One day when we came back home after an outing, we saw a packet hanging from the door knob! Both of us were wondering what it was. We didnt remember ordering anything. As we opened the packet, we saw an aluminium foil wrap, and we got a whiff of some non veg masala. We had half a mind to open that foil standing in the corridor itself, but we managed to open the door somehow. Both of us opened that aluminium foil wrap ceremoniously and was surprised to see some stuffed poori kind of thing. I immediately identified its source, it can come from only one person, my good friend Nesla! The next logical thing to do is to call her right? But when you have yummy food in front of you the only logical thing to do is to “EAT” and we did just that. Oh yes, I did call her after that :)
Thus ‘erachi pathiri’ made a grand and dramatic entrance to our life! It’s one of the popular iftar snacks in Kozhikode/Malabar area (Northern Kerala). All I can tell you is that this is one dangerously yummy snack! But let me tell you, since it ranks high on the scale of rich and fatty snacks, I recommend you earn it, just like the Cadbury Bournville ad says. Go for a run and come back, take a shower, sit down in the fav corner of your house, with some piping hot tea/coffee and this, with some music playing on the background. I guarantee you, instant gratification!
Now the thing is that Nesla and family, left Bahrain for good. Not only I miss her yummy biriyani’s and other yummy goodies, I also miss her sweet company. I’ve heard/read a lot that people from Calicut are very sincere and genuine, without any false pretensions. My friendship with Nesla made me realise that what I heard/read was absolutely true. This recipe itself is a testimony to that. I had requested her to share this and her chicken biriyani recipe with me. Their decision to relocate to India was a sudden one, but in spite of that she made time to cook these two dishes for me to share on the blog and mind it, both are time consuming dishes. Add my step by step photo taking and her taking care of two toddlers to the whole process. Thanks a ton my dear friend and I miss you :(
Since the holy month of Ramadan has started, I thought it’s a good time to share this recipe. Ramadan Kareem!
Step by step pictures…
Heat oil and add finely chopped onions. When it turns soft, add ginger, garlic, green chilli and salt. Cook for a few mins, till the raw smell goes. Add curry leaves, chopped coriander leaves and cooked chicken. Stir well. Cook on a low flame for a few more mins…
Combine plain flour, atta, salt and lukewarm water to make a soft dough. Roll out gooseberry size of dough…
Spread the filling on a rolled out pathiri, leaving half an inch from both the sides. Place another rolled out pathiri on top of it and seal the edges…
Turn the stuffed pathiri upside down. Lift the bottom pathiri and start folding the edges inside. Repeat this for all the pathiris…
Heat oil for deep frying. Fry the pathiris one by one, till it becomes golden brown…
Dip the fried pathiris in beaten eggs and shallow fry it in a pan. Turn the pathiris in between, so that the egg gets cooked on both sides…
Erachi Pathiri
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Recipe type: Snack/Main Dish
Author: Maria Jose
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Total time: 50 mins
Serves: 4-5
Ingredients
For the filling
Boneless chicken – 300 gms
Chilli powder – 1-1 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Salt
Onion – 4 medium, chopped finely
Ginger & garlic – 1 tsp, each, chopped finely
Green chilly – 2, chopped finely
Coriander leaves – 1-2 tbsp
Curry leaves
For pathiris/rotis
Plain flour (maida) – 1 1/2 cup
Wheat flour (atta) – 1/2 cup
Oil – 1tbsp
Salt
Lukewarm water
For coating and frying
Eggs – 2-3
Oil – for deep frying
Instructions
Cook the cleaned chicken with chilli, turmeric powder and salt. Let it cool. Shred the cooked chicken pieces with your finger. Make sure not to mince it. Chicken filling should have a thread like consistency.
Heat oil in a pan and add the finely chopped onions. When it becomes soft, add ginger, garlic, green chilli and salt. Continue to cook till the raw smell goes, around 2-3 mins. Add coriander leaves, curry leaves and give a stir. Add the shredded chicken and cook for 5-7 mins on low flame, till everything is combined well.
Combine plain flour, wheat flour, salt and oil. Add lukewarm water, gradually and make a soft dough similar to that of chapathi dough. Make gooseberry size balls from the dough.
Roll out each ball into small rounds, just like the pooris. Spread the filling (1-11/2 tbsp) on a rolled out pathiri (roti), leaving half an inch from both the sides. Place another rolled out pathiri on top of this and press together the edges to seal it. Turn the filled pathiri upside down (refer notes for details).
Lift the bottom pathiri and start folding the edges inside, to make a pleated border. Repeat this process till all pathiris are done.
Heat oil for deep frying in a pan. Add stuffed pathiris one by one and fry it till it turns golden brown. Fry pathiris on med-high flame (adjust the heat in between)
Beat the eggs well. Dip the fried pathiris in egg and shallow fry it in a pan. Cook for a few mins, make sure you turn it in between, so that the eggs get cooked on both sides. Serve hot.
Notes
You can substitute chicken with beef or mutton for the filling.
After stuffing the pathiris, it is turned upside down to level out the stuffing. Also while folding the edges to make the pleated border, just shake the pathiri in between. This prevents the pathiri from sticking to the surface.
If you are finding it difficult to get perfect round shape for pathiris, just cut out round shape after rolling out the pathiri. You can use any round shape lid or cutter.
Make sure you dont over stuff the pathiris, otherwise it will break while frying.
You will get 8-10 pathiris from the above qty. You can make the filling 2-3 days in advance and refrigerate it.
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