour.
Heat tawa knead the dough for a minute or two and make 12 to 16 equal sized dough balls. Dust the work surface with flour, and with a rolling pin form a little disc of the dough ball. Take stuffing and place on the little disc, covering with a disc of a second dough ball.
Now seal the circumference of the stuffed disc and roll into a large disc with the aid of a rolling pin. Dusting with flour when needed. Brush one side of paratha with an even coating of oil and place oil side down on the hot tawa. Spin and press the paratha around as you cook. Pour a tbsp or 2 of oil on the top surface of the paratha, spreading it evenly with the back of a spoon. Now flip it over and cook. Add a little oil if needed. The paratha is cooked when both sides are a beautiful golden brown, with a few specks of dark brown.
Lassi (makes 2 to 4 glasses)
8 oz yogurt, 4 oz milk, 4 onz cold water, ice cubes as needed, suger as needed. Put together in a blender and blend until froth forms, and pour into glasses.
Baigan Raita
1 eggplant of the slimmer taller variety
2 cups of yogurt
2 to 4 cloves of garlic
1 tsp of freshly roasted cumin seeds
Salt to taste
2 tsp sugar
Small onion (chopped)
Garnish
2 to 3 tbsp oil
6 to 8 kari patta or curry leaves
2 to 4 dry whole red peppers
½ tsp cumin
Pinch chaat masala (optional)
Method
Boil or roast eggplant, once boiled or roasted let it cool. Peel skin and open from center, removing as many seeds as possible. Mash roughly with hand or fork.
Beat yogurt, adding a little cold water if preference is of a thinner consistency; mix in salt, sugar, chopped garlic, chopped onion, roasted cumin and mashed eggplant and set aside.
Heat oil in frying pan, adding all garnish ingredients except chaat masala. Fry and instantly pour on yogurt raita.
Sprinkle chaat masala.
-Photos by Fawad Ahmed