Makkai Parathas (Sweet Corn Parathas) with Raita

The season of sweet corn is still on in California, and 2 days ago, when I saw a farmer picking fresh corn from a field in front of our house, I decided I had to make something with corn this week. And one of my friends in Australia, Janki, had also requested me to post some corn recipes as she loves them. Well, there might be very few people who don't like corn! So here's the Makai (Maize flour) Paratha recipe. It is similar to corn tortillas, but it tastes way better with all the spices and sweet corn kernel added to it. Enjoy it for dinner and for breakfast the next day! And with corn, its a whole and hearty meal too!!

Ingredients
2 cups corn meal flour(makkai atta)
1 cup wheat flour
5 tbsp oil
1 cup sweet corn kernels
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
2-3 green chillies - chopped
1/4th cup cilantro - chopped
spices - garam masala, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, dhana-jeeru - to taste
salt - to taste
2 tsp powdered sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp yoghurt
Hot water to knead the flour
Salted Butter to saute the parathas

Method
Take a frying pan, add 2 tbsp oil, jeera and chopped green chillies and allow to saute. Then add the ginger-garlic paste, sweet corn, chopped coriander, the dry spices, sugar, lemon juice and salt and mix well.

In a bowl, combine the maize and wheat flours, add the sauteed filling mixture, add oil and use hot water to knead into regular paratha like dough. Use your hands to keep kneading it a little more than regular dough because maize flour is more coarse hence needs more pressure to become soft and elastic. Keep covered with a damp cloth and leave so for 10-15 mins.

Now make equal-sized balls out of the dough. Take each ball and roll it into a circular paratha using a rolling pin. The edges might look a little jagged, but that is normal with makkai atta. Saute the paratha on both sides in a pan on medium-to-high heat. Apply butter on both sides while sauteing. You can use margarine or oil, but butter gives the most flavor with corn. Cook on both sides till done.

Raita Recipe
For a very basic raita, mix some yoghurt and whisk it till smooth, adding very little water. Chop some tomatoes, cucumber and onions and add to the yoghurt. Now add salt, red chilli powder and chaat masala to taste and season it. Mix well and your basic raita is ready.

Serve the Corn (Makkai) Parathas hot with curry or Raita!