Ingredients

Ripe Kerala Banana – 4

All purpose flour/ Maida – 1 cup

Fine rice flour – 2 tbsp

Turmeric powder – a pinch

Water – as required

Baking soda – 1/8 tsp

Sugar – 1 tsp

Salt – 1/4 tsp

Oil – for frying

Method

Remove the skin of the bananas and cut them lengthwise and cut each piece into two.  Make a batter using maida, rice flour, turmeric powder, baking soda, sugar and salt by adding enough water.  The batter should not be too thin.  Add more maida if it is too thin and add more water if it is too thick.  Heat oil in a kadai and dip each banana piece in the batter and very carefully put them into the oil.  Reduce the heat to medium.  When once side is light golden brown in color, turn it and fry the other side too.  If the heat is too much the banana will not be cooked properly.  Drain and transfer to a kitchen tissue.  Now super tasty ‘Pazham Pori’ is ready to serve.  ‘Pazham Pori/ Ethakka Appam/ Banana Fry’ is a snack anyone would love to have!  Serve it along with hot tea and enjoy with your kids and family members!!!

I think most of you are familiar with the savoury “Chakka Puzhukku”.  But I have never come across any posts regarding the “Sweet Chakka Puzhukku” which was a usual evening snack in my house, during Jack fruit season.  I was a great fan of it and now my family enjoys it too!  It is a healthy and yummy snack for kids… a welcome change from the junk food they like to eat!

Ingredients

Semi-ripe Jack fruit – 2 cups shredded

Grated coconut – 1/2 cup

Jaggery – 2 tbsp

Salt – a little

Water – as required

Method

Chop the Jack fruit into thin slices.  Transfer it to a vessel and add grated coconut, jaggery and salt.  Pour enough water to cover the mixture.  Cook covered till done.  Stir occasionally and see that it is not overcooked.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

If you are using canned raw Jack fruit, increase the amount of jaggery according to your taste.  You can use sugar or brown sugar instead of jaggery.

‘Rava Appam’ is a yummy snack which my Mom used to make.  It is a family favorite and I make it whenever there is leftover bread at home.  Kids will love this soft and nutritious snack!

I am sending this snack to Priya for the event “Sunday Snacks – Snacks with Breads”

Ingredients

Rava/sooji/semolina – 1 1/2 cups

Ripe Kerala Banana – 1 sliced

Bread slices – 3 cubed

Milk – 2 cups

Butter – 3 tsp melted

Eggs – 2

Sugar – 4 tbsp

Raisins – 1 tbsp

Vanilla essence – 1 tsp

Salt – 1/2 tsp

Method

Beat the eggs well and add sugar, milk, rava and salt.  Mix well and add the bread cubes, bananas, vanilla essence and butter.  Fold in so that the bread is well soaked and mixed with the batter.  The batter should be of pancake or dosa consistency.  Pour into greased plates and garnish with raisins.  Steam cook for about 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.  Cut into desired shape and serve warm.  Enjoy it with your family!!!

You can substitute milk with 1 cup of ground coconut paste which will make the Appam much more softer.

Kreativ Blogger Award

EC from simpleindianfood passed me this Kreativ Blogger Award…Thank you EC for choosing me for the Award!

The Kreativ Blogger award comes with some rules:-
1. You must thank the person who has given you the award.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who has nominated you for the award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
5. Nominate 7 other Kreativ Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on which of the blogs to let them know they have been nominated.

You can click here to read about myself…

I would like to pass on this Award to Cynthia, Jeena, Bharathy, Nags, Mandira, Ann and Priya

Thank you so much all my blogger friends who encourage me with their lovely comments and also my silent admirers who visit my blog and experiment with my recipes!

‘Uzhunnu Vada’ was my Mom’s favorite snack!  From her I started getting a liking for this crispy outside but soft inside snack.  Now it has become a comfort food for me!  So here is my version of the recipe.  You will love the flavor of peppercorns and the tiny bits of coconut while munching on it!

