Anda Paratha Roll, Egg Fried Flat Bread

Anda paratha is a Punjabi street food recipe and a popular breakfast with working bachelors. There are plenty of places in the thickly populated areas in the city where there are apartments rented out by students and young people over small shops in the city. If you ever visit those shops for groceries early morning, you will see baskets tied with ropes coming down the apartment windows to pick up the Anda paratha breakfast from the stalls on the street. It’s an amazing sight to watch the speed and expertise of those cooks rolling out flatbreads and frying Anda parathas to feed a hungry crowd in a hurry to leave for work.

There are as many different ways of making it as there are cooks! Basically it’s a fried flat bread stuffed or coated with eggs. At times the Paratha is partially cooked to fluff up, beaten egg mix is filled into its pocket and then cooked again. At other times hard boiled egg mash is stuffed into parathas. Some people pour the mix over the paratha and then roll it up.

Whatever the way, this unique breakfast is not only delicious but filling and very nutritious too. There is no need to use a lot of oil, merely greasing the pan from time to time is quite enough. I combine both the methods to make this yummy breakfast. First stuff the paratha with boiled eggs and herbs, then coat it with an omelette like egg mix on one side and finally roll it up. It makes it very crispy, full of flavour and handy to eat. A perfect addition to lunchbox recipes.

You can skip stuffing the paratha with boiled eggs mix and just cook it topped with beaten eggs too.
Also omit the green chilli peppers if making for kids.

2 cups wheat flour
Cold water for kneading the dough
2 eggs, hard boiled
3 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
Salt to taste
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 green chilli peppers, finely chopped
A small bunch coriander finely chopped
Ghee/butter or olive oil for frying

Add flour in a bowl, add a pinch of salt and start adding cold water gradually. Mix the water with flour till it comes together. Knead 5-6 minutes till it forms a pliable and elastic dough. Don’t let it go too soft or it will be difficult to roll out.

Cover the dough and leave it to rest for ten minutes.

Meanwhile boil 2 eggs. Grate hard boiled eggs and mix half of salt, red chilli powder, cumin, coriander and onions into them. Set aside.

Beat three eggs in a bowl and add the remaining salt, red chilli powder, cumin, coriander, onions and green chilli peppers into them. Mix.

Divide the dough into four equal portions. Dust the work top generously with flour. Make dough balls by rolling the dough in a circular motion between your palms.

Roll out each dough ball into a round flat bread. Spread 1/4th of the grated egg mixture on the flat bread. Fold in the edges of the bread over each other to make a neat square little packet.

Once again roll it out into a square flat bread this time.

Heat and lightly grease a griddle on medium low heat. Once it’s hot, place the square flat bread onto it. Cook till it has is light brown spots all over it, flip and trickle another tablespoonful of oil all around it, cook the other side the same way.

Pour 1/4th of the beaten egg mix over the paratha. Spread the liquid to cover the paratha. When it is slightly set, flip the egg side down to completely cook it. Add a little oil if the griddle is too dry.

Take the paratha off the griddle/tawa. Spread tomato ketchup, green chutney, pickle or any of your favourite spread over the egg side, roll the paratha,cut into halves, keep covered till you serve.

Repeat with the remaining dough and ingredients.

Makes four Anda Parathas.

Serves 4