Neypathiri
Neypathiri translates to bread fried in oil or ghee. These deep fried bread from Malabar is another item from the Moplah Cuisine. There is no way I can speak about Neypathiri without mentioning my friend Nazneen. It was from her lunch-box that I first had this amazingly delicious pathiri. She used to bring these pathiris soaked in mouth-watering “Erachi Curry”. And I wondered why the Erachi curry at my place didn’t taste as divine as this. I went back home and asked my Amma the same. That’s when I got to know a different kind of meat called – “Beef”. We didn’t make beef at our place, hence the Erachi curry at my place was made with mutton, which definitely doesn’t taste as good as beef. So all thanks to Naazi, I was introduced to Neypathiri and Beef!
I used to make Neypathiri with rice flour and was fairly happy with the outcome until I saw my friend Nasreen Abdul’s Neypathiri. They were stuff of dreams, all puffed up, uniform and just perfect. I asked her whether she could share the recipe with me, and she sends me voice-notes on making them. Let me be honest, I was blown away by the sheer preciseness with which she explained the process. She is intrigued by the science behind breadmaking, be it the super temperamental sourdough bread or a traditional bread like this Neypathiri. Let me tell you, the recipe was so accurate! And I made these beautiful puffed up pathiris. The puffiness doesn’t subside for a long while. Do follow the recipe and create the magic!
Tips for getting Puffed Up Neypathiri
Reduce the water content in the pathiri dough.
Addition of more coconut increases the water content in the pathiri. Thus add only the specified quantity.
Soak the rice for a maximum period of 4 hours. If the rice absorbs more water then there are chances that the puffed up pathiri may break.
Neypathiri
Ingredients
- 2 cups Ponni rice
- ½ cup Coconut
- 6 nos Shallots
- 1 tbsp Fennel
- 2-3 tbsp Rice flour boiled rice flour
- Salt as per taste
- Oil for frying
- 6 cups Water
Instructions
- Heat water till you see small bubbles on the sides of the vessel. Off the flame and add the washed and drained rice to this hot water. Soak the rice in the hot water for 4 hours.
- The rice shouldn't get cooked by the end of the 4 hours. It should still have that grainy texture to it. So the quality of rice you choose for making the pathiri should be good.
- Now grind the rice along-with coconut, shallots and fennel with very less water to a paste.
- Add rice flour if the ground mixture looks a bit watery, or you can tie the mix in a muslin cloth and drain out the excess water.
- Add salt as per taste and mix well to a thick dough.
- Take small portions and pat them into a thin circle of ¼ inch thickness between two banana leaves or thin plastic sheets.
- Heat oil in a kadai and fry the pathiri in medium heat till they puff up and gets a golden brown hue.
- Have it with any spicy curry of your choice.
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