UNNI APPAM

 UNNI APPAM

Toady's recipe is for a sweet/snack that is very popular in Kerala called "Unni Appam" also written as "Unniyappam". The main ingredients for making this are: rice, banana, and jaggery. It gets its name from "Unni "meaning "small" in Malayalam the local language there. "Appam" is for the round rice cake which we call Appo/Appe in Konkani and Paniyaram in Tamil. 

This can be made in different ways. One method is to soak the rice and grind it to a batter. I use the other method which is simpler in which we use use rice flour.  I particularly love the addition of small pieces of roasted coconut in the batter which adds to the taste of the Unni Appams. 

I have adapted this recipe from Unni Appam in Gita's Kitchen. In this, however, she has not roasted the coconut pieces.

Please remember that the sweetness of the Unni Appams will depend on quantity of the jaggery and the sweetness of the banana used. Some prefer to use over ripe banana while others prefer to use less sweet bananas so that they don't overpower the taste of the appams. This of course is a matter of individual taste!

 Do try this out and I am sure you will love it!

Ingredients:-

• Rice Flour, 1 cup
• Jaggery, 1 cup
• Ripe Banana, 1
• Coconut Pieces, 1/2 cup
• Cardamom Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Ghee, as required to make the Unni Appams

Method:-

Wash and peel the banana and chop this into pieces 

Grate the jaggery

Cut the coconut into small pieces and fry them in ghee till they give off a good aroma. Keep aside. 

In a thick bottomed kadhai, dry roast the rice flour for a couple of minutes

Transfer to a bowl and keep aside

Make the jaggery syrup by dissolving the grated jaggery with a little water and boiling it for about 5 minutes

Strain the jaggery syrup and add it to the rice flour and mix well

To this add the chopped banana pieces  and transfer the rice flour-banana mixture to a mixer jar 

Grind the ingredients adding water a little by little to get a thick batter 

The batter should be thick but of a flowing consistency 

Remove the batter to a vessel and add the cardamom powder and pieces of fried coconut

Mix well and allow it to ferment for 3 to 4 hours

After about 3 hours, mix the batter before use

Heat the special griddle/appe kayli/paniyarakkal on a medium low flame
When it is hot, pour about 1/2 tsp of ghee in each of the sockets
When the ghee gets heated, pour the prepared batter to fill each of the sockets.
Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes on low/medium flame
Using a skewer, flip the Unni Appams carefully and fry the other side
Once the Unni Appams are cooked, take them out using a skewer
Serve hot

Hints: 

• Take care not to overfill the sockets with the batter
• If you are not sure whether the Unni Appam is cooked, you can poke it with the skewer to check. It should come out clean when it is well cooked. 
• Keeping the Unni Appams for too long on one side results in it getting burnt. Flip to fry the other side at the right time
• When the Unni Appams turn a golden brown, you know they are well cooked.

CHUTTARACHA MULAGA CHAMMANDHI

 CHUTTARACHA MULAGA CHAMMANDHI

In a cookery group in Facebook in which I am a member, we were asked to share recipes of some favourite dishes. In this way, I was introduced to this lip smacking spicy Chuttaracha Mulaga Chammandhi by Mr Anil Kumar Ramdas whom I thank for this recipe. 

Apparently, in Malayalam, "Chammandhi/Chammanthi" is the word used for chutney. The dish gets its name from the way it is made. Since red chillies, the main ingredient in this chutney, are fried, its name  in Malayalam loosely translates to Fried Red Chillies Chutney. It makes for a delicious accompaniment to dosas and idlis. 

Since this recipe is from Kerala, I may mention that elsewhere in this blog you will some recipes from dishes from this South Indian State such as:-

• Mathanga Pulinkari - a curry made with pumpkins
• Ulli Theeyal - a dish made with shallots (small onions)
• Raw Banana Stir Fry- Kerala Style

I tried out the Chuttaracha Mulaga Chammandhi recently- I had not tasted this ever before- and we relished it with hot dosas. 

