A Three Letter Word and Moghlai Paratha

Hop was a three letter word that I learnt to spell with nonchalant ease very early in life. 

I imagined I was the master of the word – until - it decided to challenge me.

 It made me puff, pant and stumble as it showed its true colours. I was compelled to retire an entire foot, in some foolish games and convert my easy amble into an uncomfortable jump in others.

The scornful disdain I harboured, for the easily spelt word was replaced with disgust, for the action it implied.

Fortunately, successive birthdays added years to my life and saved me. They liberated me from the silly games and that hateful word. Relieved, I lived the next several years unburdened by the intolerable word - or so I thought.

Then in college, this most hated word in my vocabulary acquired extremely likeable connotations. Hopping stopped associating itself with uncomfortable balancing and began to imply moving from one happy place to another and having a whale of a time.

There was pub hopping and party hopping and I hopped uncomplainingly.

Then I discovered I had been hopping all along.

 Every year in the Autumn months I had hopped until my feet were bruised and bleeding - as I moved from one Durga Puja Pandal to another. The much detested word in my vocabulary had been my most favourite annual event all the while!

Now I hop with a vengeance. As I hop, I also pop (food into my mouth) and shop till I drop.

De- addicting Moghlai Parathas

The day after Dashami is invariably haunted by the ghosts of Moghlai Parathas, Kathi rolls and Egg Devils. Plump well fed faces, wince visibly as Dal Chawal is placed in front of them. Urgent de-addiction is required and this is my recipe for it.

1.    Make a  large roti (with whole-wheat or multigrain atta) or use a left over roti

2.    Place a tawa on the gas. I like to use the Dosa tawa.

3.    Heat a tablespoon of oil on it.

4.    Beat an egg with a little salt and pour it on the tawa.

5.    Scramble the egg until it is cooked and then take it off the tawa.

6.    Beat another egg for the next roti in another bowl and keep it aside.

7.    Spread a tablespoon of oil on the tawa and place a roti on it. Keep the flame low. Brush the surface of the roti facing you with the beaten egg.

8.    Place the scrambled egg in the center of the roti and then fold the roti from all four sides as if you are wrapping the scrambled egg in the roti.

9.    Since the roti has been brushed with egg the folds will stick easily.

10.                       Once you have a parcel turn it over and cook the other side. Add oil if required.

11.                       Press the parcel so that any liquid egg comes out and solidifies on the surface of the parcel as it cooks.

You get scrambled egg parcelled in a whole-wheat roti coated with a crisp layer of egg.

No maida or ghee like the original Moghlai Paratha - but Hey! this is de-addiction!

This is how it appeared

And then disappeared.......