Chatti Pathiri {with chicken and spinach}

Chatti Pathiri, a traditional Indian casserole with chicken and spinach and some warming spices. And this is where all those delicious Indian flavors come together. It is a crêpe pie with a savory filling. Build up layer by layer and cooked in coconut milk. The result: a creamy dinner pie with a WOW factor.

Today on the blog a dish called Pathiri. Ever heard of it? Well, I didn't before making this recipe. Pathiri originally comes from the Arabic word for dough or pastry.

And that's what it actually is. A savory pie. It is actually similar to a lasagna, in terms of layers, but instead of dough sheets, you use pancakes.

What is Pathiri?

Chatti Pathiri is a recipe from the Indian kitchen. At a Pathiri, various pancakes are baked and, alternated with a savory filling, stewed. I opted for a filling of minced chicken with (how could it be otherwise) Indian spices and spinach. But the possibilities in terms of filling are endless.

After making it, the spicy chicken filling, which was so deliciously flavored with all kinds of spices, turned out to be a nice sublayer from the pancakes. The coconut milk, in which the dish was stewed, made it wonderfully creamy. A special and delicious recipe.

This recipe is from the Daring Kitchen and was brought to us by Joanna.

• Chicken breast - One of the protein providers. You can also use ground chicken (no added spices). If you want to go vegan substitute the chicken with sliced mushrooms.

• Sweet chili sauce - spices the filling. You can substitute it with ½ teaspoon of sriracha combined with 2 teaspoons of confectioners sugar.

• Spinach - You can use freezer spinach. But fresh is also an option if you can get your hands on it.

• Coconut milk - This gives the Chatti pathiri its creamy flavor. Therefore don't substitute it with low fat.

• Almonds - If you can't use almonds you can also take them out.

Step 1 - Make the batter and bake the crêpes

1. Mix the milk with the vinegar and let it stand for 5 minutes.
2. Mix in the oil sifted flour and salt, and mix well. Put the batter in the refrigerator for one hour.
3. Brush the bottom of a frying pan with oil and pour one part of the batter into the pan, so that you get a thin pancake. When the top of the crêpe is dry, turn it over.
4. Fry the crêpes for one more minute on the other side. Make five crepes. Let cool to room temperature.

Step 2 - Prepare the filling

1. Roast the almonds in a dry frying pan for two minutes. Put them in the bowl of the blender and grind them fine.
2. Measure out all dry herbs and place them in a bowl. Mix that well together.
3. Finely chop the shallot and squeeze the garlic. Mix the garlic with the chili sauce.
4. Place the chicken in the food processor and cook until the chicken is finely chopped.

Step 3 - Fry the filling for the Chatti Pathiri

1. Stir fry the shallot for three minutes until translucent. Then add the garlic chili sauce mixture and stir fry for one minute. Slide to one side.
2. Add the dry herbs and cook for 30 seconds. Then mix the spices through the onion mixture.
3. Spoon the ground chicken into the skillet and stir-fry until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Then add the spinach.
4. Now also mix the ground almonds through the filling. Cook everything for two minutes. Then remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for 30 minutes.

Step 4 - Prepare and bake the Chatti Pathiri

1. Preheat the oven to 340 °F (170 °C). Take a springform pan (diameter 12 inches (26 cm)) and cover it with aluminum foil (don't forget, that saves a lot of washing up ;-)). Take the first crêpe and brush the top with coconut milk. Place it with the brushed side down in the spring form. Now also brush the other side with coconut milk and then with sunflower oil.
2. Spoon ¼ part of the filling onto the crêpe and spread over the pancake. Now put a crêpe on the filling and brush with coconut milk and then with sunflower oil. Divide ¼ of the filling on the crepe. Repeat until all the filling is used up.
3. Now put the last thin pancake on top of the filling. Coat the bottom of the crêpe with coconut milk and place it with the brushed side on the filling. Place the springform on a baking tray. Pour the rest of the coconut milk over the crêpes.
4. Place the Chatti Pathiri in the oven and let it rest until the coconut milk has evaporated. That takes about 15 to 20 minutes. The edges of the Pathiri are then dry. Leave in the mold for 10 minutes. Remove the mold and serve (you can cut the Pathiri into pie slices, that looks nice).

Did you make this recipe? Tag #byandreajanssen via Instagram. I enjoy seeing what your creation looks like. Video recipes can be found on my YouTube channel. And don't forget to save the recipes on Pinterest so you can easily find them next time!

📖 Recipe