Ingredients:-

• Red Chillies, 8 or as per taste
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1/2 cup
• Deskinned Shallots, 8-10
• Turmeric Powder, 1/8 tsp
• Tamarind, size of a small marble
• Curry Leaves, a sprig
• Salt, to taste
• Coconut Oil, 2 tbsp

Method:-

Heat a pan with about 2 tbsp of coconut oil and fry the red chillies. 

Saute the red chillies and when they start changing colour add the deskinned shallots

Saute till the chillies change colour and the shallots become golden in colour 

Add the turmeric powder and sauté for another 1 minute

Add the curry leaves, tamarind, salt to taste and sauté for 2 more minutes

Transfer the roasted ingredients to a plate and allow them to cool

In a small mixer jar grind these roasted ingredients along with fresh coconut gratings 

I have added a little water at this stage though the recipe called for the addition of 1 tbsp of coconut oil 

Grind well till the coconut gets well blended with the ground paste 

Transfer to serving plate

Serve Chuttarcha Mulaga Chammandhi with hot dosas

 

NENDRA PAZHAM PRADHAMAN

 NENDRA PAZHAM PRADHAMAN

I am delighted to share with you that today, March 21, 2021 happens to be the 8th anniversary of my blog. I would like to thank you my family, friends and followers of this blog, for your continued encouragement and support for "Cooking With Shobana" since I started this in 2013.  

The blog allows me to follow my passion for cooking. To learn new dishes and share them through this medium. By God's grace, my blog has received over 3.21 million hits so far and has over 18900 followers on Facebook. 

When my husband encouraged me to start this blog in 2013, I never imagined it would reach this level of featuring in The Best Food Blogs of India from the reputed Indian Bloggers website. I am grateful to Shri Ganesha for his blessing. 

Today's recipe called Nendra Parzham Pradhaman is for a dessert made with ripe Nendra Pazham, a speciality banana of Kerala. Pradhaman is a popular dessert made for festivals in Kerala though it involves a lot of work! Usually, coconut milk (both thick and medium/thin) is first extracted to make this dish. These days this is available in Tetrapacks too! The amount of jaggery added will depend upon the sweetness of the ripe bananas used, and of course, your individual taste. The colour of the Pradhaman will vary with the amount and color of the jaggery used. I have added cardamom powder for flavour but have not added dry ginger powder. 

 I have adapted this from Nendra Pazham Pradhaman in Radhika's Tickling Palates website.

We enjoyed this very much and hope you will- too! 

Ingredients:-

• Nendra Pazham ( Ripe Bananas) , 2
• Thick Coconut Milk, (first extract), 1 cup
• Medium Coconut Milk, (next extract),  1 and 1/2 cups
• Jaggery, grated, 3/4 to 1 cup
• Ghee, 4 tbsp
• Cashewnuts, 8-10, 
• Coconut Slivers, 2 tbsp
• Cardmom Powder, 1/2  tsp

Preparatory Work:-

Wash the Nendra Pazham and snip off the ends. Cut them into 2-3 pieces depending upon the size of the bananas. Place the cut banana pieces in a steamer and steam them for about 10 minutes or till they fully done. Allow them to cool and peel off the skin. 

Grind them to a pulp in a mixer jar without adding any water. 

Cut a piece of the coconut and cut into slivers. Keep aside. 

Break the cashewnuts into halves. Keep aside. 

Extract the coconut milk, first thick and then thin and keep aside. ** Process for extracting coconut milk given below 

Heat the grated jaggery in a pan on medium flame adding 2 tbsp of water. Mix till the jaggery dissolves fully. Switch off the flame and strain the jaggery syrup through a strainer and keep aside. 

Method :- 

Heat a thick bottomed pan and add 3 tbsp of ghee. Once it melts add the cooked Nendra Pazham pulp and mix well. Cook for about 5 minutes stirring continuously on medium/low flame. 

To this add the prepared jaggery syrup, mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes 

Now add the second or medium/thin coconut milk, mix and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring continuously  till the mixture thickens- take care to see that it doesn't get burnt at the bottom 

Next add the first or thick coconut milk and mix well 

Cook the pradhaman for 2 minutes on low flame then switch off the gas

(Please note that at this stage you should not cook on high heat or for too long as the thick extract could curdle) 

In a small pan heat 1 tbsp of ghee

On medium heat add the broken cashew nuts and roast them till they turn golden in colour. Keep aside

In the same pan, add the coconut slivers and sauté till they turn golden brown. Keep aside. 

