Pathiri

Pathiri is a famous dish in the malabar area. It is an easy to make dish using rice flour

Ingredients:

Rice flour (powdered and roasted) – 1 cup

Water – 2 cups

Ghee/Oil – 10 grams

Salt to taste

Method:

• In a heavy bottomed thick vessel boil the 2 cups of water.
• Once the water comes to a boil, remove half a cup of water and keep side. This is done so as to avoid the dough from being loose. If needed we can add this water later.
• Now add the required amount of salt and the ghee.
• Add the Rice flour and keep stirring. The rice flour dough should be very thick (unlike chapathi dough) otherwise it would be difficult to roll the pathiris.
• Switch off the stove.
• If you feel not all the rice flour is absorbed in the water, then add the remaining water and stir.
• Wait for the dough to cool down little.
• When it is still warm, mix the dough with hand. Apply a little oil, if the dough sticks to the hand. Knead the dough until it is soft only then the pathiris will puff up.

• Now make small balls of the dough and roll them using a little rice flour.
• I have a press similar to chapathi-maker which makes it easy for me to roll the pathiris.
• Heat a dosa-pan. Cook both side of the pathiri on high heat for about 30 seconds.
• Now lower the heat and flip the pathiri to cook on both sides. This is done so that the pathiri doesn't lose its white/cream colour.
• The pathiri has to puff up little and that is the indication that it is cooked.

Serve hot pathiris with stew or chicken curry.

Thenga varutharacha masala curry

Usually we prepare thenga varutharacha chicken curry. This time I tried with vegetables and that was not bad. So here goes the recipe.

Spices:

Cloves - 5

Cardamom - 3

Cinnamon - 1 inch stick
star anise - 1
Bay leaf - one
nutmeg - little
Fennel seeds - 5 grams

Ingredients:

Onion – 100 grams

Potato – 100 grams

Chopped vegetables (carrot, beans, peas, cauliflower) – 100 grams

Tomato – 50 grams

Garlic – 10 grams

Ginger – 10 grams

Coconut – 50 grams

Coriander powder – 25 grams

Chilly powder – 10 grams

Red chillies – 2 nos

To garnish:

Oil

Curry leaves

Coriander leaves

Mint leaves

Turmeric powder and salt to taste

Method:

Boil the vegetables with salt and turmeric powder until they are cooked

I Put the vegetables in a closed container, sprinkled salt and turmeric powder and sprinkled a handful of water  and micro waved the vegetables for about 5 minutes.

In a kadai, pour oil. Add cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, fennel seeds, nutmeg, star anise and the coconut.  Fry until the coconut turns pale yellow colour. Keep stirring to avoid the coconut getting burnt.

Now add the onions, garlic, ginger and the curry leaves and keep frying until the coconut turns brown in colour.

Add the coriander powder and the chilly powder and fry for another minute.

Remove the coconut mixture from flame and allow it to cool.

Grind it in a mixer by adding little water into a fine paste.

In the same kadai, pour little oil and fry the bay leaf.

Add the boiled vegetables, the coconut mixture and finely chopped tomatoes. Pour water as per the required consistency of the gravy and allow it to boil.

Garnish with coriander leaves and mint leaves.

Spicy thenga varutharacha masala curry is ready. This is a good combination with Chapathi, appam, dosa and ghee rice.

Vazhakka Mezhukkupuratti

Mezhukkupuratti is a term in Malayalam which means “smeared in oil”. It is one of the most delicious dishes that goes well with rice. It is one of the simplest and easiest recipe and ideal for people who are in a hurry. The ingredients would most probably be available at home and the dish can be prepared in 10 minutes.

Mezhukkupuratti can be made from various vegetables like beans, chena (yam), brinjal, lady’s finger, bitter gourd etc.. I tried this with raw banana.

Ingredients:

Vazhakka (raw banana) – 300 grams

Green chillies – 2 nos

Garlic (chopped) – 2 pods

Onion (chopped) – 50 grams

To temper

Oil (preferably coconut) – 10 grams

Mustard – 10 grams

Red chilly flakes – 10 grams

Curry leaves

Turmeric powder and Salt to taste

Method:

• Cut the Vazhakka into small cubes.
• In a kadai, pour oil and add mustard. Once the mustard splutters add the chilly flakes, garlic, onions, green chillies and curry leaves.
• Stir for about 2 minutes, then add the chopped vazhakka. Add turmeric powder and salt.
• Sprinkle a handful of water. Cover and cook in low flame. The vazhakka should get cooked in about 5 minutes.

Serve hot with rice.  You can also cook this without the garlic and onions (Brahmin style).