Chettinad Chicken Curry, Parotta and Cucumber Raita

Ingredients

• 3 cup Maida (Approx 375g)
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 cup Sunflower Oil (Divided for dough, soaking, and cooking)
• 1 cup Lukewarm Water (Adjust as needed)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare and Rest the Dough

   • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the maida, sugar, and salt.
   • Add 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil and mix it into the flour with your fingertips until it resembles coarse crumbs.
   • Gradually add lukewarm water while mixing to form a soft, pliable dough. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky.
   • Transfer the dough to a clean work surface and knead for 10-12 minutes until it becomes very smooth and elastic.
   • Apply a little oil over the dough, cover with a damp cloth, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
2. 2

   Divide and Soak the Dough

   • After the initial rest, divide the dough into 8 equal-sized balls.
   • Place the dough balls in a deep bowl or tray. Pour the remaining sunflower oil over them, ensuring they are fully coated.
   • Cover the bowl and let the dough balls soak in the oil for a minimum of 2 hours, or up to 4 hours at room temperature. This step is crucial for making the dough elastic.
3. 3

   Stretch, Pleat, and Coil

   • Generously oil your work surface. Take one dough ball (leave the others in the oil) and flatten it with your palm.
   • Using your fingers, gently stretch and pull the dough outwards from the center to form a large, paper-thin circle or rectangle. It should be translucent. Don't worry about small tears.
   • Starting from one edge, lift and fold the dough over to create thin, accordion-like pleats until you have a long, pleated rope.
   • Gently stretch this pleated rope to make it longer. Then, starting from one end, coil it into a tight spiral, tucking the tail end underneath.
   • Let the prepared coil rest for 10-15 minutes while you repeat the process for the remaining dough balls.
4. 4

   Cook the Parotta

   • Take a rested coil and gently flatten it with your palm or a rolling pin into a circle about 5-6 inches in diameter. Do not press too hard, as this will cause the layers to merge.
   • Heat a tawa or flat skillet over medium heat.
   • Place the parotta on the hot tawa and cook for about 1 minute until small bubbles appear.
   • Flip the parotta, drizzle a teaspoon of oil or ghee around the edges, and cook for another 2-3 minutes, pressing gently with a spatula, until golden brown spots appear.
   • Flip again, add a little more oil if needed, and cook the other side until it's crisp and golden brown. Repeat for all the parottas.
5. 5

   Fluff and Serve

   • Once cooked, remove the parotta from the tawa. While it's still hot, place it on a clean surface or hold it between your hands (using a cloth if too hot).
   • Gently clap or scrunch the parotta from the sides. This action is key to separating the layers and making it flaky.
   • Serve the hot, flaky parottas immediately with your favorite curry, such as vegetable kurma or chicken salna.

Ingredients

• 2 cup Curd (Thick, plain, and chilled. Greek yogurt or hung curd works well.)
• 1 medium Cucumber (Peeled and grated. English or Persian cucumbers are preferred.)
• 1 tsp Roasted Cumin Powder (Freshly ground for best aroma.)
• 2 tbsp Coriander Leaves (Finely chopped.)
• 1 tbsp Mint Leaves (Finely chopped.)
• 0.5 tsp Salt (Adjust to taste.)
• 0.25 tsp Black Salt (Also known as Kala Namak.)
• 1 pcs Green Chilli (Finely chopped, deseed for less heat.)
• 0.25 tsp Sugar (Optional, to balance the tang of the yogurt.)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the Cucumber (4 minutes)

   • Wash, peel, and grate the medium cucumber using a box grater.
   • Place the grated cucumber in a fine-mesh sieve or a muslin cloth. Press down firmly or squeeze to remove as much water as possible. This is the most crucial step to prevent a watery raita.
   • Set the squeezed cucumber aside.
2. 2

   Prepare the Yogurt Base (2 minutes)

   • In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the thick curd (yogurt).
   • Whisk the curd for about a minute until it is completely smooth and creamy, with no lumps.
   • Add the roasted cumin powder, salt, black salt, and optional sugar to the whisked yogurt. Mix well to combine the spices evenly.
3. 3

   Combine and Chill (4 minutes + chilling time)

   • Add the squeezed grated cucumber, finely chopped green chilli, coriander leaves, and mint leaves to the spiced yogurt base.
   • Gently fold all the ingredients together until everything is well incorporated.
   • Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. You may need more salt or a pinch more sugar depending on the sourness of your yogurt.