Finally, add the roasted cashewnuts and coconut slivers to the pradhaman along with the cardamom powder and mix well 

Keep the pradhaman covered for  a few minutes

The Nendra Pazham Pradhaman can be served hot immediately or served later after it is chilled as per your choice.

** Extracting The Coconut Milk: 

Take a medium-sized coconut. Break it and keep the coconut water aside. Scrape the coconut gratings and grind them well in a mixer jar with 1 cup of water. Next, filter this coconut pulp through a sieve or through a muslin cloth. This gives you the first or thick coconut milk extract.

Place back the coconut gratings pulp  in the mixer, add 1 and 1/2 cups of water and grind once again. Repeat the filtering process to get the second/medium/thin coconut milk extract. 

NENDRA PAZHAM FRITTERS

 NENDRA PAZHAM FRITTERS 

The State of Kerala is famous for bananas of different types. Amongst them a very popular one is the  Nendra Pazham. This is called Nendra Baale Hannu in Kannada and Nandra Baale Kele in my mother tongue, Konkani. This variety grows to large sizes and has many health benefits since it is rich in fibre, vitamins and minerals.

Several dishes can be made using the Nendra Pazham. Today I have made shallow fried fritters which are easy to make yet delicious! In Konkani, we call these Nandra Baale Kele Phodis. For best results, the Nendra Pazham has to be fully ripe yet firm. It does not matter if the banana skin has blackened as this indicates the banana has ripened. However it should not be so ripe that it becomes squishy and difficult to slice. 

These fritters are served as an accompaniment to the main meal or can be had as a snack. The inherent sweetness of the Nendra Pazham is complemented by the mild addition of spices. 

Ingredients:-

• Nendra Pazham, 2
• Chilli Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida, 1/8 tsp 
• Salt, 1 tsp or to taste 
• Rice Flour, 1 tbsp
• Sooji/ Rava, 1 tbsp
• Oil, for shallow frying, 

Method:-

Wash the Nendra Pazham and cut it into half. Peel and discard the skin. Cut each of the halves of the banana into three slices. You will get 12 slices from the two bananas used. 

Mix together chilli powder, asafoetida and salt and apply this to both sides of the banana slices 

Keep aside for about 5 minutes

In a plate, mix together the rice flour and sooji

Dust both sides of each of the marinated banana slices in the rice flour-sooji mixture

Heat a thick bottomed wide pan, add 1 tbsp of oil and spread it evenly 

On medium heat place the banana slices and roast till one side gets done and becomes golden brown in colour. 

Take care that the fritters don't get burnt as the sweetness of the bananas tend to make them get burnt fast. 

Flip and similarly roast the other side adding oil as required 

Switch off the gas and transfer the Nendra Pazham Fritters to a serving plate

RAW BANANA STIR FRY KERALA STYLE

RAW BANANA STIR FRY KERALA STYLE

Raw/Green Bananas are known to be rich in fibre and potassium. They are often used in dishes made in the South Indian states of Kerala, Tamilnadu and Karnataka. In Malayalam and Tamil, raw/green bananas are called Vazhakka. In Kannada, they are known as Balekayi.

Being good for health, I make dishes using raw/green bananas from time to time. Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for Vazhakkai Poriyal, Raw/Green Banana Roast, and our own Kele Koddel from Konkani cuisine.

This dish has been adapted from Vazhakka Mezhukkupuratti in the well known website Padhu's Kitchen.

