OYE KIDDAN: PARATHA INDULGENCE DELIVERED

It's pleasant in Mumbai or as a perpetual resident of the city, I would say its winter. A slight chill in the air is merely an excuse for me to indulge in traditional delights like parathas laden with ghee or butter.

It is with this intent I set out with my foodie pals to explore how hearty parathas are made at Oye Kiddan, a specialty paratha home delivery service with kitchens in Bandra (delivering in Bandra(W), Khar(W), Santacruz(W) & Juhu) and Andheri (Andheri, Chandivali & Powai) localities of  Mumbai.

---

(L-R) Jai Singh Banga, the head chef (Maharaj) at Oye Kiddan, Gurmeet Kocchar

Oye Kiddan was founded by first cousins Jai Singh Banga and Gurmeet Kocchar as a joint venture just 6 months ago. Jai is pursuing his MBA from a reputed institute in Mumbai while Gurmeet is an ex investment banker pursuing business interest in the culinary world. The thought of taking Gurmeet's mother's delicious paratha recipes to multitude homes in the city was the genesis of Oye Kiddan.

At Oye Kiddan there is clear emphasis on the parathas being a wholesome meal. Therefore, the meal box in which the parathas are delivered comprises a small bowl of Amul Dahi (curds), Amul Butter chiplet and a chiplet of Punjabi pickle. The parathas churned out by Oye Kiddan are whole wheat parathas and come with a wide variety of stuffing.

Here is a glimpse of the various flavors available on demand:

---

1. Cheese Corn Spinach - My favorite amongst all varieties offered. The cheese meltes away with the heat to give the entire paratha a rich goey texture that tasted simply divine.
 2. Cheese Corn Capsicum - This was one of their best parathas that came loaded with cheese. The corn and Capsicum added a touch of sweetness and heat respectively to the preparation.
 3. Mutter Paneer - What I loved was that flavors of both the key ingredients - green peas and paneer (curd cheese) were intact and had not been overpowered by any masala
 4. Mushroom Masala - For the first time i have tasted parathas having mushroom. This version was lip-smacking and boasted of an earthy flavor.
 5. Paneer do Pyaza - This paratha came with copious amounts of paneer(curd cheese) mixed with onions.
 6. Pyaz Tamatar - This tasted more like a salad of onion and tomatoes inside a paratha
 7. Aaloo - You cannot go wrong with a generous filling of aaloo paratha with a distinct onion flavor. Laced with butter this preparation tastes delicious.
 8. Gobi - This comprised of finely chopped cauliflower with a regular ginger garlic masala.
 9. Mixed Vegetables - This combined potato, onion, tomatoes, raddish and cauliflower. A little more seasoning could have worked well with this filling.
 10. Mooli - This was the quintessential grated raddish paratha with very subtle flavoring.
 11. Mini Nutella - For those like me who have been blessed with not sweet tooth but sweet teeth, the mini nutella paratha is just the required indulgence.
 
Here is a glimpse of their current menu. You can also find more information on www.oyekiddan.com

Till then, HAPPY EATING...

---