Pathiri

Pathiri (pronounced|patː̪iɾi) is a pancake made of rice flour. It is part of the local cuisine among the Mappilas (Muslims) of Kerala, South India. Crushed rice is made into a white dough and baked on pans called "oadu". After preparation, sometimes pathiri is soaked in coconut milk, to keep it soft and to improve the taste.

Pathiri is also known as ari pathil or pathil in some parts of the Malabar region. The word "pathiri" has its origin traced to the Arabic word "fateerah" فطيرة, meaning "pastry". It is believed that pathiri is a result of the Arab influence in Malabar.

Today, pathiri is still a popular dish among the Muslims in Kerala. It is usually prepared for dinner and served with meat or fish. In some regions, pathiri is a regular dish on the table for "Iftar" in the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Variants of "pathiri" include "neypathiri" (ghee pathiri), "poricha pathiri" (fried pathiri - fried, not baked), "meen pathiri" (fish stuffed pathiri), and "irachi pathiri" (meat stuffed pathiri).

Irachi Pathiri

"Irachi pathiri" is a very common pastry in the Malabar areas of Thalassery and Kozhikode. It is made using a meat and onion mix flavoured with masalas and fried in ghee or oil on a medium flame and stuffed and fried in oil. It is the size of samosas which are common in Northern India. Unlike samosas, the pancakes are not roasted. It is a main item in the Ifthaar menu in the Malabar area, along with other items such as "unnakkayi", "chatti pathiri" etc.

ee also

* Alsa
* Cuisine of Kerala
* Arab Influence on Kerala: Malik ibn Dinar

External links

* [http://www.happyonion.com/showrecipe.php?recipeid=110 Recipe of Ari Pathiri]
* [http://deepann.wordpress.com/2006/03/28/malabar-rice-pathiri/ Recipe of Malabar Rice Pathiri]