Pathiri

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Pathiri is a sort of 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 increase 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, when they came centuries ago to spread the message of Islam.

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).

[edit] 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 samosa's which are common in northern india. The skin is not roasted unlike samosa. It is a main item in the ifthaar menu in the malabar area, along with other items like unnakkayi, chatti pathiri etc.