coriander parathas and mango pickle
straight from the master paratha maker, my dear friend durga
i’m breaking my substack hiatus to share something very important. with permission, i have durga vishwanathan’s paratha recipe - learned, tested, and ready to share. as a bonus, there’s a mango pickle recipe and instructions on how to make plain paratha.
this is a very cherished recipe for my family. growing up, we would stay with the vishwanathans in canberra on our annual trips home to see our grandparents. the house was filled to the brim with books, art, and beautiful dark wooden furniture including an indoor swing which was endless fun for my sister and me.
mornings were spent around the kitchen bench, waiting for durga’s coriander parathas, served with chutney and black coffee (for the parents). afterwards, a bush walk up red hill with vish and their trusty boxers - jomo then sultan - spotting kangaroos if we were lucky. they were very magical visits.
this christmas, we found each other on the other side of the world in berkeley, staying with their son, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren - kedar, kylie, victor, and olivia. i drove up from los angeles, durga and vish flew in from canberra. the famous parathas hadn’t been made in a while, so it took some convincing to get the master back in action. i made sure to document the method.
so if you’re reading along, count yourself lucky. please make and enjoy.
thank you durga. it was such a pleasure to learn from you.