In homes across Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand, there is one paratha that people happily eat without any vegetable curry or side dish at all. It is called the mixed masala paratha. The dough is kneaded with a range of spices, carom seeds, and a little chopped vegetable and onion, and the flavour is so good that a dab of pickle is all you need. Best of all, it is extremely simple to make.
This paratha can be ready in about two minutes, and it can be eaten on its own without any accompaniment. Usha, a homemaker in Ranchi, says her family makes it every third or fourth day. Imagine it is pouring outside, there are no vegetables at home, or nothing much is left to cook. You can easily put this paratha together and eat it with pickle. It is so tasty that people often polish off five or six in a single sitting.
The Full Masala Paratha Recipe
Start by taking as much flour as the number of parathas you want to make. Add an assortment of spices to it, such as carom seeds and nigella seeds (mangrail). Add salt to taste, and if you like, you can also mix in a little refined oil.
Next, add finely chopped onion, a little coriander leaf, some green chilli, a bit of coriander powder, mixed masala, and a touch of turmeric. Now mix all of these ingredients together well with your hands.
Once the spices are evenly blended into the flour, add water little by little and knead it into a smooth dough. After kneading, pinch off small balls and roll each one out into the shape of a paratha.
Place the paratha on a hot griddle and cook it well on both sides, then brush a little ghee on top. If you do not eat ghee, you can use refined oil or olive oil instead, whichever you prefer. Once both sides are done, lift the paratha off the griddle.
Your Hot Masala Paratha Is Ready
There you have it, your mixed masala paratha is ready. It tastes wonderfully good. You can serve it with pickle if you wish, but otherwise it needs nothing alongside it, you can simply enjoy it as it is.
