Lifespan of a Chennette

Due to popular demand (ok TWO requests, but the last one was signed “Desperate Trini in NYC”) I am posting a recipe for Maleeda. Maleeda is a Indo-Trini sweet, made with a base of paratha roti (buss-up-shut). I could assume that the potential maleeda makers know how to make paratha, but that may be cruel, so the two recipes follow. The beauty of maleeda is that it will still taste good even if the paratha is not golden, light and flaky. Sugar cures many ills. Unfortunately I don’t actually have any pictures of maleeda, but maybe soon. Pictures are here (because my mother keeps maleeda in the freezer for the son, the former baby, even though he currently resides overseas):

Paratha (Buss up shut)- Trinidad style

Ingredients (for about 4 smallish rotis):
4 cups flour
1  1/3 tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
water to make soft, but not sticky dough
8 tbsp vegetable shortening (Cookeen) or ghee (could be more)
Oil for cooking

Method:

Making the Dough or Loys:
1. Mix flour, baking powder and salt.
2. Add water gradually and mix to form a soft dough that is not sticky.
3. Make 3 or 4 balls of dough (depending on size of your tawah/griddle/skillet), sprinkle with flour and let rest for 15-30 mins.
4. Roll or stretch out 1 ball at a time, to a circle a little bigger than your hand. Try not to use too much flour at this stage.
5. Spread softened shortening or ghee around the entire circle.
6. Make one cut from the centre of the circle to the outer edge.
7. Start rolling the circle from the cut all around to form a cone with the dough. Roll fairly tightly so that there is not to much air/space in the cone, but don’t stretch it too much. Tuck the ends of the cone in so that you form a ball again. (Don’t worry too much about the details of this step if you have never seen it done; just make sure you have a ball again at the end of the process, with most of the shortening on the inside.)

8. Sprinkle the ball with flour and put aside. Repeat for other 2 balls of dough.

Making the Paratha:
1. Heat tawah/griddle to medium hot.
2. Roll out ball of dough to even thickness (about 1/2 cm) and place on tawah.
3. When little bubbles appear on the paratha and the top is beginning to set (not sticky to the touch), spread a little oil/ghee on the top and flip over.
4. Spread a little oil or ghee on the other side of the paratha.
5. The paratha should start to swell a little with air when it is almost finished. Press the edges of the paratha all around on the tawah, to ensure the edges are cooked.
6. When it begins to get a little brown and is cooked all the way through, remove from tawah.
7. You can buss it up on the tawah, or in a bowl with dablas, or hold it with cloths and separate the layers.

Repeat for other balls.
Maleeda

Ingredients
4 (hot) paratha
1 cup flaked dessicated coconut (or fresh grated, in which case saute in some butter before adding to recipe)
1 170gm tin evaporated milk
3/4 lb brown sugar
8 oz butter or ghee
To taste:
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground elaichi (cardamom)
1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 pinch black pepper
raisins and maraschino cherries (optional)

Method:
1. Shred the parathas finely in food processor, or by whichever means possible
2. Add parathas to mixing bowl with all ingredients except milk.
3. Mix well, adding milk slowly until the maleeda comes together to be able to form firm but moist balls.
4. Taste during the mixing to adjust sugar and spices to taste.
5. Form into balls and enjoy!