Ari pathiri
Thin Malabar rice-flour rounds made from roasted rice flour cooked into salted boiling water, kneaded after cooling, and rolled to about 1 mm. They cook on a hot griddle without taking on colour.
Modern adaptation
Malabar parotta
A layered Kerala flatbread made with an unleavened refined-wheat dough, stretched, coiled and cooked on a tawa.
Thin sheets and layers
This Kerala parotta uses refined wheat flour and no yeast. The dough rests before it is rolled thin, gathered into pleats and coiled; the coils rest again before cooking. Related lachha parathas often use whole-wheat flour and can differ in texture and shaping.
Sources for this section
History
Malabar parotta is documented in Kerala cuisine; its earliest date and precise origin are not established.
Ingredients
Yield 8 parottas · Scaling: source batch only
473 mL2 cup as recorded
250 g118 mL½ cup as recorded
Plus 3 tbsp; or as needed9.9 mL2 tsp as recorded
2.5 mL½ tsp as recorded
Or to tasteOil
44 mL3 tbsp as recorded
For coating; plus 2½–3 tbsp or as needed for cookingMethod
Risks and precautions · Standard risk
Contains wheat.
Cook the layered dough through; do not taste raw flour.
- Mix flour, sugar and salt. Gradually add the lukewarm water and knead 12–15 minutes until soft, smooth and elastic. Cover with a damp cloth and rest 45–60 minutes.
- Divide into eight balls. Coat them with the 3 tablespoons oil, cover and rest for 20–30 minutes.
- Roll each ball into a very thin sheet. Lift one edge to gather it into pleats, coil the pleats into a spiral and tuck the end into the centre. Cover the coils and rest 15 minutes.
- Roll a coil to about 7–7½ inches across. Heat a tawa or cast-iron skillet over medium-high to high heat.
- Cook about 30 seconds until lightly golden, turn and spread about ½ teaspoon oil over the cooked side. Cook the second side for about 30 seconds, turn and oil it. Turn again as needed, pressing edges with a spatula, until golden and cooked through. Repeat with the remaining coils.
Conditions
Yield8 parottas
Places
Kerala
Documented preparation · Region evidenceThe source identifies this preparation with Kerala; it does not establish a precise birthplace.
Related
More from Kerala
Appam and hoppers
Appam, or hoppers, are South Indian and Sri Lankan rice pancakes made from a fermented coconut-and-rice batter and cooked in a curved pan to a crisp lacy rim and a soft, spongy centre.
Hilbeh (fenugreek foam)
A whipped condiment of soaked ground fenugreek seed, aerated until foamy and finished with herbs, chilli and lemon. It comes from Yemen.
Thenga chuttaracha chammanthi (Kerala roasted coconut chutney)
A Kerala chammanthi of coconut and red chillies roasted over a flame, then ground with shallots, tamarind, curry leaves, lemon leaves and salt and shaped into a ball.
Vellarika kichadi (Mayuri Patel, 2023)
A Kerala cucumber kichadi for an Onam sadya, finished with coconut, yogurt and a coconut-oil tempering.
Related in the family
Akki rotti (Karnataka rice-flour flatbread)
This Karnataka-style akki rotti mixes fine rice flour with vegetables, coconut, herbs and spices, then hand-pats and griddle-cooks the dough.
Arepa de choclo
A Colombian Andean griddle cake made from fresh sweet-corn batter, cooked in butter and served with white cheese.
Arepa made with precooked corn flour
This household version combines precooked corn flour, warm water and salt, then cooks thick rounds on a lightly oiled skillet or griddle. It is one source-specific arepa method, not a universal Colombian or Venezuelan formula.
Bajra roti
A pearl-millet flatbread shaped between sheets and cooked on a hot tawa. This home batch makes eight.
Bammy finished with coconut milk
A serving method for approved, prepared bammy rounds: soak them in coconut milk and refry until golden. It does not process raw cassava.
Bean and cheese pupusas
Salvadoran-style masa harina cakes filled with refried beans and cheese, sealed and cooked on an oiled skillet.
Bolani e kachaloo (potato and scallion)
A thin, unleavened Afghan flatbread filled with mashed potato, scallion and cilantro, folded and pan-browned. This version uses a dough made from scratch.
Boortsog (Mongolian unyeasted fried pastry)
Firm Mongolian fried pastries made from an unyeasted wheat dough enriched with butter and sweetened with sugar; the dense dough is rested, cut or knotted, and fried until golden.
Community
No community contributions have been published for this entry yet.
Share what you made
Sign in to contribute. Published comments and photos are free to read.
Sources
Dassana's Veg RecipesInspiration · Method · Geography
Malabar Paratha | Kerala Paratha | Parotta RecipeKerala association, eight-piece refined-wheat formula, rests, pleated shaping and tawa cooking.
Cited in: Thin sheets and layers