Irachi Petti - Malabar Iftar recipe

I always knew of Ramadan but it is only after moving to UAE, I realised how religiously it is observed and what iftar and suhoor mean! The world of blogging introduced me to a lot of Malabar snacks mostly fried but really mouth watering. I tend to stay away from deep fried stuff, primarily because I have pimples popping on my face as soon as I relish on anything fried. Since it is shorter office timings during Ramadan, my husband one day happened to come home with some snacks that he picked up from the local Kerala cafeteria for our evening tea together (that is a rarity too - happens only during Ramadan). It was all deep fried stuff and I could not resist it - pakoda, samosa, irachi petti, chatti pathiri, mulagu bajji, ulli vada. It was all there. I waited for two days after we had this - Yay! No pimples and that made my resolution to prepare a fried malabar snack stronger.

That is how I ended up making irachi petti with the minced meat I had in the fridge. Irachi means meat and petti means box. So basically this dish has meat filling that is sealed in a box made of crepe!
So here is a recipe to try this Ramadan!

Ingredients

For the filling

1. Minced meat - 400 gms (beef, mutton or chicken)
2. Onion - 3 medium finely chopped
3. Ginger - 2 tbsp
4. Garlic - 2 tsp
5. Green Chilli - 3 finely chopped
6. Pepper powder - 1 tsp
7. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
8. Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
9. Garam masala - 1 tsp
10. Lime juice - 1 tbsp
11. Salt to taste
12. Oil

For the crepe

1. All purpose flour - 1 cup
2. Egg - 1 beaten
3. Salt to taste
4. Water as needed

For coating

1. Egg - 1 beaten
2. Bread crumbs
3. Oil

Method

• Heat oil in a pan. Fry the onions until it softens and add the ginger, garlic and green chilly. Saute till the raw smell disappears.
• Add the turmeric powder, corriander powder and pepper powder. Cook the masala and add the minced meat. Mix it well to coat.
• Add salt and keep it covered until it is cooked. Adjust salt if need be and add lime juice. Turn off the flame.
• Prepare the crepe batter by mixing together the flour, egg, water and salt in a bowl. Add water as needed to form a runny batter.
• Heat a tawa and pour a laddle full of batter onto the hot tawa. Ensure that the flame is on medium and prepare the round crepe by running the laddle in a circular pattern on the batter.
• Flip over once and cooked gently. Do not let it get crisp as it might break open while placing the filling.
• This batter makes around 8 crepes.

How to fill the crepe and fry

• Take one of the crepe and place two spoonful of filling on the center of the round crepe. Using the same spoon adjust the filling to form either a square shape or a rectangle shape. This is done just to make the irachi petti hold the shape.
• In order to cover the filling, first fold over one side towards the top of the filling, such that the bend in the fold is at the point where the filling ends.Repeat the same with the opposite side.
•  Now fold the other two ends one at a time thereby sealing the filling in ( may form a square or a rectangle shape). It is always better to have larger crepes made so that the folding is easy and it stays. Smaller folded flaps tend to open up while cooking.
• Place this on a plate with the folded flaps facing down. Repeat the same with other crepes.
• Heat oil in a pan,  Dip each of the petti in the beaten egg and coat it with bread crumbs. Then place the petti in the pan with the flap side facing down. Cook till it browns well on one side and then flip over.
• Serve hot !!

You may also note

• You may add corriander leaves to the meat filling.
• Once the crepe has been folded always place it with the flap facing downward so that the weight tends to hold the flap in place.
• I prefer shallow frying but you may also deep fry it.

Goli Bajji/ Mangalore Bajji

It is the peak of the summers in Dubai and my heart longs for the monsoons in India.

Waking up to the sound of rains..

A rainy evening with a mug of hot coffee..

A walk in the rains..

Getting splashed - ugh!! Sounded annoying back then, but now! I need that one splash. 

And of course, the hot fried bajjis that lifts your spirits.

That is something I can do in Dubai too!

My thoughts went scrambling and this is what it resulted in.

Cheers to Goli Bajji/ Mangalore Bajji with hot tea that sent me down many memory lanes. While I get nostalgic, why don't you guys have a sneak peak at what is below - 

Ingredients

1. All purpose flour - 1 cup
2. Yogurt - half cup
3. Rice Flour - 2 tbsp
4. Onion - 1 medium chopped
5. Ginger - 1 tbsp grated
6. Green Chilly - 1 sliced thinly
7. Curry Leaves - 1 sprig finely chopped
8. Coriander Leaves - a handful finely chopped
9. Asafoetida - 2 pinches
10. Baking powder - 1/4 tsp
11. Sugar - 1 tbsp
12. Salt to taste
13. Oil for deep frying

Method

• In a bowl, whisk the yogurt and add all purpose flour, rice flour and the baking powder. 
• Once the ingredients have combined well, add the chopped onion, ginger, green chilly, curry leaves and the corriander leaves.
• Add asafoetida, sugar to the mix and salt to taste.
• Keep the mixture standing for 1 to 2 hours.
• Heat a skillet and add oil to this.
• Dip your hand in water and scoop a lemon sized ball of the batter and carefully place in the oil( be careful not to burn your hands)
• 4 - 5 balls can be placed at a time. Flip it over once the side has browned. It may take about two minutes to cook on medium flame.
• Carefully remove from the oil and place on tissue to drain off the excess oil.
• Serve it hot and crisp with coconut chutney

You may also note - 

1. Adding the rice flour gives the crispness to the bajjis.
2. If you find the batter too thick, add water to reach the desired consistency.
3. Constantly keep the flame on medium to avoid under cooking or burning of the the bajjis.

Recipe shared by a dear friend - Vandana

Dates Vattayappam

Vattayappam is a popular Kerala delicacy, which traditionally was made in households with left-over appam batter. However now, most of the bakeries in Kerala sell packaged Vattayappam. This can never beat the freshly prepared homemade ones.  

Vattayappams are steamed soft rice cakes with a perfect blend of coconut and fermented by yeast to make it fluffy. This is definitely on my Easter Menu.You guy's better rethink yours:)

Vattayapam usually has cashew nuts and raisins for richness along with a tinge of cardamom. My recipe has a whole lot of dates which gives it the sweetness and of course you may do away with the sugar that you add. 

I picked this recipe from my mother-in-law :)

Ingredients

1. Dosa Rice/White Rice -1 cup
2. Dates - 40 to 50 - you may reduce or increase as per your choice.
3. Coconut - 3/4 cup grated
4. Cardamom powder -1/4 tsp
5. Boiled rice - 1/4 cup
6. Cashew nuts and raisins -a handful
7. Salt to taste
8. Yeast -1tbsp
9. Water -1 cup

Method

Soak the rice and de-seeded dates over night in water separately. Wash the rice and strain the water.

Blend together the rice, dates, water, boiled rice, grated coconut in batches and pour into a deep vessel since the batter rises after adding yeast. Add cardamom powder to this and mix well.

Soak yeast in 4 to 5 tbsps of warm water for about 20 minutes till it becomes foamy and is fermented.

Mix the yeast with the batter and keep the vessel closed and in a warm place to let it ferment for at least 6 hours or till it rises.

Add salt once the batter has risen and stir it just enough for the salt to mix.

I have used cake pans in idli cooker to steam the cake. You may alternatively use a deep steel plate. Just grease the plate with a little ghee. Pour the batter into the dish and top it with nuts and raisins. Kerala bananas also make a good topping.

Steam this for 20 minutes. Remove from the flame and set aside for cooling. Wedge it out of the dish once cool and cut into shapes of your choice.