Ari Pidi - A Kerala Delicacy

Pidi, a Kerala delicacy, is mostly well known in the central region of Kerala. We used to have a restaurant at the karshaka market(farmer's market) near to our home, where one could get it. But its very rarely found served at restaurants these days. Served best with chicken curry, these are yum to have.

Its been years now, since I last had them. Recently I watched a TV show, where they were showing how to make these and my mouth got all watery. I was scared to try these because of the thought that, what if it does not turn out well. But then again if I don't try, how would I ever know. Well, I gave it a try and luckily it turned out to be good.

You should try it. It isn't that tough to make as it might sound. With the jeera, garlic and shallots that go into it, these rice dumplings just get special. So, here you go - the recipe to the mouth watering rice dumplings.

Ingredients

1. 2 cups of rice flour (not very finely powdered)
2. 1 cup fo grated coconut
3. 2 tbsp of finely chopped garlic
4. 2 tbsp of finely chopped shallots (cheriya ulli)
5. 1tsp of jeera
6. Water
7. Salt to taste

Method

• Mix the rice flour and grated coconut and form a heap. Leave it for about half an hour.
• In a thick bottom pan, slightly heat the rice flour. Continuously stir it so that it does not get burnt. Remove it from the heat, just before it starts to turn darker in colour.
• Grind the jeera, garlic and shallots into a fine paste. Add it to the heated rice flour. Mix it.
• Boil the water with salt as per taste. Use the boiling water to form the dough out of the rice flour mixture.
• Form small balls out of the rice dough and keep it aside.
• In a deep bottom pan, boil some water, just enough that all the rice balls gets soaked. 
• Once the water gets heated up, drop in the rice balls.
• Let it boil thoroughly, so that they get cooked well. Give it a stir whenever needed.
• Serve it hot with chicken curry.

Tips

1. I used the puttu podi for making the pidi. That is the right consistency of the rice flour that needs to be used - not finely powdered but like little grains of sand.
2. If you feel like adding a bit more of salt after forming the dough, then add it into the water that you boil to get  the rice balls cooked.
3. As soon as you drop the rice balls into boiling water, do not stir. Else, they might split up. Once they start boiling and get slightly cooked, stir it with the thin side(handle) of the laddle. This would help the rice balls to stay in shape. 

Recipe courtesy : Taste of Kerala (Culinary TV show)