Ingredients:-

• Raw/Green Bananas, 2
• Baby Onions, 10
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Pepper Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Garlic Cloves, 2
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 2 
• Coconut Oil, 2 tsp
• Mustard Seeds, 1 tsp
• Curry Leaves, a few

Method:

Wash, peel and cube the raw bananas. Soak them in water to avoid discolouration
Heat water in a pan, add the cubed raw bananas along with turmeric powder and salt
Cook the raw bananas till they get done taking care that they do not get overcooked as bananas get cooked quite fast
Drain the excess water and keep aside the cooked raw bananas

Peel the baby onions and garlic cloves
In a small mixer jar, coarsely grind the baby onions, garlic cloves and red chillies without adding any water. Keep aside

Heat coconut oil in a pan and on medium heat add the mustard seeds
When they splutter add the curry leaves and saute for a few seconds
Next add the onion-chilli-garlic paste prepared earlier
Mix well and saute till the raw smell goes

To this add the cooked bananas, pepper powder and salt as required
Cook on medium heat for a few minutes till the bananas get well blended with the spices
Switch off the gas and transfer the RawBanana Stir Fry to a serving bowl

MATHANGA ERISSERY

MATHANGA ERISSERY

Today's dish is made with Yellow Pumpkin which is nutrient rich and is an excellent source of Vitamin A as per this article in Mayo Clinic Health System.

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes using Pumpkin such as Red Pumpkin Soup, Yellow Pumpkin Kootu, and Mathanga Pulinkari.

In today's dish which is called Mathanga Erissery,  we make use of pumpkin, (which is called Mathanga in Malayalam) and Red Cowpeas (which are called Van Payar in Malayalam and Alasande in Kannada. We call this chawli in Konkani/Marathi.)

In Kerala cuisine, erissery is a thick side dish which is served as an accompaniment to rice. It is recommended that we use coconut oil as that is used in authentic Kerala cooking.

I have adapted this dish from Mathanga (Pumpkin) Van Payar Erissery from the Kothiyavunu blog.

We had this as a side dish with rice and enjoyed it immensely.

Ingredients:

• Mathanga (Yellow Pumpkin), chopped, 1 cup 
• Red Cowpeas, 1/2 cup
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Chilli Powder, 1 tsp
• Salt, to taste

To Make A Ground Paste :

• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1/2 cup 
• Cumin Seeds (Jeera), 1 tsp
• Green Chillies, 3-4
• Small Onions, 2

For Seasoning:-

• Mustard Seeds, 1 tsp
• Red Chilli, broken into half
• Curry Leaves, a few
• Coconut Oil, 2 tsp

For Garnishing :-

• Grated Coconut, 1/4 cup  
• Coconut Oil, 1 tsp 

Method:-

Wash and soak the red cowpeas for 6-7 hours or overnight
Drain out the water 

Pressure cook the red cowpeas with adequate water and a little salt for 2-3 whistles or till they get cooked. However, do ensure they do not get mushy or overcooked. Once the cooker cools, remove the cooked red cowpeas, drain the water and keep aside. 

Wash and peel the pumpkin, remove the core and seeds and chop the pumpkin

In a mixer, grind together the fresh coconut gratings, green chillies, cumin seeds and small onions to a smooth paste, adding just the required amount of water. Keep this ground paste aside. 

Cook the pumpkin pieces in adequate water in a pan along with turmeric powder, chilli powder, and salt till it is done

To this,  add the cooked red cowpeas and mash everything lightly
Next add the ground paste and mix thoroughly
Check for salt and bring to a boil

Heat 2 tsp of oil in a small pan and when it gets hot add the mustard seeds on medium heat
When the mustard seeds splutter, add the broken red chilli and curry leaves and saute for a few seconds
Add this seasoning to the mathanga erissery

Heat 1 tsp of oil in the pan and fry the grated coconut till it becomes golden brown
Garnish the mathanga erissery with this fried coconut gratings

NADAN TOMATO CURRY

NADAN TOMATO CURRY

My mother's family hailed from present day Kozhikode, in the Southern State of Kerala. We therefore got to eat some dishes from that State as we grew up. I noticed that generally dishes from Kerala were cooked using coconut oil.

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for dishes from Kerala such as Mathanga Pulinkari, Ulli Theeyal, and Ash Gourd Pumpkin Coconut Stew or Kerala Olan.

Today's recipe is for a side dish made with tomatoes, done in the Kerala style. It has been adapted from Nadan Tomato Curry from Archana's Kitchen.

We had this as an accompaniment for dosas and enjoyed the combination!!

