As the lockdown continues, most of us are in a constant pursuit to pick up on new skills – and cooking is turning out to be quite popular. That being said, it may not be that easy for most of us to master our favorite dishes in such a short period of time. But this is where our evening starts to brighten up. . .
Over the last 3-4 years of our short existence (so far), we have been lucky to have met so many passionate and talented and kind folks who have been inspiring us from day 1. Today our friend Khevito Elvis Lee – chef and owner of the popular ‘Hornbill Restaurant’ in Delhi, is here to teach us how to make the yummiest paratha and aloo fry! Yes, we know, it’s one of our favorite dishes in this world! Best part is, it is super easy to make , and the ingredients are easy to find in your kitchen anyday. So without wasting much time, let’s get started!
Plain paratha and aloo fry with Chai | ~ by Khevito Elvis Lee, Chef & Owner of ‘Hornbill Restaurant’ Delhi
Ingredients for Plain Paratha (Makes 5-6 Parathas)
- 2 1/2 cup of maida (flour)
- 4 tablespoons of refined oil or ghee ( Elvis used refined oil)
- 1 cup water or as required (dough to be smooth, but not too soft)
- Salt to taste
Plain paratha | Preparing the dough: Start by mixing flour, salt and refined oil
Preparing the Dough:
- Take a wide bowl, add salt and refined oil. Mix them together
- Now start adding the water in small quantities and knead the flour to make a soft smooth dough
- Keep it covered with a cloth or a lid for about 15-20 mins
- Now break the dough into small sections (~2-inch sections) and keep them aside
- Now take the balls, flatten them slightly with your palm, and make flat the balls on a flat surface with the roller.
Plain paratha | break the dough into small sections (~2′ sections) and keep them aside
Making the Paratha:
- Heat a frying pan and brush some refine oil or ghee on it. Now cook the flattened dough till golden brown on each side.
Serve hot with any aloo fry (*Recipe below) or curry of your choice – and hot chai!
Plain paratha and aloo fry with Chai | ~ by Khevito Elvis Lee, Chef & Owner of ‘Hornbill Restaurant’ Delhi
Now, let us make some ‘aloo fry’ to serve with the paratha and chai!
Ingredients :
- 2 to 3 potatoes
- 2-3 tbsps of mustard oil
- 1/2 tbsps of whole Jeera
- 1-2 pinches of turmeric powder (Haldi)
- 2-3 green chilies (or dry red chilly)
- 1 large or 2 medium-sized onions sliced
- Salt to taste
Preparation :
- Wash potatoes and peel. Cut into preferred shape and size.
- Keep them in a bowl of water until used. (Tip: This helps to remove the excess starch and prevents them from sticking to each other.
Chopped potatoes in water
Method:
- Heat the mustard oil in a pan, and when the oil is hot enough, add the jeera, dried red chilly/green chilies. Now add the sliced onions. Note: the jeera should not burn so put the onions as soon you put the jeera into the oil
- Now drain the water from the chopped potatoes, and add them to the pan
- Add the turmeric powder
- Mix them nicely and then put the lid and let it cook in low flame. Stir in between to prevent burning. Cook it till the potatoes are done. You can also add more veg oil in between for better roasting.
- Check if the potatoes are cooked fully; they shouldn’t be soft. If required, sprinkle some more water and continue to cook on low flame.
- Add salt and taste to check
Tips by Elvis to make the perfect ‘Aloo Fry’:
- Keep the potatoes immersed in a bowl of water before frying, to get rid of the excess starch. This prevents them from sticking together while frying. Also, soaking it in water hydrates the potatoes and help to cook well easily.
- Add salt to potatoes ONLY after they are cooked well. Adding salt early to the potatoes hinders them from cooking well.
Serve the aloo fry with the hot parathas and chai. Ideal for weekend breakfast or evening chai 🙂
Plain paratha and aloo fry with Chai | ~ by Khevito Elvis Lee, Chef & Owner of ‘Hornbill Restaurant’ Delhi
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