I am sending this snack to Priya for the event “Sunday Snacks -  Spill the Beans”

This snack also goes to EC for the event “WYF: Fried Snack”

Ingredients

Uzhunnu/ Urad dhal/ Skinless Black gram – 1 1/2 cups

Onions – 1 chopped

Ginger – 2″ piece chopped

Green chillies – 4 chopped

Curry leaves – 1 sprig chopped

Coconut – 1 tbsp small fine pieces

Peppercorns – 20

Water – 2 tsp (optional)

Salt – to taste

Oil – for frying

Method

Soak the urad dhal in water for an hour.  Drain and grind in a mixie without adding water.  Add one or two tsps of water if needed.  Take out and add all the other ingredients and mix well.  Wet the hands, take a lime size of the batter in one hand and make a hole in the middle.  Transfer it to the other hand and drop it gently into hot oil.  Fry it on a medium flame until the Vada turns golden brown.  Repeat the process with the rest of the batter.  Serve the Vadas with coconut chutney or sambar.  You can also make ‘Curd Vada’ by adding them to chilled yoghurt.

This is a breakfast dish you can prepare in just 15 minutes!  Adding carrots and coconut makes the ‘Upma’ delicious.  If the rava is really fresh, no need to dry roast it before making the ‘Upma’.

I am sending this recipe for the event: “15 minute Cooking!” hosted by Mahima of ‘Indian Vegetarian Kitchen“.

Ingredients

Semolina/Rava/Sooji – 1 cup

Water – 1 1/2 cups

Onion – 1 medium sliced

Carrot – 1 small chopped

Coconut – 1/4 cup grated

Ginger – 1″ piece chopped

Green chillies – 2 chopped

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Black gram/Urad dhal – 1 tbsp

Bengal gram/Chana dhal – 1 tbsp

Salt – to taste

Ghee – 1 tsp

Oil – 3 tsp

Method

In a non-stick pan, lightly roast the rava on low flame.  Keep aside.  Heat oil and ghee together in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.  Add the dhals and fry for a few seconds.  Then add carrots, onions, ginger, green chillies and curry leaves.  Fry till the onions are transparent.  Now add water, grated coconut and salt.  When it boils, lower the flame and slowly add the rava and keep on stirring till all the water is absorbed.  See that no lumps are formed.  Serve with bananas.  Kids will like to eat it with sugar and pappads!

Happy Diwali to all my Indian Foodies!  I am amazed to see the number of people visiting my blog everyday, in spite of me not blogging for a long time!!! This gives me a lot of inspiration to share my recipes with all my friends around the world…  I am glad to tell you all that I am enjoying my stay in our new apartment in Dubai. 

This is my 50th post!  So here is something sweet for all of you…!

Ingredients

All purpose flour/ Maida – 2 cups

Apple – 1 (peeled and grated)

Granulated sugar – 2/3 cup

Baking powder – 1 1/2 tsp

Baking soda – 1/4 tsp

Butter – 1/4 cup (melted)

Cinnamon powder – 1/4 tsp

Vanilla essence – 1/2 tsp

Milk – 2/3 cup

Salt – 1/4 tsp

Eggs – 2

Raisins – 1/4 cup (optional)

Method

In a bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.   In a separate bowl,mix butter and sugar.  Add eggs one at a time and beat well.  Add the flour mixture and milk alternately and mix.  Add the vanilla essence and fold in apples and raisins.  Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups or lightly greased muffin tins.  Bake in preheated oven at 350F for 20 to 25 minutes.  Let cool in pan for 5 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

This is an easy way to prepare Vattayappam, which is a Kerala Christian delicacy. Vattayappam is one of the breakfast dishes made on Christmas morning. It is sweet and yummy and doesn’t need any side dish along with it. It is also served as a snack. Mini Vattayappams were made in the idli maker and hence the shape of idlis. This recipe does not require any grinding. I will post the authentic Vattayappam recipe later…