Ingredients:

• Tomatoes, 5
• Green Chillies,  2
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Chilli Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Salt, to taste

To Be Ground To A Paste:

• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1/4 cup
• Cumin Seeds, 1 tsp
• Sambar Onions,  5

For Seasoning:

• Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves, a sprig
• Coconut Oil, 1 tsp

Method:

Wash and finely chop the tomatoes and green chillies
Peel and cut the sambar onions into halves

In a small mixer jar, first grind together fresh coconut gratings, cumin seeds and halved sambar onions. To this add 1/2 cup of water, and grind once again to make a smooth paste. Keep aside. 

Heat oil in a kadhai and when it gets hot on medium heat add the mustard seeds and when they splutter add the curry leaves and saute for a few seconds
To this add the green chillies, tomatoes, turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt
Cook over low flame till the tomatoes become soft and mushy
Now add the ground paste, mix well and cook on medium flame for another 3-4 minutes
Switch off the gas and transfer the Tomato Curry to a serving bowl

Serve hot as a side dish with rice or as an accompaniment for dosas

THE FLAVOURS OF INDIA: PART III

THE FLAVOURS OF INDIA: PART III

This is the third post in The Flavours of India series. My goal is to cover one dish from my blog from as many as possible of the States and Union Territories that make up my country, India.

In The Flavours of India Part I, I had presented Nuchina Unde from Karnataka, Aloo & Pudhina Parantha from Punjab, Khandvi from Gujarat, and Mishti Doi from West Bengal.

Part II of The Flavours of India had dishes from the States of Tamilnadu, Rajasthan, Goa, and Haryana namely Adai, Dahi Pappad ki Subzi, Kokum Sol Kadhi, and Palakwali Missi Roti respectively.

In the third Part, I cover the States of Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana, and Himachal Pradesh.
As before, I have provided links to the recipes for each of the dishes presented.

9) Uttar Pradesh: a simple yet tasty dal is the Sabut Masoor ki Dal made with protein-packed Whole Masoor Dal and tomatoes.

10) Kerala: Ash Gourd Pumpkin Coconut Stew (Kerala Olan): a Kerala favourite, a mildly flavored vegetable stew.

11) Telangana: Mirchi ka Salan: yogurt-based accompaniment for biryani made with long green chillies. A popular dish in Hyderabadi cuisine.

12) Himachal Pradesh: Gobhi Parantha which are paranthas (a type of Indian flat bread) made with a stuffing of cauliflower. Typically, served with curds and pickles.

ULLI THEEYAL

ULLI THEEYAL

I love to try new dishes, particularly from other parts of India which I am not so familiar with. I recently tried out a Kerala dish called , "Ulli Theeyal" which gets its name from "Ulli" being the name for shallots (small onions) in Malayalam, while "theeyal" is the word for a roasted curry. Shallots are cooked in roasted coconut gravy to make this delicious dish.

My friend Rema Srinivas Kamath, who is from Kerala, pointed me to this dish, which I have adapted from  "Ulli Theeyal" from the "Kothiyavun" blog. I tried it out and we had this with rice. It was delicious.

Ingredients:

•  Shallots, peeled and sliced into thin pieces, 15-20 # ( I kept  them whole)
• Tamarind, small, lemon-sized, 1
• Grated Coconut, 1/2 cup
• Dried Red Chillies, 5-6
• Coriander Seeds, 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Seeds, 1/4 tsp
• Whole Black Pepper, 5-10
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp
• Asafoetida, a pinch
• Fenugreek Powder, a pinch
• Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves, a few
• Sugar, a pinch ( optional)
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, as needed

Method:
Slice the shallots lengthwise into thin pieces.
Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of warm water and take out the extract.
Heat 1 tsp of oil and stir fry the red chilly, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black pepper corns, grated coconut and turmeric powder till it gives off an aroma and turns brown. Take care not to burn the spices.
Keep it aside and let it cool.
Grind it to a smooth paste
Heat 2 tbsp. oil and splutter mustard seeds, add curry leaves, sliced shallots.
Saute till shallots turn light brown,
Add asafoetida, salt, fenugreek powder, into it and saute for a while.
Add tamarind extract and allow it to boil for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add water, if necessary.
Add the ground paste and sugar and simmer for another 3-4 minutes
Remove from fire and serve hot with steamed rice.