Erachi Pidi (Rice Dumplings Cooked in Spicy Meat Gravy)

Erachi Pidi (Rice Dumplings Cooked in Spicy Meat Gravy)

The savory iteration of Pidi (Rice dumplings) was a novel experience for me. We typically prepare a sweet version known as Unda Payasam for an evening snack. My first encounter with the savory/spicy pidi was in Bombay at the house of one of our family friends, where it was served alongside chicken curry. The second time I tasted the savory version was a few months ago when my friend Sheena prepared it. The dish was incredibly flavorful. This particular Pidi version follows the Malabar/Calicut style, and I believe the fundamental element of the masala, specifically the roasted coconut gravy, remains consistent across various versions. Sheena graciously came over to my place to prepare this dish, allowing me to capture the step-by-step process in pictures to share with you. Many thanks, dear Sheena.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 5

Ingredients
  

For Pidi (Rice Dumplings)

  • 3 cups Rice flour
  • 3/4 – 1 cup Finely grated coconut
  • 7 Small onion / Pearl onion
  • 1/2 tsp Fennel seeds
  • Salt
  • 3 cups Hot water

For Beef

  • 1 kg Beef (cut into bite size pieces (refer notes for chicken/mutton/prawn option))
  • 1 medium Onion (sliced)
  • 2.5 tsp Chilli Powder
  • 2.5 tsp Coriander Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
  • 1/2 – 1 tsp Crushed ginger and garlic (each)
  • 3/4 cup Water
  • Salt
  • Curry leaves

For Masala

  • 2 medium Onion (chopped)
  • 15 Small onion / Pearl onion (sliced)
  • 1 tbsp Crushed/grated ginger and garlic (each)
  • 1 medium Tomato (chopped)
  • 2-3 Green chilli (chopped)
  • 2 tsp Coriander Powder
  • 1.5 – 2 tsp Chilli Powder
  • 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
  • Salt
  • 1/2 – 3/4 cup thick coconut milk

To Roast and grind

  • 1.5 cups Grated coconut
  • 2 tsp Chopped garlic
  • 1/4 tsp Fennel seeds
  • 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
  • Curry leaves

Instructions
 

Pidi Preparation

  • Grind together small onion and fennel seeds (qty mentioned under "for pidi") to a coarse paste. If coconut is not finely grated, just pulse it in mixie for a second.
  • Add coconut, small onion pastes and salt to rice flour. Mix well. Add hot water gradually and make a soft and non-sticky dough.
  • Make small balls of dough almost equivalent to the size of a 50 paisa coin. Make a small dip in the ball, using your thumb. This is done, so that the gravy seeps into the pidi. Steam these balls in low-medium heat for 8-10 mins. We steamed the above qty in 3 batches. Keep aside the prepared pidi/dumplings.

Beef Preparation

  • Add sliced onion, chilli, turmeric, coriander powder, ginger & garlic, salt, curry leaves and water to the beef. The qty of spices is mentioned under "for beef" title in ingredients list. Pressure cooks the beef. Make sure that the beef retains a crunch and not fully cooked. We will be cooking it further. Once the pressure releases, continue to cook the beef on lowest flame, while you make the masala. Stir it in between.

Masala Preparation

  • Heat oil and add chopped onion. When it becomes soft, add small onion. When the onions turn golden brown, add ginger and garlic. Cook for 2-3 mins. Add masala powders and mix well. Cook till the raw smell goes, around 2-3 mins. Add chopped tomato and green chilli and salt. Cook till the tomatoes become soft. Add this masala to the beef and mix well. Keep cooking the beef on low flame. Make sure you stir it in between.
  • Heat oil and add grated coconut, chopped garlic, fennel seeds, turmeric powder and curry leaves (qty mentioned under "to roast and grind"). Fry it till the coconut turns golden brown in colour. Let it cool completely. Grind it to a smooth paste without adding water.
  • Add the ground coconut paste to the beef mixture. Combine and keep cooking on low flame.
  • By now, the gravy of the beef should be reduced to 1/3rd or 1/4th of the original qty. Add half of the cooked pidi and half of the thick coconut milk to this. Mix. Add the rest of the cooked pidi and coconut milk. Give a good mix and bring it to boil. It has semi dry consistency and the pidi, should be coated well with the masala. Add more hot water, if required, to adjust the consistency.
  • Garnish with fried small onion and serve hot.

Notes

  1. You can refrigerate the dish for 2-3 days. Add some water while reheating. It’s better to reheat on stove than microwave. If you find the process too lengthy and tiresome, you can prepare the beef in advance and refrigerate.
  2. If there is a delay in steaming the pidi, after making dough, make sure you cover the dough with a wet cloth. Pressure cooking the beef – After the first whistle on high flame, I reduce the flame to low-medium and cooked for 5 more whistles. Keep it closed for 15-20 mins. You can also make this with chicken, mutton and prawns. It’s better to use boneless chicken and mutton.
  3. If you are making it with chicken, there is no need to pressure cook. If you are making it with prawns, you can cook the prawns in the masala and avoid the pressure-cooking part of the recipe. But make sure to increase the qty of masala ingredients accordingly.
Keyword Erachi Pidi (Rice Dumplings Cooked in Spicy Meat Gravy)
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Article Categories:
Kerala Recipes

Comments are closed.