Pathiri (Pancake - Rice Flour) (Malabar Pathiri)

Ingredients

Rice flour  - 1 cup
Salt
Oil - 1 teaspoon
Water - 1 cup

In a vessel, boil water with little salt and oil. When it starts boiling, add rice flour slowly. Do not mix it. Make sure you are adding rice flour in all the sides. Do not add it together in one shot. After this cover the vessel with a lid and let it cook for 30 -40 seconds in medium to low flame.

After one minute, slowly transfer this to a separate bowl. Now start kneading the dough when it is medium hot. Add little oil if it's too sticky. Make a round shaped dough like we do for chapatti.  Make small balls using this and keep it aside. Now using a chapatti press, with little oil on it, keep each balls in the center and press it.

Heat a pan or tava. Once it is really hot, cook these for one to two minutes on both sides. If you want perfect round shape, I would suggest to use lid of any big jar. So that you get exact round shapes. Or use cake moulds of 6 inch to get this medium shape for Pathiri . If it's too watery add little more flour to get the right consistency. So that it will be easy to knead. It's a famous breakfast dish of North Malabar. Also called Ari Pathiri. Its a kind of pancake made of rice flour. Please try it out with chicken curry or egg curry.

Pachakkaya Thoran (Raw Plantain)

Ingredients

Pachakaya - 1 (Raw Plantain )
Shallots - 6
Green chili - 3-4
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Water - 3/4 cup
Oil
Curry leaves
Salt

First cook plantain in water for 10 minutes. Make sure to close the lid and cook. Meanwhile mash shallots and green chilies. Keep it aside. In another pan, add little oil. Once oil is hot,  add mustard seeds. Let it splutter. Then add mashed green chilies and shallots. Saute it for two minutes. Now add cooked plantain to this and mix really well. Finally add curry leaves to this. Cook for a minute and serve hot.

Kakka Peera (Clams Stir Fry with Coconut)

Ingredients

Kakka - 500 grams (Clams)
Shallots - 12
Ginger - 1 medium
Garlic - 7 cloves
Green chilly - 6
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Water - 1 1/2 cup
Pepper powder  - 1/2 teaspoon
Grated coconut - 1 1/2 cup
Salt
Oil
Curry leaves

Clean Clams three to four times just to make sure there are no pieces of shells in it. Then pressure cook clams for 4-5 whistles. Meanwhile, using an Ammi stone or grinder, grind shallots, ginger and garlic.  Keep it aside. 

Now grind coconut, green chilies, cumin seeds and turmeric powder. Make it thick paste. Since we don't need a fine paste. It has to be thick enough. Now heat a pan. Add little oil in it. Once oil is hot, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, mashed shallots, ginger and garlic. Saute it for two minutes until shallots turns to light brown color. Add pepper powder. Saute it for sometime. Slowly start adding cooked clams in it and mix really well. Cook this for another 3 - 4 minutes. 

Kakka peera is tasty with very little water and that's why it's called Peera in Malayalam. Those who prefer gravy can add little water. Pepper powder is optional. In case you need this to be extra spicy, add 2 - 3 green chilies. Its an awesome yummy dish. I would suggest you to try it out whenever clams are available since its seasonal.