Pathiri, a rice-flour pancake, belongs to the Mappila cuisine of which Indian region? The answer is Malabar.
Pathiri is a thin pancake made from rice flour and is a well-known part of Mappila cuisine in Kerala’s Malabar region. Mappilas are Kerala Muslims whose food traditions reflect local ingredients alongside centuries of contact across the Indian Ocean.
The simplest form, often called ari pathiri, is prepared by mixing rice flour with hot water, shaping the dough into thin rounds, and cooking them on a griddle. It is generally served with savory dishes such as meat, fish, or vegetable curries rather than eaten as a sweet breakfast pancake.
The regional clue matters because “Malabar” refers to Kerala’s northern coastal area, not to a separate modern Indian state. Pathiri is sometimes confused with other Kerala breads or pancakes, including neypathiri and meen pathiri, which are related preparations with different ingredients or fillings.