Parotta evokes extreme reactions – either paroxysms of ecstasy or indignation. “Once in a way is not bad”, says one group while the other says “once is bad enough.” And Chef Khader, the man behind the parotta festival at Canopy at Abad Plaza, is a believer of the former school of thought. He adds that too much of any thing is bad.
Don’t let what the festival is called, ‘Parotta on a roll’, mislead you. Kathi rolls are just a part of the menu. Parotta is on the menu in its stuffed, kothu, Chinese, combo and plain avatars. These are available in maida and atta versions. If you have conservative taste buds then you can go in for parotta and curry combinations.
Tasteful combinationsChicken chowmein at a parotta festival? Turns out these are julienned parotta pieces made chowmein style. The chef says parottas are not suited for the noodle form. It is an interesting innovation. There is ample chicken and chowmein veggies such as cabbage and onion. The mixed chowmein is a mix of meats with slivers of beef tossed in. The other ‘Chinese’ on the menu are prawn, Szechuan and vegetable – all in chowmein form (priced between Rs. 90 & 140). The prawn kothu parotta turns out to be a dampener. The other kothu varieties are chicken, meat, mutta and vegetable (Rs 90-140).
The chilli parotta is vintage desi chilli style. Maida parottas cut into tiny diamonds, fried in thin batter ‘for crispness’ and tossed in a chilli gravy with capsicum and onions. It is CHILLI parotta alright. The other stuffed varieties are egg and cheese, egg, methi and dhania (priced between Rs.30 & 90).
The kathi roll is generous; a filling of chunky chicken pieces laid out on an omelette and then rolled. It’s easy to handle, especially well-suited for the kids. Prawn ularthu, Mexican chicken, chicken kheema, Malabari meat, meat kheema roll, egg & vegetable, Mexican vegetable and cheese and many other options. The prices are between Rs. 90- Rs.140.
Plenty of choiceIf you like it straightforward then there is a choice of parotta – ghee, wheat, madakku and Kerala (Rs 20-35). These can accompany seafood such as prawn ularthiathu, neimeen masala, karimeen masala (available in pollichathu form as well), kadai/butter chicken, meat ularthiathu/peralan and aloo chole masala (these are priced between Rs. 90 – 200). Want to make it simpler? Then opt for the combo parottas – poricha karimeen masala or pollichathu with parottas of your choice, nei meen with parotta, meat, kadai paneer, vegetables, methi or dhania parotta with yoghurt and pickle (between Rs. 120 & 230).
Traditional tastesThe chef recommends neimeen masala with parotta with, “there is nothing to beat parotta and beef fry,” which others at the table wholeheartedly agree with. The neimeen masala with its balanced flavours work perfectly with the wheat parotta. That cliché – flaky parotta fits here. The wheat parottas are a must try.
The piece de resistance was the simple dhania parotta, madakku style, with potato curry, yoghurt and pickle. Deliciously brown and crisp layered with bits of coriander (dhania) dipped in curry…the pleasures of simplicity.
The timings are from 12 noon to 11 p.m. and it is on till January 5.
