Building The

Perfect 'Fusion' Paratha

: How To Mix And Match Fillings

Quick Summary

The best paratha achieves a balance between the dough and filling; the dough must support the filling rather than compete with it. When creating a fusion paratha, consider using layers; one hero ingredient, plus a supporting texture and minimal seasoning creates optimal results. 

Deep Dive

Fusion dishes must respect the original. A paratha is humble, everyday comfort food, which has been an integral part of Indian cooking for generations. There should be no intention to burden a paratha in any way by adding too many heterogeneous ingredients; rather, you should create a paratha that remains familiar while providing you with a new flavour experience. In short, create a perfect paratha without becoming bogged down by the dough and the flavour.

Start With The Right Paratha Base

A good foundation for any fusion-based paratha is a great-quality dough. If you have torn, dried-out or chewy dough, then no filling will be able to help cover up that fault. The perfect choice in terms of a foundation is Aashirvaad Shudh Chakki Atta (100% Atta; 0% Maida). This flour is ground from the whole grain wheat and has a nice level of moisture retention to create soft and fluffy parathas. 

For a nice soft light bite with it remaining tender longer, the Aashirvaad Select 100% MP Sharbati Atta will work perfectly. The natural aroma from the wheat and the smoothness of the texture will allow the paratha to puff up nicely while still keeping its shape when stuffed with filling such as paneer or minced chicken.

If you are looking to increase the nutritional quality of the dough without drastically changing the taste of the dough, then the Aashirvaad High Fibre Atta with Multigrains will add fibrous content and increase the structure of the dough. This will help to create a very strong dough that is required for working with the most moisture-filled vegetables.

Choose One Hero Ingredient

Fusion parathas do not work when there is no clear focus on what the main ingredient will be. Decide on your hero (the main ingredient), it could be a marinated spiced mushroom, shredded chicken (using up leftovers), crumbled tofu, or a leftover rajma (kidney beans). Once you have selected your hero, let that ingredient dictate the rest of the other aspects of the paratha. Be cautious if you use a rich ingredient. If you make a chicken keema paratha, you may need to add finely chopped onions to keep moisture or coriander to lift up the dish. If you make a paneer paratha, you should consider adding a squeeze of lemon to balance the richness. The secret ingredient to make a perfect paratha is restraint. For example, do not add five types of cheese to the paratha just because you can. Think of the finished paratha as a composed dish; one main ingredient, two supporting ingredients, and you will have a great fusion paratha.