Kerala Pathiri and Kozhi Curry - Step by step recipe

Pathiri/Thin rice roti with Chicken Curry in coconut milk

Pathiri is one of the specialities of Kerala Muslim Cuisine.It is usually serverd on special occasions and in Ramadan with meat curry.When there is a special occasion at home, ladies among the relatives and neighbours present, gather in the kitchen to make pathiri. Some kneads the dough, some makes balls, some rolls and some bakes it. There would be a pile of pathiris as the result of their group work! I usually use home made rice powder to make pathiri. When the stock is over, I buy from out side. Nirapara, Mohanlal taste buds,Double horse etc are the brands that I usually buy.

There are many types of Pathiris, in Muslim Cuisine. Neipathiri, meen pathiri, erachi pathiri, Kaipathiri, kattipathiri , poricha pathiri etc. And this thin pathiri is the most easiest among them. The method of preparation is different for the Muslims in the Thalasseri, Kannur region of Kerala.

Ingredients for making pathiri
Rice powder roasted 1 glass
Water 1 glass
Salt

Rice powder for Pathiri

Boil water. Add enough salt.Slowly add rice powder, stirring continuously.

Switch off the stove, pour the contents into a big saucer. Then let it reach a warm condition. You have to knead when it is warm.

Then you can knead it and make dough. You have to knead it very well using both hands. A well kneaded dough makes the pathiris soft and helps to puff up.Don’t add water or powder again. If needed,wet hands. Some people apply a little coconut oil on palms to avoid the flour sticking.When the water content in the dough is little more, than prescribed it sticks to hands while kneading.

Take pieces from this dough, as we do for chappathis. Make ball, press it between palms.

Dust the board using the same rice powder used for making pathiri dough.

Roll the flattened balls on a wooden board using the chappathi roller (or using a chappathi press.) until you get thin round pathiris.

Cut the edges using a round cutter or a lid.You can make it without cutting also. Again use the remaining parts ( that is the parts we got after cutting ) for making dough and pathiris in the end.Just knead it and make dough with wet hands.

Place tawa/griddle/non stick pan on a medium flame. Low flame and extra high flame will not make pathiris good. When the tawa is hot, place the pathiri on it. You can see the steam passes through it within few seconds. Note, it takes only few seconds. Don’t wait for long. Soon turn the pathiri. This time wait a little long, till the ends of pathiri is little crispy or cooked. But be careful, the pathiri shouldn’t be brown.

Then turn again, soon you can see the pathiri puffs up. Remove from the pan. Though we cook on a medium high heat, pathiris should remain white, no color change or brown spots!

Pathiri with egg curry, spicy red fish curry and coconut milk

Have with coconut milk and Chicken curry or mutton curry. Take them also with beef curry, fish curry , egg curry or green peas curry.

For Coconut milk, take one cup grated coconut and two small onions. Peel the onions, put them with coconut,enough water and blend. Strain the thick coconut milk and add little salt.

Pour two table spoons of coconut milk on pathiris or just dip in coconut milk and keep in another plate before serving pathiris.

Naadan Kozhikkary / Chicken Curry in coconut milk

Less spicy Chicken Curry

Ingredients
Chicken ½ kg
Tomatoes 2 small
Onions 3 medium
Green chilly 1 or 2
Turmeric powder ¼ tea spoon
Coriander powder 4 tea spoons
Pepper corns 1 teaspoon
Garlic cloves 7
Ginger 1 inch piece
Curry leaves few
Coconut milk 1cup thick
Garam masala 1 tea spoon
Small onions 5
Coconut oil 1 table spoon

How to prepare
Wash and clean chicken.

Marinate this with ¼ tea spoon turmeric powder,1/2 teaspoon chilly powder and salt.

Keep one hour in fridge.
Chop onions(very thin) and tomatoes (big pieces).

Grind garlic, ginger and black pepper corns together.

If your garam masala doesn’t contain fennel seeds, add a pinch to grind.

Mix all the powders, ground paste , chopped onions and tomatoes with chicken.

Add enough salt and one cup water.

When it begins to boil allow it to cook on a low flame.

When the chicken is completely cooked add coconut milk and boil.

Remove from fire and mix with few curry leaves and slit green chillies.
Chop small onions.

Heat coconut oil , fry these onions.

Frying few curry leaves also will add taste.

When oinions turn brown add this into the curry.

Cover.

Usually this curry is served with pathiri.

Curries for Pathiri
Fish Curry
Chicken Curry
Mutton Curry
Egg Curry
Green Peas Curry

Read here more about pathiri.