Chatti Pathiri

Chatti Pathiri is layered savoury pastry made in Malabar and the northern regions of Kerala. A hot favourite during the month of Ramadan, it's one among the preferred dishes to be had while breaking the fast.

Ingredients
For crepe layers

2 cups maida/all purpose flour
2 large eggs
Salt as required 
2 cups water or as required for a thin consistency 
2 tsp ghee
1 tsp rose water

For mutta mala

15 egg yolk
1 cup sugar
2 cups water

Utensils required

1 disposable glass or coconut shell

For custard mixture

5 large eggs
½ cup milk
6 tbsp sugar

For scrambled egg

15 egg white
1 cup sugar
½ tsp cardamom powder
1 tbsp ghee
2 tbsp split cashew nuts
1 tbsp raisins

Preparation
Step 1

Take a wok and add sugar and water in it. Heat in medium-high flame and wait until it starts bubbling
Dip a spoon in the syrup and take out; if the syrup falls in thin strings, then it has reached the exact consistency. Do not turn off the flame as the syrup has to thicken
Make a hole in the disposable glass
Now hold the glass with one finger covering the hole. Fill the glass with the egg yolk
Through the hole in the glass, let the egg yolk pour onto the sugar syrup 
Try to swirl around the glass to make the pattern of a net. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes
Take out on a serving plate. Finish off the remaining egg yolk

Step 2

Separate the egg whites from the yolk carefully
In a bowl add egg whites, cardamom powder and sugar. Mix them well and keep aside
Heat a non-stick pan and add ghee, split cashew nuts and raisins. Sauté for a few seconds
Add the egg white mixture and scramble it until it is cooked. Keep aside.

Step 3

Prepare the batter for making the pancakes/dosas for the layers
Mix the all purpose flour, eggs, salt, water and rose water until they are well combined with no lumps. The consistency should be thin to make thin pancakes
The pancakes should be of the same size or preferably slightly bigger than the pan you use to bake
Pour a ladle-full of batter into the frying pan. It should be set in medium flame
Swirl the pan to create a thin round pancake of the required size
You can also spread the batter the same way as making dosas. Wait for it to cook
Flip over to the other side and let it cook for another minute or half, and take off the pan
Repeat until the batter is over

Step 4

In a bowl blend the custard mixture
Grease a wok with ghee and place it over low heat
Dip the first crepe in beaten egg
Place the crepe as the bottom layer in the pan
Spread the scrambled egg evenly over the crepe
Repeat the same with the second layering, and spread the mutta mala
Repeat the layers again the same way
Finish off the prepared mix 
Cover with a crepe as the top layer
Pour over leftover egg mix
Drizzle 2 tbsp of ghee over the top layer
Put some fried cashew nuts on top
Cover the pan with its lid and cook for 10 to 15 minutes on low flame. By this time the bottom layer would have become a beautiful light golden in colour. Turn off heat
Cover the pan with a plate and flip over the chatti pathiri
Let it cool down. cut it and pour the remaining sugar syrup on top of the chatti pathiri

(The author is a chef and tutor at Greens Ayur)