Poricha Pathiri

Poricha Pathiri has always been one of my all-time favourite tea-time snacks. There’s something about biting into one – warm, crisp on the outside, soft and savoury inside – that instantly takes me back to the tea stalls of Malabar. You’d see them stacked in glass cabinets beside sukhiyan and neyyappam, just waiting for a glass of hot chaya to complete the moment.

It starts with boiling water, a pinch of salt, and a spoon of ghee – simple beginnings. Roasted rice flour is added gradually, mixed with a wooden ladle as the steam rises. Once the flame is off and the heat fades slightly, the dough is kneaded by hand until smooth and pliable.

While the dough rests, a small mixture is ground – not too fine – of grated coconut, shallots, and cumin seeds. No water. Just the ingredients crushed together until they hold their own aroma.

The dough is then brought back, and a tablespoon of all-purpose flour is kneaded in – not too much, just enough to hold the structure. The coconut paste is folded in, along with a sprinkle of black sesame seeds. The dough becomes fragrant and textured – soft, yet holding together.

It’s rolled out next – not too thin, just about half an inch thick. A cookie cutter is used to shape small circles, each one like a little coin of memory.

Then, the frying begins. In medium-hot oil – never high – the pathiris are lowered in, one by one. The oil bubbles softly, and each disc turns golden, puffing slightly as the inside cooks through. If the flame is too high, the crust will darken too soon, leaving the centre undercooked – so patience is part of the recipe.

And when it’s done – that first bite is everything. Crunch on the outside, coconut warmth inside, the nuttiness of sesame, and the soft bite of shallots. You don’t need chutney or curry. Just the pathiri and tea. And maybe some quiet.

Poricha Pathiri is the kind of snack that doesn’t try to impress. It just comforts – quietly, completely. It stays with you long after the last one is gone.

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Poricha Pathiri

Author: Ushadevi Cooking Method: Frying Cuisine: Kerala Courses: Snacks, Starters, Vegetarian

Difficulty: Intermediate Prep Time 15 mins Cook Time 20 mins Total Time 35 mins

Cooking Temp: 180  C Servings: 8

Best Season: Suitable throughout the year

Ingredients

Scale

1/2x 1x 2x 3x

• 1 cup Rice flour
• 2 cup Water
• ¹⁄₂ cup Grated Coconut
• 3-4 Shallots
• 1 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 tablespoon Black Sesame seeds/ Black Cumin
• 1 tablespoon All-purpose flour
• 1 Teaspoon Ghee
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon Salt
• Oil for frying

Instructions

1. Poricha Pathiri or Fried Pathiri is a popular malabar tea time snack. Its specialty is unlike other malabar delicacies you can find it everywhere in Kerala.
2. First of all, we will boil two cups of water. Add enough salt and a teaspoon Ghee.
3. Next, add a cup Rice flour slowly. Combine well with a wooden ladle.
4. Flame off and we will wait sometime to cool it off. So that we can handle it safely.
5. We will crush half-cup Grated coconut with 3-4 shallot and a teaspoon Cumin seeds in a mixture grinder without adding water.
6. Next, we will mix everything together. First, add a tablespoon All-purpose flour with the rice flour mix.
7. Add crushed coconut to the mix and kneed everything to a dough
8. Finally, we will add a tablespoon of Black Sesame seeds too. If you wish you could replace it with Black Cumin.
9. We will roll the dough with a rolling pin to half in a thick sheet
10. We will cut them into circles with a cookie cutter.
11. Heat oil. Keep it in medium flame before putting pathiris
12. If you are frying it in high flame, the inside may not cook properly
13. Fry both sides till it reaches a light brown colour. Poricha pathiri is ready
14. Enjoy with tea or coffee.