Kizhi Porotta , with love from Kerala

Over a lunch table discussion , I discovered a local dish from Kerala which completely intrigued me . This was something I had not seen , heard or eaten before and hence it all the more inspired me to go all out and try it hands-on in my home kitchen . I am not sure why we had not bumped into this specific dish before during our many travels to Kerala but was told that this is a very special local dish in the state . Called the ' Kizhi Porotta' ( pronounced as ' Kili ' ) this dish is quite simple to make and very pleasantly mindboggling in terms of the flavors it brings to the table . Hence , it had to be attempted and now finds its most well deserved place in my #29states series .

So , what exactly is the Kizhi Porotta ?

Porotta , like many of you would know , is a very common Indian bread that is made by skillfully stretching the dough . In Kerala home kitchens , it is handcrafted with much love and patience , such that it forms beautiful layers when fried . Since I am still very far from the supreme skill needed to make these beautiful porotta's and also somewhat hard pressed on time today , I opted to go for the ID version for this cook . The ID porotta's are readily available in most department stores , are less time consuming ( all you really need to do is just roast them up ) and is quite a supreme quick fix for this recipe. The other two parts of this recipe is making the salna ( which is the gravy ) and preparing the meat - both of which happen quite in a jiffy.

Putting together a Kizhi is basically layering of 2 or 3 porotta's with stir fried meat ( usually beef , mutton or chicken ) and then wrapping them together in a banana leaf to steam . I am making a chicken kizhi here today . The last step is to grill the banana leaf bundle in a hot skillet wherein the charring of the leaf imparts an orgasmic aroma and gives it it's finishing touch .

''This 'potli' like bundled bunch of banana leaf resembles a bunch of herbs used for Ayurveda treatment in Kerala and hence , aptly named Kizhi ''

All in all , once done , this dish is no less than opening a beautifully wrapped present . Let me take you through on how to put this together in just 3 organized steps :

1. Making the salna or the gravy

2. Making the chicken stir fry

3. Assembling the kizhi

Things you will need ( Make's 02 large Kizhi's)

• For the salna masala

  • 01 large onion , finely sliced

  • 04 pods of garlic , finely chopped

  • 01 inch ginger , finely chopped

  • 01 tsp cumin + 01 tsp khus khus + 01 tsp fennel + 01 tsp coriander seeds + 01 clove+ 01 cardamom + 01 cinnamon stick

  • 1/2 cup of coriander leaves

  • 05 small pieces of coconut

  • 01 tsp turmeric + 01 tsp red chilli powder

  • 01 whole tomato , finely sliced

  • 1/2 cup of mint leaves

  • Whole garam masala - 03 cardamom + 02 cloves + 01 cinnamon stick

  • 03 tbsp. oil for frying

  • Salt as per taste

• For the chicken fry :

  • 500 gms of boneless chicken , diced into small pieces

  • 01 large onion , finely sliced

  • 06 pods of garlic , finely chopped

  • 01 inch ginger , finely chopped

  • 01 tsp turmeric + 02 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder + 02 tsp cumin powder + 01 tsp pepper powder

  • 01 whole tomato , finely grated

  • 1/2 cup of coriander leaves , finely chopped

  • 04 tbsp. oil ( you can use coconut oil for the best flavor )

  • 02 finely chopped green chilli ( Use more as per taste )

  • 01 tsp mustard seeds

  • Handful of curry leaves

  • Salt as per taste

• To assemble :

  • 03 large banana leaves for wrapping ( slightly pre toasted on a hot tawa or griddle )

  • 01 large onion , cut in rings and separated

  • 02 tbsp. coconut oil

Steps to make the salna

• Heat o1 tbsp. oil in a pan and add in the sliced onion , garlic, ginger , cumin seeds , khus khus , fennel seeds , coriander seeds , clove , cardamom, cinnamon stick , coriander leaves and whole coconut . Roast everything together on low heat for 05 minutes .Once you smell the roasted aroma from the spices , take it off the heat and allow it to cool . Next , make a fine paste of this along with 01 cup water & keep aside.

• Heat the remaining oil in the pan - add in the whole garam masala , along with the tomatoes and fry till soft and mushy for 05 minutes. At this point , add in the turmeric powder , red chilli powder and salt to taste . Continue to fry this till you can see the oil release from the tomatoes.

• Now , add in the salna paste made previously and combine everything well .

• Next , throw in the mint leaves along with 01 cup water and bring everything to a roaring boil , till you get a semi thick gravy like consistency .

• Set aside - the salna is ready .

Steps to make the Chicken Fry

• Heat the oil in a pan and thrown in the mustard seeds along with the curry leaves.

• To this add in the finely sliced onion , garlic and ginger and stir fry on high heat .

• Next , toss in the chicken pieces along with the masala's and grated tomatoes , coriander , salt to taste and green chilies. Continue to stir fry the chicken on high heat for another 05 minutes - then cover cook on low heat for 10 minutes till chicken is fully cooked.

• Dry up remaining moisture , if any and keep aside.

To Assemble

• Ensure to lightly pre-roasted the banana leaves on a hot griddle to make it pliable for folding .

• Using a kitchen towel , place the porotta's on a plate and crush them lightly.

• To assemble , place a large piece of banana leaf on a flat surface - on this , layer one piece of porotta topped with a couple of spoons of salna , followed by the chicken fry and some onion rings . Repeat the same with another layer of the same.

• Top it with more green chilies , if you want a more spicy kizhi.

• Now , using both your hands , pull together the banana leaf and hold everything together , like you would to make a potli parcel .

• Using some help from a family member , tie the top of the kizhi with a cotton string to keep everything intact .

• Now , prepare to steam the kizhi's for 10 minutes in a steamer / rice cooker.

• To finish , heat a griddle and baste it with some coconut oil . When smoking hot , place the steamed kizhi's on it and grill for 02- 03 minutes till slightly charred at the base .

• Serve steaming hot and enjoy this drool worthy dish from gods own country !