"Recipe for Masterchef Tamil Paalada Pottalam Recipe. This dish includes 4 components. Paalada, chicken ghee roast, idli podi and onion tomato thokku."
Paalada Pottalam Recipe
Wow. One of my most memorable challenge in Masterchef Tamil. Cooking in a 5 star jwmarriott kitchen was an wonderful experience. It was an team challenge. Myself, Kritaj, Mani, Devaki, Sumitra and Vinny was in a team. I was chosen as team captain. It was an three course menu challenge. Me and Kritaj was incharge of main course and we made paalada pottalam(if you want the recipe, it is in my channel)
Judges love the food and the plating of paalada pottalam. It was an amazing feeling.
My team mates were rocking. Everyone did a great job. We don’t even know how the 90minutes went by. I couldn’t have done this without my team mates. Thankful to each and everyone of my team. I was so worried whether our team would go to the balcony or not, because as a captain I got that responsibility. Thank god we won that challenge. Such a proud moment.
Check out Masterchef Tamil Smoky Rosemary Sambaram
This recipe has 4 components in total
- Paalada | Thin Rice Crepes
- Chicken Ghee Roast
- Onion Tomato Thokku
- Podi Idly Roast
How Paalada Pottalam Is Made?
The pancakes are filled with chicken roast filling. Make sure you remove all the bones from the chicken. Then roll it carefully like a bundle and tie it with a spring onion.
It is then placed in a bed of onion tomato thokku. The podi is dusted on the sides.
Paalada Pottalam Recipe Video
📖 Recipe
Onion Tomato Thokku
Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut oil
- 8 large onions sliced thinly
- 3 to matoes sliced thinly
- curry leaves a handful
- 10 green chillies
- 2 tsp turmeric powder
- 3 tbsp kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tbsp garam masala powder
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan. Add onions, chillies and curry leaves. Mix well. Add salt and mix well.
- Now cover and cook on a low heat till onions are transparent. Now cook on a low heat till the onions are caramelized. It will take around 15 to 20 mins.
- Once the onions are well cooked. Add in turmeric powder and mix.
- Add in tomatoes and cook till mushy.
- Add in garam masala and chilli powder. Cook for few more mins.
- Puree this roughly and set aside.
📖 Recipe

Chicken Ghee Roast Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 kg Chicken cut into small pieces
- ¾ cup Curd / Yogurt
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1 tbsp Jaggery
- 1 tbsp Tamarind Pulp
- Curry leaves
- 4 tbsp Ghee
FOR ROASTING & GRINDING
- 7 Piece Dry Red Chillies
- 8 cloves Garlic
- 2 piece Cloves / Krambu
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- ½ tsp Fenugreek Seeds
- 2 tbsp Coriander powder
- 2 tbsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder
Instructions
- Marinate chicken with yogurt, salt, turmeric powder, lemon juice. Mix well and set aside to marinate for 1 hour.
- Take red chillies, cloves, pepper, fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds in a pan and roast on low heat till it is toasted.
- Remove it to a blender, add in garlic, coriander powder, kashmiri chilli powder and grind to a smooth paste.
- Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a kadai. Add in the chicken and stir fry for 5 to 8 mins till the chicken is cooked half way. Remove and set aside.
- Now heat 3 tbsp of ghee and add the ground masala, some curry leaves and stir fry for 4 to 5 mins till oil separates.
- Add in tamarind pulp and stir fry for one more minute.
- Add chicken back in stir well to combine.
- Cook for further 8 to 10 mins till chicken is completely cooked.
- Now add in jaggery and mix well.
- Add more curry leaves and combine.
- Serve hot with rice.
Video
Notes
- If you have dry whole kashmiri chilli and whole coriander seeds use that when roasting.
- Grind the masala till very smooth.
- Take care to roast the spices in low heat, else it may get burnt and turn bitter.
- Cook the chicken low and slow in the spices so it stays soft.
- Use chicken with bones for best flavour.
- Make sure you cook the whole dish in ghee for best flavour.
📖 Recipe
Paalada Pottalam - How to Cook
Ingredients
- Rice – 2 cup I used normal ponni rice
- Eggs – 2
- Coconut Milk – 2 cup
- Water as needed
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash and Soak rice for 4- 6 hours. Now drain them and add it to a blender and make into a fine puree. The consistency should be very smooth. You can add water to help the process going.
- Now transfer this to a container. In the same blender add in eggs and whip them slightly. Pour that into the container as well.
- Add in coconut milk, salt and enough water to make a very thin batter. The batter should be very watery.
- Now heat a nonstick pan. Pour a ladleful of batter in it and swirl the pan so it coats on all side of the pan.
- This takes only seconds to cook. Once it looks like it has cooked, you can fold it into traingles and place into hot case.
📖 Recipe
Idli Podi Recipe
Ingredients
- Roasted Gram dal – ¼ cup
- Dry red chilli 1
- Pepper – 1 tsp
- Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
- Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Dry roast everything except turmeric and salt.
- Take it in a blender along with turmeric and salt.
- Powder fine.
- Set aside.
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