Orotti ( Deep fried rice flour puris in Malabar cuisine)

Orotti – A delicious deep fried rice flour puris in Malabar cuisine. Best any veg or non-vegetarian  gravy dishes !! Recipe idea - Vanitha Magazine, August 1- 15, 2013.

Makes: 22 - 24

Serves: 5 - 6

Ingredients

Please use same measuring cup to measure rice flour and water.

1 cup / 200 ml / 8 oz rice flour, sieve rice flour

1 cup water

½ teaspoon oil / ghee

1/2 teaspoon salt

250 ml oil for frying (1 - inch from the base of the kadai / frying pan )

1/2 teaspoon oil (to grease plastic or banana leaves )

3 greased plastic sheets or banana leaves

For the coconut mixture:

4 tablespoon grated coconut

4 shallots (chuvannulli / small onion)

1 teaspoon jeera (cumin seeds)

Method

Make a rough paste of above ingredients in a small mixer bowl. Do not add water when making the  paste.

Method

 In a pan , boil water with salt and ghee / oil. When the water starts boiling, add rice flour and mix well until well combined with water and rice flour (like idiyappam dough).  Mix it with thick steel ladle. Keep aside to  cool for 10 minutes.

Add  coconut paste into the rice flour dough (finally add 2 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves and  1 teaspoon black til (sesame seeds , optional))  and knead it  into a soft dough. Do not add water.  Divide it into 22 – 24 small  lemon sized balls.

 Keep each rice balls in between two greased plastic sheets (15 x 15 cm) / banana leaves. Press gently and spread it by palm to make the shape of a  puri - 4 - inches in diameter (orotti). Give perfect round shape with the help of an inverted sharp lid / katoris / cookie cutter .. Arrange these orottis  on another plastic sheet / banana leaf.

Heat oil in a kadai / frying pan. Reduce heat to medium and deep - fry orotti (one at a time) till done golden color on both the sides. It will puff slightly. Please do not fry on high heat.  Keep medium heat.

Drain out from oil and place it on kitchen towel to absorb extra oil. Please use 3 – 4 paper towels. Serve with any veg or non – vegetarian gravy dishes. This orotii is very crispy and very tasty than normal puris.