Chatti Pathiri

We are back from 2 short trips. We all had a relaxing vacation, which we all needed so badly. Now coming back after almost 2 weeks of not being in the kitchen, I kind of feel lost in my own kitchen. Do you feel lost in your kitchen when you come back from vacation? It took me sometime to get used to what was there in the fridge or pantry and what wasn't. It is a strange feeling to feel lost in your own kitchen. Even cooking a dish that I must have made a million times can take a wee bit longer and I often forget an ingredient. Does that happen to you? Or should I blame this to - getting old you know, statement that we tend to make often.

In any case, let me start talking about the dish that I have been daunting to make for many years now. For one, I stay away from dishes that contain a whole lot of eggs. I tend to skip recipes that have more then 4 eggs in anything I have to bake or if something that is real drool worthy, I plan to make it when I have some guest over. That way I don't end up eating the dish by myself and everybody gets a share of the cholesterol laden dish he he! Secondly this dish has a lot of prep work, so I almost never have the time to make it. And the other reason is my son can't have a single bite, as he is highly allergic to almost all the ingredients in this dish. But I had to make it, as I craved for this dish way too long and was running out of excuses.

This is a sweet Malabar delicacy and this dish is also made in a different way and that is - with meat as a filling. I love this dish with the meat but my hubby is a fan of the sweet one. So this one is for him. Enjoy!

So here goes...

For the Pandam/Filling:

• 3-4 eggs beaten
• handful of cashews
• handful of raisins
• 4-5 tbsps of sugar ( +/- to your liking)
• 3-4 cardamom pods, crushed, seeds removed and powdered
• 1 tsp of oil/ghee

To Dip the otada:

• 5-6 eggs beaten
• 6-7 tbsps of sugar ( +/- to your liking)
• 6 cardamom pods, crushed, seeds removed and powdered
• 1/2 cup of milk (optional)

For the Topping:

• Handful of raisins and cashews
• 1 tsp of white poppy seeds

For Assembling the dish.

• 1 tbsp of oil
• 1-2 tbsps of sugar

Ingredients to make Otada/Malabar crepe - refer to this. But do NOT assemble the otada (i.e. with the shallots in the recipe, just make the otada/crepe's and keep aside).

Method:

To make the Pandam/Filling

Beat the eggs with sugar and cardamom and set aside.

In a non stick pot, heat the oil add the cashews and raisins, until the cashews start to become light brown and the raisins plump up. Add the beaten eggs, sugar and cardamom mix. Keep stirring to make the consistency of scramble eggs. Keep this filling aside.

Make the Otada/Crepe like this. But make sure the otada that you make should be more or less the size of the pot that you are going to make the dish in.

In another bowl beat the eggs with all the ingredients for the dip and set aside.

Now to Assemble the dish.

Pour oil in a pot that you are ready to cook the dish in. Place one of the otada's/crepes on the oil. Put a little of the egg filling. Take another otada/crepe and dip it in the egg, sugar and milk mix that is kept aside for dipping the otada's/crepes. Sprinkle some sugar. Put some more of the filling followed by the dipped otada/crepe and sprinkle of sugar. Repeat this till you have consumed all the filling and otada/crepes, with the last layer being the crepe. Pour over any of the remaining egg, sugar and milk mix.

Sprinkle the top layer with the white poppy seeds, cashews, little sugar and raisins. Cover and let it cook the dish for 25 - 30 minutes on a low flame till a skewer inserted comes out clean. Let it cool.

Once it is cool enough to handle, remove the lid and place

a dinner plate over the pot and flip the pot upside down. The chatti pathiri will be bottom side up now, slide the chatti pathiri back on to the pot ( the top layer with the cashews, raisins and poppy seeds facing down). Cook the chatti pathiri for another 5-10 minutes on a low flame to get a beautiful golden brown color. Once cool take a serving plate and flip the chatti pathiri over, so that top layer with the cashews, raisins and poppy seeds are on top and serve warm.

This recipe is going to Joy from Fasting to Feasting from Kitchen flavors who is conducting the event.

Sheer Kurma (Seviyan)

Growing up in Mumbai, every Eid my mom used to make Sheer Kurma.  Not something you would typically find in a Keralite home, this dish is similar to "paysam" but with a lot more different nuts to the list of ingredients.  While paysam is made with vermicili, milk, cashews, raisins and sugar/condensed milk. Sheer Kurma is made with all of the above plus other nuts like pistachios, almonds, dried dates, charoli and saffron.  For those who don't know what Charoli is - my next post will be on it.

As a kid, I remember my mom, getting ready to prepare this dish the day before Eid.  She would do so by soaking the pistachio, almonds and charoli. Then she would peel the nuts and sliver it.  She would be making a whole lot to serve the next day to eat after the Eid prayers and to serve it to guests who would stop by all day to exchange Eid greetings.  

Now, as the mother in my household, I am carrying on this tradition and my husband and kids love the post biryani sugar rush.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 gallon of milk
  
• 1/4 cup almonds slivered
  
• 1/4 cup cashews
  
• 1/4 cup raisins
  
• 1/4 cup unsalted pistachios slivered
  
• 1/4 cup charoli
  
• 1/4 cup dried dates (optional)
  
• 4 cardomon pods
  
• 50 gms roasted vermicili
  
• 3/4 cup sugar
  
• can of condensed milk
  
• 2 pinches of saffron
  
• 2 tbsp Unsalted butter/ghee 
  

Method:

Soak the almonds(if using whole) in warm water for 20 minutes or so, peel and cut them. Soak the pistachios and do the same.  Soak the charoli in warm water for 20 minutes or so and drain them on to some paper towels, lightly rub them on the paper towels to remove the flaked skin.  Chop the cashews.  Lightly crush the dried dates and remove the pitt.

In a heavy bottom pot, melt butter/ghee, add the almonds, cashew, pistachios, raisins, charoli, dried dates and saute for a few minutes, until the nuts are lightly toasted.  Add the vermicili and saute for a 2-3 seconds.  Add the milk, sugar and condensed milk.  Add the saffron, crushed cardamon or cardamon powder and let it boil, lower the heat and let it simmer for  3 - 4 minutes.  Adjust the sweetness to your liking. Serve warm.