Ari Pathiri / Nice Pathiri

When I started to write about this flat-bread I tried my best to think when did I have this first? And I think I never had it elsewhere, but I have seen it in many pictures and videos. Whenever I saw this pathiri I was very postive that I would never be able to make it as they look so fragile and white and pretty! I did try to make pathiri a few times. I used to press it between two plates (I don’t have a chappathi press) and somehow it wasn’t uniform and I never felt the need to buy a press. Its when I read Ummi Abdullas book that I understood that it must be rolled and not pressed. This time I tried to roll it like a chappathi, and it worked! I got super thin, white and soft pathiri! Mission accomplished!

So what is a pathiri. Pathiri is said to be a descendant of the Arabic unleavened bread Fateera. The Arab traders must have brought it to the Malabar shores and thus began our obsession with Pathiri. There are many types of Pathiri and each different from the other in technique and taste.

Ari Pathiri / Nice Pathiri

Lejna

These white, thin and super soft pathiris are a beauty to behold and delicious with any curry.

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Course Breads, Main Course

Cuisine Kerala Cuisine, Moplah

Servings 10 pathiri

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups Rice powder (I used Double Horse – Pathiri Podi)
• 2 cups Water
• Salt as per taste
• 2 tbsp Oil

Instructions

 

• Boil the water, when the water comes to a rolling boil add the salt and the rice powder to it. Stir it well, take it off the heat, close and keep aside for 10 minutes.
• After 10 minutes apply some oil on your palms and knead the dough. Knead the dough while it's still hot. Knead it till it becomes soft.
• Take small portions of the dough and make it into lime sized ball and flatten it between the palms.
• Take some rice flour and sprinkle on the work surface. Coat the rice ball with some rice flour. Gently roll it with a roller into a round shape, just the way we roll out chappathis.
• Sprinkle little rice flour slightly on both sides of pathiri and keep it aside in a plate. You can also keep it covered in a muslin cloth. Repeat the process till you roll out the entire dough.
• Heat a non-stick tawa and when it becomes hot, lower to medium flame and place the pathiri on it. Flip over after 10-15 seconds and press on the center with back of a flat spoon and wait till it puffs up. Wait for another 30 seconds. Do not allow the pathiris to get burned. It should be white in color.
• Serve it with some spicy curry of your choice.

Keyword Ari Pathiri, Malabar Neypathiri, Nice Pathiri