Thenga Pathal (Rice pancakes with coconut)

Thengapathal or thengapathiri is very similar to Ottil pollichathu, but the difference is we add generous amount of freshly grated coconut in them. We dont mix the coconut in the batter; what we do is, pour a ladleful of batter in the hot pan, scatter the coconut and then pour some of the batter to cover up the coconut. This is one of the dishes that is very regular at home. It's so delicious and goes with almost every curries, like the malabar fish curry,Prawn and okra curry, malabar chicken curry etc....Well, I have it with sugar!.....But I think its very best combination is my mom's signature dish, Chemmeen Muringavaal curry (Prawn and drumstick in thick coconut curry). This can be had for breakfast or for dinner as well. I dont know if this dish is made in other places of Kannur, may be they make in different style. My mom in law, makes it in a different way. She mixes coconut along with the regular pathiri dough and make pathiris out of it, rather than making a batter. My husband had this kind of thengapathal for the first time when I prepared them and I made it to go with his favorite curry, Chemmeen Muringavaal and he absolutely loved it. Whenever I tell him it's thengapathal for dinner he just goes hmmmm with his eyes rolling..:).......

Ingredients:2 cup Long grain rice (pachari)
1 1/2 cups cooked basmati rice
1/2 medium onion
3 cups water
250-300 g freshly grated coconut
salt as required
oil- as required

Preparation: 

1.Soak rice in tap water for a minimum of 2 hours.
2.Grind it along with cooked rice,onion and water until very smooth and no grains of rice can be felt when you touch it.
3. Add enough salt and mix well. When u taste the batter, you must feel it a bit salty but again not too salty.
4. Heat a frying pan at medium high heat, add few dashes oil and pour 1 ladleful of batter (½ cups of batter) in the centre and just swirl the pan around to spread the batter all over thinly. This also can be done by pouring the batter in the centre and using the back of the ladle, spread the batter by moving the ladle over the batter in coil motion starting from the inside and gradually moving towards outside to spread the batter all around as we do in Dosa. It needs a bit of practice. I normally do the swirling way to spread the batter.
5. Sprinkle a generous amount of grated coconut on top (a handful) and pour just enough batter on top of the coconut to cover them up so that they dont fall of the batter when you flip them (around half a ladle of better).
6. COVER with a lid and cook until the batter changes colour or set. At this stage, using a spatula, flip over the thengapathal. If you find it breaking, and is difficult to flip, close the lid and wait for some more time until it sets even more and you can turn them easily. Cook the other side also in the same way until cooked. Keep turning a couple of time to ensure that it is fully cooked and you can see golden brown spots here and there. It takes around 4-6 minutes to cook one. I use 2 frying pans to cook these to finish them up soon.
7. Continue the same process with the rest of batter until all batter is used up. And store them in a hot-pot/casserole to retain the heat. Serve hot with its best combination Chemmeen muringavaal curry (Probably my next post)or even simple chicken curry or Malabar fish curry, prawn and okra curry, King prawn varattiyathu etc..