PATHIR PHENI

A Delightfully flaky layered pastry from Karnataka Chiroti/Phenori/Pathir pheni as it is also called comes from the rich cultural heritage state of our neighbour Karnataka.
A  must serve dessert in a Kannadiga wedding, it also has origins from the Konkan coast where almost every household makes this in huge dabbas/ tin boxes and serves it with a subtle  cardamom flavored powdered sugar or  doused with  sweetened Almond milk.
This  crispy flaky pastry is also dipped in a thick sugar syrup to give a glorious glaze and served .

Try this unique Karnataka special sweet and make your Diwali more special.

INGREDIENTS FOR DOUGH:

All Purpose Flour / Maida – 1 cup
Rava / Sooji / Semolina – ¼ cup
Salt                              -a pinch
Sugar                          -1 tblspn
Ghee                           – 1 tblspn
Water                          -as needed

FOR COATING PASTE

Ghee                           – 3 tblspn
Rice flour                    – 5 tblspn

FOR SUGAR SYRUP

Sugar                          – ¼ kg / 250 gm
Water                          – 100 ml
Cardamom powder     – ¼ tsp
Cashews                     – 10 nos coarsely crushed

METHOD

Take flour,  rawa, salt, baking powder, sugar in a mixing bowl.  Add ghee and rub  with your hands.
Add water and make into a stiff dough. Cover it and keep  aside for 30 mins.
Mean while take 3 tblspns of ghee and  5 tbsps of rice flour in a bowl and make into a paste.
Divide the dough into 5 or 6 equal portions and roll to a thin circle like pooris.
Take one rolled poori and apply the rice flour paste over thatevenly.
 Keep  another poorion top of that and apply the paste again.
Repeat  this process with the remaining dough.
Apply the rice flour paste on the top of the poori and  roll into a tight log carefully .( the rice paste should not come out.)
Cut out the edges and cut the log into equal parts.
Take one part and  roll in to a thick circle and keep aside.
Repeat this process with the remaining dough.
Meanwhile heat oil in a pan for deep frying.
Gently drop the flaky pooris into the hot oil   and fry till  golden colour.

METHOD OF MAKING SUGAR SYRUP

Mean while make the sugar syrup by heating sugar and water along with cardamom powder till it reaches one string consistency.( If you dip the spoon in the syrup and take out..the last drop falling from the spoon should form a string)
Now dip the fried pathir pheni in this sugar syrup and keep it on  a wire rack..
After it is cooled completely garnish it with crushed cashews.
Pathir pheni is ready to serve. Serve along with milk or badam milk.