Parotta with Kerala Chicken Curry

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.

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.

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.

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.

Cook the Chicken

• Add the marinated chicken to the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high and sauté for 5-7 minutes, until the chicken is seared and lightly browned on all sides.
• Pour in the thin coconut milk and add the remaining 1 tsp of salt. Stir everything together well.
• Bring the curry to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.

Finish with Thick Coconut Milk

• Once the chicken is cooked, reduce the heat to the absolute lowest setting.
• Stir in the thick coconut milk. Gently warm it through for 2-3 minutes. It is crucial not to let the curry boil at this stage, as the thick milk can split.
• Turn off the heat and set the curry aside.

Prepare the Tempering (Tadka)

• In a small pan, heat the remaining 1 tbsp of coconut oil over medium-high heat.
• Add the mustard seeds and wait for them to splutter.
• Immediately add the dried red chilies, sliced shallots, and the sprig of curry leaves.
• Sauté until the shallots turn a deep golden brown and become crispy. Be careful not to burn them.

Combine and Serve

• Pour the hot tempering, along with the oil, directly over the prepared chicken curry.
• Immediately cover the pan with a lid to trap the aromas. Let the curry rest for at least 10-15 minutes for the flavors to meld beautifully.
• Gently stir before serving. Serve hot with appam, idiyappam, parotta, or steamed rice.