Sweet paratha is best served with Cauliflower in thick yogurt curry (Doi Fulkopi) : a child hood remembrance.
The recipe I am going to share today had a big effect on my childhood. Food was very serious at our home. Even today if someone comes to my parents’ home for an hour, my mom prepares ten things for him or her. She says that serving guests is very important. No, it’s not the same way in my home. My friends notify me weeks in advance, and I prepare food for them over the course of a few days. I leave home by 7 and get home by 5, so I can barely get anything done during the week.
When I was growing up, making these ‘porottas’ or sweet flatbread was not an everyday affair. My mom only made them when someone was visiting us for just a few hours in the evening, which was quite a few times in a month. In the morning, she would say us, “I will just make ten porottas,” but then she ended up making 25. She was never good with measurements and estimations. She always cooked erred on the side of caution rather than risking not having enough. But do not worry, my measurements are spot on. I work for Sheryl Julian, and she won’t accept any recipes until it’s accurate and perfect.
When it comes to Indian bread, people know naan without introduction. But naan was never popular at home. We had naan at weddings and celebrations but mom rarely made it. This flatbread is not fat or super high in calories like naan (which has over 250). My mom calls it ‘mishti porotta’ meaning sweet flatbread. It has sugar and aromatic kewra water. It’s a bit thicker than our regular flatbread, which is very close to a wheat tortilla.
Whenever mom made the porotta, she served a bunch of curry based dishes with it. The salad was a must. In addition, she prepared chicken or shrimp curry and some vegetables, fries and what not. I have no time or energy to prepare all of that so I decided to cook and blog her signature recipeL ‘Doi Fulkopi’ or Cauliflower in yogurt gravy.
My mom mastered this recipe by trial and error. I used to wait for the evenings when she used to serve me ‘misthi porotta’ and ‘doi fulkopi.’ I used to tear a piece of bread with my little fingers and dunk it in a bit curry and eat with sheer pleasure. No matter how much I cook, I can never be as good as her. My husband also sometimes mutters, “Your mom’s food was better.”
That being said, my version was very close to hers.
When I devoured this sweet flatbread and the cauliflower curry, I remember my frock-wearing days. (In India, we call little girl dresses frocks). Sometimes, she used to prepare the entire thing when I was at school. She always picked me up from school. When we were riding the rickshaw back home, she would say, “I made your favorite food today.” I used to wait impatiently those 15 minutes of the ride, 10 minutes of washing and changing clothes. After that I would dive into the food and finish the plates before the guests arrived. I could never resist my temptation, and I still can’t. Then I would eat some with guests, but I enjoyed that little time when I ate it alone and my mom was sitting next to me to serve.
A lot of Nostalgic talk! I hope you did not get too bored.
Recipe for Cauliflower in yogurt curry (Doi Fulkopi) with sweet paratha
Sweet Porotta
- 4 cups (500 gram) all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (100 gram) plain Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon kewra water
- 1 1/4 cup whole milk
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
Cauliflower in yogurt gravy
- 1/2 gallon water
- salt to taste
- 2 small cauliflowers(1 kg), cut into florets
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil – 2 teaspoons if used air fryer
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1 piece (1 1/2 inches) fresh ginger
- 1/4 cup unsweetened coarsely shredded coconut
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon clarified butter
- 10 whole peppercorns
- 1 piece (1 inch) cinnamon bark, lightly crushed
- 3 whole black cloves, lightly crushed
- 3 whole green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon red chile powder
- 1 cup hot water – not from the tap
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
Garnish
Instructions
Sweet Porotta
1. In a bowl, add flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar. Sift it well. Add yogurt and kewra water. With hands, mix it well to form a crumbly mixture.
{After this step, you can use a stand mixer to make your dough. Add milk slowly to the stand mixer bowl. Run in a medium setting for about 8 to 10 minutes. If you are not using stand mixer, follow the steps below}
2. Add milk slowly to form a dough. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes. Take some piece out of that dough to form a ball. You should be able to make 8 balls. Flatten each ball to form a quarter-inch round flat bread.
3. In a non-stick skillet, over medium-high heat, heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil. Add one flat bread one at a time. Cook it for 4 to 5 minutes, or until its golden brown. Add 1 more teaspoon oil, turn it over and fry the other side. {You can add less oil if you do not like oily bread like us.}
Cauliflower in yogurt gravy
1. In a soup pot, over high heat, add 1/2-gallon or more (2/3rd of the pot) and salt. Bring it to boil. Add cauliflower florets and put in water for 2 minutes. Set it aside in a colander. Run it through cold tap water.
2. Add turmeric and rub well.
3. In a non-stick pan, add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Add cauliflower in batches to fry it until golden brown. You might need to add more vegetable oil up to 3 tablespoons) to fry them. Set it aside with slotted spoon.
{I used an air fryer to fry the cauliflower and used only 2 teaspoons vegetable oil to fry all the cauliflower florets. So far, I am very impressed with the Phillips Airfryer}
4. Meanwhile, In a coffee grinder or a spice grinder, work the poppy seeds until smooth. Transfer to a bowl.
5. In a food processor, combine ginger, coconut, and water. Work the mixture until it forms a paste. Add poppy seeds and work until smooth. Transfer to a bowl.
6. In the same non-stick pan without wiping, over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil and clarified butter. Add peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and cook it for 1 to 2 minutes, or until they sizzle. Add ginger, coconut and poppy seeds, salt,sugar and chile powder. Cook it for 4 to 5 minutes, over medium heat. Add cauliflower florets and water, and stir to mix it well. Lower the temperature to the lowest setting.
7. Meanwhile, in a bowl, add yogurt and salt. Stir to mix it well.
8. Add yogurt to the cauliflower and mix well. Cook it over medium-low heat, covered for 4 to 5 minutes. Set it aside.
Garnish
1. In a non-stick pan, over medium heat, heat vegetable oil. Add peas and saute for 4 to 5 minutes. {I do not like smell of raw peas in cooked food if you do you can skip this step.}
2. Garnish with peas and cilantro and serve with flat breads.
Beautiful story and an amazing recipe.
Thank you dear!
Beautiful pics Dolphia! Love the perfect lighting!
Thank you dear!
I just loved the post dear. It’s hard to pick is it the recipe or the pictures or your ‘nostalgic ‘ writing . Cheers !
Thanks dear!
I just love your posts and writing style. Although I am not much into cooking, I visit your page to read and enjoy the stories! Being a Bengali, I can relate to each and every story from your childhood and feel nostalgic that how our moms cooked for hours to make us happy! My mom’s the same and I love to eat whatever she prepares!