Masala pathirium Kadala curryum/ Masala Pathiri and Black Chickpeas Curry

I wanted to make pathiri for long time, every time I thought of making it something that needed my immediate attention would come up. Pathiri are the famous pancake from Northern Kerala, it is part of local Muslim cuisine. It is difficult for the people from there to celebrate a marriage, festival or even a normal day?s cuisine without making pathiri or pathil. There are different varieties of pathiri, some are plain such as aripathri (made with rice), Nei pathiri (made with clarified butter/Ghee), poricha pathiri (fried rather than baked) and some are stuffed with fish such as meen pathiri and when they stuffed with meat they are called irachi pathiri etc. I also read that the thickness of pathiri vary from different parts of northern Kerala, thinnest being made in Malapuram region. Any way I am not any authority in telling how they are made and which one tastes best. I like pathiri, so I wanted try it. 

Finally I decided to make it when I saw recipe from a local newspaper. As usual Google friend came to my help and I looked up a lot of recipes and you can get an idea from here  and here to how to make pathiri. Normally pathiri are made with raw rice powder. However I am pretending to be health freak so, I made my pathiri with chemba rice powder (Brown rice powder) and added masala to it making them masala pathiri, with kadala curry as side dish. These pathiri?s are really soft, they taste really great. Since my pathiri finished easily without any left over, I don?t know how long you can store it. I am going to make them more often now. Try it to find an enhanced earthy taste of rice, when they are made in a simple manner. Normally non-vegetarian dishes are made along with it. I think we can enjoy with any vegetable or egg curry too. It is an absolutely healthy dish, with only fat from coconut used.

I made my pathiri like this. 

Rice Flour: 1 cup (I used brown rice flour)

Coconut grated: ½ cup

Red onion: ½ no

Ginger: ½ inch piece

Garlic: 1 clove

Cumin seeds: ½ teaspoon

Fennel seeds: ¼ teaspoon

Green chili: ½(I used Serrano pepper

Salt: ½ teaspoon

Water: 1 ½ cup + ¼ cup for spraying

Chopped coriander leaves: 1 tablespoon

Kadala/Kaala chana/Black Chick peas: 1.5 cup

Onion: 1 no

Garlic clove: 2

Green chili: ½ (I used Serrano pepper)

Turmeric powder: ¼ teaspoon

For grinding

Coconut grated: ½ cup

Pearl onions: 3 no

Red chilies: 5 no (Increase or decrease depending upon taste)

Coriander seeds: ½ tablespoon

Cumin seeds: ½ teaspoon

Cinnamon stick: 1 inch piece

Cloves: 3 no

Star anise: 1 no

Black Pepper corns: 5 no

Salt: 1 teaspoon

For seasoning

Mustard seeds: 1 teaspoon

Oil : 1 tablespoon

Curry leaves: 1 spirg( I didn?t used as I don?t have it )

Roast the brown rice flour for 3 minutes and keep aside.

Grind coconut, onion, ginger-garlic, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and green chili with 1/8 cup of water and into a fine paste.

In a thick bottom pan boil the rest of water with salt and mix the ground coconut paste. When it starts boiling gradually add the rice flour and stir until everything combined. Then add chopped coriander leaves and mix once until everything incorporated well. Switch off the flame and close the pan with a lid and keep aside.

When the mixture is warm enough to touch knead them into smooth dough. And pinch the dough into small lemon sized balls. Close the pan with lid all time to prevent drying of the dough.

Place one ball into a Ziploc cover and cover it with another one and using a rolling pin roll out into thin sheets. (Using Ziploc or any other plastic or parchment paper prevents dough from sticking and it doesn?t need any flour to dust the board).

Cut the thin sheets using a steel plate into 6 inch diameter circles.

Heat a nonstick griddle or tawa in the stove. When it becomes hot put the dough circle and spray the surface with water to prevent drying.

When the bottom side cooked (it takes about 1 ½ minutes) flip the other side and cook for another 1 ½ minutes or until you see brown spots on both sides.

Enjoy with any vegetarian or non-vegetarian curry. We had with kadala curry.

Preparation time: 50 minutes

Yield: 13

Verdict: Yummy

Will you make it again: I will

Soak the black chick peas over night or 8 hours minimum. Wash and pressure cook until 2 whistle and after that cook for another 20 minutes in slow flame. Chick peas should not be mushy but at the same time they should be cooked well also.

In a small pan toss cinnamon, cloves, pepper and star anise and fry for 2 minutes or until pepper becomes plums up and aroma starts comes. Remove from the flame and keep aside.

In the same pan dry roast cumin seeds, coriander seed and Red chili separately ( it takes about 30 seconds each) and keep aside. Then a grated coconut and chopped pearl onion and fry until both become brown in color it takes about 7 minutes in medium flame.

Grind roasted coconut, pearl onions and all the spices including, cinnamon cloves, pepper star anise with ¼ cup of cooked chick peas into smooth paste. Add 1/8 cup of water if needed.

Heat a thick bottomed pan and add oil and mustard seeds, when they starts spluttering add onion and fry for 7 minutes or until they become translucent or change color. Add chopped garlic and green chili and fry for another 2 minutes. 

To this add cooked chick peas and turmeric powder and salt and ground coconut paste and add ¾ cup to 1 cup ( depending upon how much gravy you need) let it boil for another 8-10 minutes or gravy become desired consistency. Check salt and spices if needed adjust that also.Garnish with curry leaves. 

Enjoy with puttu, pathiri, appam etc.

Preparation time: 1 hour

Yield: 6 serving

Verdict: Yummy, Spicy (next time I will reduce amount of red chilies)

Will you make it again: I will.



I am sending this delicious Masala  Pathirium kadala curryum to JFI- Breakfast event hosted by Suma started by Indira.



Kadala curry/Black Chick pea curry going to

My Legume Affair Edition 21 hosted by Manju started by Susan.

Cooking with seeds: Coriander seeds hosted by Radhika started by Priya.

 Vegetable Marthon:Beans hosted by Silpa

Swathi