What you need

Fine rice flour – 2 cups

Rava or semolina – 1 dsp

Water – 1 cup

Dry yeast – 1 tsp

Warm water – 1/2 cup

Sugar – 1 tsp

Coconut milk powder – 25 gms

Sugar – 4 tbsp

Aniseed powder – 1/8 tsp

Salt – as required

Water – as required

Raisins – few

Method

In a small pan, boil rava and 1 cup of water. Keep on stirring till it becomes thick. Keep aside and let it cool. Take warm water in a cup, add yeast and 1 tsp sugar. Mix well and keep aside covered for half an hour. In a vessel, mix together rice flour, sugar, yeast, coconut milk powder, aniseed powder and water. Add the rava porridge and make a thick batter of idli batter consistency. It should not be watery. Keep the batter covered overnight or for 8 hrs. In the morning, add enough salt to the batter and mix well. Boil water in a pressure cooker or idli cooker. Smear oil on the idli maker and pour batter into each mould. Place 4 raisins each on top. Insert the stand into the cooker. Cover and let it cook for 8 minutes. If you are using the pressure cooker, do not put the weight. Open the lid and let it cool for 5 minutes before transferring the Vattayappams to a serving dish.

I received the secret ingredient for Arusuvai Friendship Chain from dear Bharathy of spicychilly. ‘Aval’ or rice flakes was the surprise ingredient that she sent me. That too the Kerala variety made with brown rice. So I had no option but to post some authentic Kerala recipe!

Aval Vilayichathu is an all time favourite of Keralites! It is made with aval, coconut and jaggery as the main ingredients. This is a very delicious snack and nutritious too! I have used the Kerala dark brown jaggery which my husband brought from Kerala. This gives a dark brown colour to the snack. I think the wait was worth it!

What you need

Aval or rice flakes – 4 cups

Jaggery – 2 cups

Grated coconut -1 cup

Cardamom powder – 1 tsp

Sesame seeds – 1 tsp

Ghee – 2 tsp

Method

Break the jaggery into small pieces. Pour half a cup of water to it and melt it on flame. Strain it and keep aside. Put the aval in a vessel and sprinkle some water. Mix well so that the aval is just wet. Keep aside for 10 minutes. Heat ghee in a non stick pan and splutter sesame seeds. Pour the melted jaggery and add the grated coconut. Stir well for 2 minutes. Add the wet aval and cardamom powder. Mix well for 2 minutes till the aval is well coated wit the jaggery and coconut. Put off the fire. Transfer it to a serving dish. This can be stored in the refrigerator for a month. Make more of it and store. Take out the quantity you want, warm for 20 seconds in the microwave and serve.

Now I am sending the secret ingredients to my dear blogger friends Latha and Rachel.

What you need:

All purpose flour (maida) -2 cups
Eggs -2
Salt -to taste
Water

For the filling:

Grated coconut -2 cups
Cardamom powder -1 tsp
Sugar -5 tbsp

Method:

Break the eggs into a bowl and beat them well. Add some water and mix well. Add the flour and salt and mix with an egg beater to form a smooth batter. The batter should be thinner than the dosa consistency. Add more water if needed. In another bowl, mix together grated coconut, sugar and cardamom powder. Keep aside. Heat a non stick frying pan and smear some oil on it. Pour a large spoonful of batter and tilt the pan to make a thin round pancake. Keep on mediun flame. Fry lightly on both sides. Transfer the pancake on to a plate. While you make the next one, place a tablespoon of the coconut filling on one end of the pancake and roll it. Transfer it to a serving dish. Repeat the process with the rest of the batter. You can make 12 pancakes out of it.

]]> http://saltandspice.org/2007/11/02/muttakuzhalappam-coconut-pancake/feed/ 28 http://saltandspice.org/2007/10/12/pachoru/ http://saltandspice.org/2007/10/12/pachoru/#comments Fri, 12 Oct 2007 06:48:00 +0000 lissie http://saltandspice.org/?p=28
Pachoru is an ancient Christian delicacy. It is usually made during Church Festivals. In olden days, when one’s wishes come true, people used to make Pachoru and take it to the church and distribute it to the devotees, on the festival day. It is served with melted jaggery and can be eaten as a snack or a dessert. Kids will love it too!

Velankanni is a famous pilgrim centre in Tamil Nadu. The church is dedicated to Our Lady of Health. It is one of the most visited pilgrim places in India. The festival is celebrated on September 8th every year. Mother Mary is lovingly known as ‘Annai Velankanni’ throughout Tamil Nadu. You can read more about Velankanni here.