Malabar Neipathiri/Porichapathiri & Cherupayar Ishtu

 














Pathiri n pathiri...dont u think that we Malabaris are a bit too obsessed with this pancake made of rice flour...Yes indeed!!We have the healthy version of this favourite malabari dish, which is plain pathiri or nerma pathiri for the calorie conscious and the neypathiri/poricha pathiri/Chatti pathiri/Adukku pathiri/Irachipathiri/Meenpathiri etc for the more freaky ones!Pathiri comes from the Arabic word 'fateerah' and it means"pastry"....so obviously an Arab influence on the local Mappila community.

Neipathiri and Poricha pathiri are more or less the same.Poricha pathiri in ghee becomes neipathiri.Pathiri deep fried becomes Poricha pathri!!Neipathiri does not puff up much lik a poori.It is more flat. Here is the recipe for Poricha Pathiri:


Ingredients:

Rice flour-2 cups
Hot water-4 cups(Keep extra reserve,because the ratio cd vary depending on the rice quality)
Salt-as required
Fennel seeds-1 tsp
Cumin seeds-1/2tsp
Oil-for deep frying
Ghee-1 tbsp

Method:

Dry roast the rice flour with fennel seeds,cumin seeds and salt added till u get the fine aroma of roasted flour.(Flour changes the tint slightly).Now add hot water gradually.Mix with a ladle and close the vessel for 4 minutes.Now once the flour has cooled enough to be touched with the hand knead it well into a fine smooth dough.(Knead it thoroughly or else the pathiri will break when u roll it out,for unlike chappathi dough this rice dough is not elastic).Make small lemon size balls and spread it slightly, the size of a Poori.While rolling it out, keep dusting the sides with flour,in order to prevent it from breaking.Heat oil in a wok.Add ghee for a richer neipathiri.Now deep fry the each pathiri till it becomes slightly golden. It is a wonderful dish with most of the nonveg curries,sea food preparations and the vegetable stews...I have had too much of non veg, so I went for Cherupayar Ishtu we generally make as side dish for this Pathiri.
 















Here is the recipe for Cherupayar Ishtu:

Ingredients:

Green gram/Cherupayar-1 cup
Green chillies-5-pounded
Ginger-15g(pounded)
Fennel seed powder-2 tsp
ThickCoconut milk-1 cup
Potato-1 large-cooked,smashed
Onion-1-chopped thin
Crushed pepper-1/2 tsp
Oil-as required
Dry Red chilli-2
Curry leaves-2 sprigs
Water-as reqd


Method:
Soak Green gram for an hour.Now pressure cook it with green chillies,ginger,onion and potato with sufficient water added(~2 cups).Smash the potatoes and the green gram slightly.Now add coconut milk,fennel seed powder and pepper powder.Simmer it for 2 minutes.Now prepare the seasoning with dry red chillies&curry leaves.Pour it into the cooked green gram gravy.Mix well and serve it with your neipathiri.