Chilli Parotta with Eggs | Step by Step Recipe

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Chili Parotta is a popular South Indian street food that is absolutely scrumptious and easy to make at home. My homemade version is lower in calories than the original version but equally delicious.

I love recreating traditional street food recipes at home. My versions are much healthier and I know exactly what is in the dish.

Here’s a classic South Indian street food recipe that is popular in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. ‘Kothu’ means chopped in Tamil.

So in this chilli kothu parotta recipe flaky flatbread (paratha) are chopped or torn into small pieces. These are then cooked in a spicy, creamy gravy/ sauce called salna.

Salna is nothing but a ‘gravy/ sauce’ that is generally served with dosa or paratha. It adds a lot of flavor to this vegetarian kothu parotta with salna recipe.

I have added eggs to my dish to make it filling and a one-pot meal. Skip them to make a 100% vegetarian dish. Crumbled tofu or paneer will also be great to make this a wholesome dish.

It cannot be considered as ‘health food’, because this is a calorie-heavy dish. But it tastes so yummy, that I am sure you wouldn’t mind making it once in a while. I actually crave for it often.

Ingredients

So the main ingredient to make this dish is parotta aka flaky flatbread. You can make your own Kerala Parotta, if you have time. Or buy a packet of frozen ‘Kawan Paratha’ at Indian grocery store.

Peppers – use different colored ones for a colorful looking dish. Or just use green peppers

Onions – need these to make salna (gravy) and to make the main dish.

To make the salna or the gravy, you need:

• aromatics – ginger, garlic
• produce – tomato
• nuts/ seeds – poppy seeds, cashews
• spices – red chili powder, ground coriander, garam masala

Eggs – completely optional but absolutely delicious.

Instructions

First step in making chilli parotta is to make the salna.

Heat oil in a large saute pan; add onions, ginger and garlic. Cook on medium flame until they start turning brown around the edges, about 4~5 minutes.

Next add chopped tomatoes, poppy seeds, cashews; cover and cook until the tomatoes turn soft and mushy.

Stir in red chili powder, ground cumin and ground coriander. Mix well and cook for 1~2 minutes.

Turn off the heat and let this mixture cool a little, then grind to a smooth paste.

Prep the Parottas:

If using frozen parottas, then cook them until crispy and cooked through. Then chop or tear them up into small pieces. I had my kids do that for me 🙂

Make the Chili/ Kothu Parotta:

In the same pan, heat oil, add onions and peppers and cook on medium flame until crisp tender.

Crack the eggs into the pan (if using), mix well and cook till set, about 2~3 minutes.

Next stir in the ground spice mix/ masala. Mix well and season with salt.

Now add the chopped parottas and mix well so that the parottas are coated with the masala. Cook for 2 minutes to heat through.

Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve hot as is or with a side of simple raita.

Taste Test

This is a very tasty dish to make. It is easy to put together. I think the highlight is the addition of salna which makes the dish moist and yummy. Do give it a try to find out.

Chili parotta is best to served hot on the day it’s made. But the leftovers can be refrigerated for upto 2 days. Make sure to warm it before you eat.

Tips

• Skip eggs to make this a 100% vegetarian dish.
• Use homemade parotta or buy frozen Kawan paratha from Indian grocery store. Malaysian style flatbread will also work in this recipe.
• Crumbled tofu or paneer can be added to this a wholesome dish.
• Although it is best to eat this dish hot, leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for upto 2 days. Make sure to warm it before you eat.

More South Indian Recipes to try

Here are a few more South Indian recipes that you might want to try:

• South Indian Thali
• Mini vegetable uthappam
• Kohlrabi Curry (Knol Khol)
• Potato curry leaf stir fry
• Jonna Rava Kesari