Malabar Aripathiri With Kozhi Roast / Malabar Rice Roti With Chicken Roast

Aripathiri is a thin roti made from rice flour and a speciality of the Malabar region of Kerala. It is so thin that it just melts in the mouth. A healthy roti without oil. It is served for breakfast or dinner and goes well with any masala curries. I like it best with Nadan Varutharacha Chicken Curry or any simple chicken curry or roast.

The only thing to keep in mind when you think of making Pathiri is that you need to be ready to stay long in the kitchen. :) Because no matter how many Pathiris you serve it just disappears in seconds. It is so tasty that you cannot stop eating at just one or two.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and enjoyed the New Year weekend.

I thought to begin the year with a local special which is one of my favorite too.

Ari Pathiri

INGREDIENTS

Rice flour - 1 1/2 cup + more for dusting
Water - 1 cup
Salt - as required

METHOD
Boil water. When it comes to a rolling boil add salt.
Tip in the flour into a wide bowl.
Add water to the flour.
Using a ladle slowly mix it.
When it is a little cool knead it into a smooth dough.
Make small balls.
Place each ball on a chapathi board. Sprinkle little rice flour on it and roll it into thin pathiris.
Cut out perfect pathiris using a lid with sharp edges.
Heat a tawa. When it is medium hot place one pathiri on it.
After about 10 seconds turn it over and let cook well on that side.
When small brown dots start appearing flip it over and with a wooden ladle press it gently on the sides. When the pathiri puffs up remove from tawa.

Tips:
Use very fine rice powder.
The amount of water may differ depending on the kind on flour used. Just remember that you need to knead it like chapathi dough. 
Knead the flour till it is real soft. If you are going to roll out pathiris after a long time sprinkle some warm water and knead again before use.
Do not use too much rice flour to sprinkle as pathiris will get too dry.
Cook pathiris on medium heat only as if it is too high it gets burnt easily and will not cook inside. And if it is too low it gets stiff.

Chicken Roast with 1 tsp Oil
Recipe Source : My own

Ingredients:

Chicken - 1/2 kg (cut into small pieces)
Onion - 2 large (thinly sliced)
Chilly - 1 slit into half
Ginger - 1'' piece
Garlic - 4
Tomato - 2 large
Chicken Masala - 2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 2 tsp
Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp
Vinegar / Lime - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - a pinch
Coconut Milk - 1/2 cup (thin)
Oil - 1 tsp
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup finely chopped
Salt - as required

METHOD
Marinate the chicken with vinegar/lime, salt and pepper for 1/2 hour or min 15 mins.
Chop the ginger and chilly roughly.
Place the ginger, garlic and chilly in a pestle and mortar and crush it.
Heat oil in a nonstick kadai.
Saute the onions till soft.
Add the crushed ginger, garlic and chilly.
Add chicken masala, garam masala and coriander powder. Saute.
Add tomato. Mix well. Add salt. Cover and cook on low flame till the tomato is well cooked.
Add the chicken and cover. Place a heavy weight on the lid. Cook on slow flame.
After 10 minutes open and stir. Again cover and cook till chicken is fully cooked.
Add coconut milk. Stir well. Check salt and let all the gravy get absorbed in the chicken.
Garnish with coriander leaves.

Tips:
Slow cooking helps in absorbing all the flavours in the chicken.
I used Eastern Chicken Masala powder.

Tyre Pathiri / Thick Flat Rice Bread Cooked On Cast Iron Skillet

I had earlier posted about Neypathiri. Here is a different pathiri /flat rice bread called the Tyre Pathiri. It is so called because it looks like a vehicle tyre(very thick).

Usually you will see a smaller version of this but this tyre pathiri is a Wyanad special.

It’s easy to make and yummy too.

It is cooked on large caste iron skillet usually on firewood. But as we do not have firewood I have made it on a gas stove.

INGREDIENTS

Recipe Source: My mom

Matta (Boiled Red) Rice – 2 glasses

Salt                                  - As required

METHOD

Soak rice for 2-3 hours.

Grind it with very little water in a thick consistency.

Add required salt.

Make a big ball of the rice paste. Place it on a banana leaf.

Now place another piece of banana leaf on top of this.

Now gently press it to make a round shape.

The pathiri is 1” thick and almost 5” in diameter.

Heat a cast iron skillet and place it on it along with the banana leaf.

Cook on low flame. Cover with a heavy round lid.(Preferably an earthenware lid)

As the banana leaf starts to brown turn it over with a spatula and cook on the other side.

When both sides are cooked place the pathiri directly on the skillet and let it become crisp on both sides.

Hold the pathiri upright with 2 wooden spatulas and turn it like a tyre to cook the sides.

Serve it hot with Kerala Style Chicken /Mutton curry/Veg Masala.