Hi all, This post was supposed to be posted long back, even before I left for India. I was so pressed for time, I just couldn't squeeze in any time to post it on my blog before I left. So here is the post unedited, just as I did it before I left home. This post was specially done for Lubna's blog for her lovely yearly event - Joy from fasting to feasting.
Ramadan Mubarak to all. The
holy month is finally here and this time I am going to be in India with my
parents and siblings during Ramadan and a few weeks after that. I wish the
clock ticks slowly as good times pass even before the blink of an eye. This is
the month that brings in me so much of peace and tranquillity. More time is
focussed on religious affairs and duties. Here, in the UK, Ramadan is just like
any other month probably it is not celebrated as in the Middle East, no special
prayers, and not even Azhan is called which is really sad. To feel the spirituality
or the feeling of Ramadan I think one needs to be somewhere in the Middle East.
India is not bad either.
Lubna’s blog is one of the blogs that
celebrates Ramadan well and I have been contributing my recipes to her events
for the past few years. When she asked me if I could share a recipe, I told yes
immediately. But now I have way crossed the dead-line inspite of her asking me
several months ago.
I love how she compiles each
post and the Ramadan recipes are always a keeper to try it during Ramadan. At
my home, it’s usually traditional menu during the Ramadan days. We usually
prepare traditional dishes and try out different varieties keeping its traditional
root intact. No fancy shmancy cooking, baking or desserts. There are sweet
things, but usually snacks, fruits, hot drinks and as such. Cooking is almost
always elaborate especially when it is at home. I just cant wait to be home, to
be pampered, to be loved, to have my mom’s food, the most delicious food ever.
Here is an authentic recipe
for a variety of rice pancake or rotis, could be called as kin of neypathal, but
more on the healthier side. The recipe is same as neypathal, but instead of
deep frying, this is cooked on the non stick tawa or a cast iron pan until you
see few brown spots and it puffs up slightly. The dough is rolled into balls
using greased hands and patted to make thick rotis using your fingers on a
greased banana leaf or any greased plastic sheet/ shopper bag. Once all rotis
are cooked, you can dip them in warm coconut milk and place them in hot pot or
casserole to keep them warm until they are ready to be served. It goes well
with any traditional non vegetarian
curry, like Malabar fish curry, Malabar chicken curry or mutton curry, chemmeen
varattiyathu, Beef varattiyathu etc.
KaiPathiri: Rice Pancakes with Coconut, Fennel and Onion
serves
4-6
Ref: Neypathal
Ingredients:
2 cups parboiled rice
11/2- 2 cups grated coconut
1 small onion, about 160 g
1 ½ tsp aniseed
salt as required.
Preparation:
1.Soak rice in hot water for
3-4 hours. drain water off.
2. Grind it coarsely using
Indian wet grinder adding few spoons of water to make a coarse dough. Add
fennel onion and coconut and just blend for few seconds to crush all the
ingredients, without over-grinding them. The whole dough will be coarse to
touch.
3. Scoop out the dough in a
bowl, add salt and mix well.
4. Smear the hands well with
oil, take a medium apple sized dough and flatten it on a banana leaf making
thick rounds, as thick and as big as a neypathal.
5. Cook both sides on a non
stick tawa till both sides puff up.
Notes:
1. I usually end up adding
water while grinding rice as my machine doesn’t work with less water. If you
get a thick batter instead of dough, do not worry. You can add unroasted rice
powder to the batter and mix until you get a soft dough that can be flattened
into discs.