This stall does not sell prata anymore!
The Prata over at Syed was excellent but it just lacked the taste to make it the Ultimate Prata. By this time, the criteria for obtaining the Ultimate Prata was quite clear. Syed’s one was almost there, but it lacked the taste. So the obvious next step was to find a shop which makes it’s own dough!
I repeated my instructions to the young Prata Chef and he happily obliged, slapped on 2 pieces of dough and started demonstrating his Prata Flipping Skills. Round and round it goes, overhead and under his nose…… (just kidding). Then I asked them whether they used Ghee and Evaporated Milk in the dough. They told me that they use Carnation Milk and margarine. But if I wanted Ghee, they can use it in the frying. Without any hesitation, I told them use Ghee instead of oil to fry the prata. Mmmmm…..looking good!
Now, please remember to save your calories for this AND to eat in moderation if you have high cholesterol levels! Ghee is clarified butter, so it is high in saturated fats. Actually, a lot of people would say that they don’t want ghee because they are being health conscious. However, one must also bear in mind that the margarine they use may also be high in Trans Fats, which is just as bad as Saturated fats. So ghee or no ghee, if you have high cholesterol levels, prata may not be a good thing for you.
But I digress….and I hope I did not spoil your appetite.
The prata is crispy and fluffy but just slightly less fluffy then Syed’s. This guy has less of a bench top to work with. But the taste was just awesome! There was no smell of cheap margarine. Instead you get a buttery aroma and taste which to die for! (literally) So good you can eat it on its own, but even better when you eat it with the savoury curry mutton.
Conclusion
The winner for this round of the Ultimate Prata Challenge! The perfect prata would be the Syed Chef flipping New Hawa’s Dough and frying it with Ghee! But I am not complaining……much! 4.5/5
Oh, if you happen to head down to New Hawa, the team featured is the morning team who work a 12 hour shift until about 7pm. Ask for the “Ultimate Prata” which will cost $1.80. (2 doughs = $1.20 plus $0.60 for the ghee)
Addendum:
How to get the Ultimate Prata:
I think if you approach any reasonable Prata Stall, you should be able to get quite a good Prata. The following characteristics are important:
1. They need to make their own Prata Dough
2. The Prata Chef has to be skillful and obliging
3. Make sure their working area is big enough
4. Ask for 2 doughs and specify that you want it thick and fluffy
5. Stick around when they are flipping and specify you want them to flip it as big as possible then fold into many layers
6. Make sure they allow the prata to rest for at least 2 minutes
7. Fry it in Ghee (QBB)
8. Eat it as soon as it hits your plate!
