Pazham nirachathu /Stuffed banana

Pazham nirachathu is another malabar dish and is a part of Ifthar party. This is a very tasty snack with coconut filling and dipped in maida batter. It is a very healthy snack for kids.

Ingredients
Ripe banana /Ethakka – 2nos medium

For fillings
Grated coconut – 5tsp
Sugar -3tsp
Cardamom powder – ¼ tsp
Chopped cashew – 2-3tsp
Raisins – 1tsp
Ghee – 2tsp

To cover the fillings
All purpose flour/ Maida – 4tsp
Rice flour – 2tsp
Salt – a pinch
Water to make thick paste – 2-4tsp

For dipping batter
Maida – ½- ¾ cup
Sugar – 3tsp
Turmeric – ¼ tsp (optional)
Cardamom powder – ¼ tsp
Water – ¼ - ½ cup (to make thick batter to dip banana )
Ghee for frying -3-4tsp

How to prepare
For filling
=►Mix grated coconut, cardamom powder and sugar.
=►Heat 2tsp of ghee in a pan and put above coconut mixture, cashews and raisins.
=►Saute it for 2-3min and leave the mixture to cool down.

To cover the fillings
=►Mix maida (4stp), rice flour, salt along with 2-4tsp of water and make thick paste.

For Making dipping batter
=►Mix together maida ( ½ - ¾ cup), sugar ,turmeric(optional), cardamom powder.
=►And add enough water to make thick batter.

To stuff the banana
=►Make a slit in banana (centre of banana) and another slit between 2inch width as shown in the picture.
=►separate that Piece from the banana and put filling mixture into that (2-3tsp) and cover it with the same piece what we took before.
=►Then seal the gap with thick maida paste.
=►Now dip whole banana in batter and fry it very well.

Beetroot pakovada

This is a very easy to prepare tea time snack which can be best enjoyed over a cup of hot tea. This is nutritious and looks very colorful. It’s a better way to serve to children who don’t eat beetroot.

Ingredients
Beetroot – 1medium size
Ginger- garlic paste – 2tsp
Green chilies – 2nos (optional)
Besan/ kadala podi - 1cup
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Chilly powder – 2tsp
Garam masala – ½ tsp
Finely chopped curry leaves – 1-2tsp
Oil – ½ cup (for deep frying)

Water- 2 cups
Salt to taste

How to prepare
=► Peel the skin and boil beetroot in enough water and grate it well.
=► Take a bowl mix all ingredients (except oil) along with little water.
=► Coat grated beetroot with besan mixture.
=► Heat oil in a pan, take a spoon full of mixture and put into hot oil.
=► Fry it (deep fry) each pieces very well and serve hot with ketchup.

Mango Ice-cream

I love mango a lot and mango ice creams and khulfis are my favorite. I used to think a lot of making mango ice creams and at last got some good methods from net.

Ingredients
Mango puree – 1cup (You can get this from any Indian store)
Condensed milk – ½ - ¾ cup
Heavy whipping cream – ¾ -1 cup
Honey – 2tsp (optional)

How to prepare
=► Take a bowl put heavy whipping cream and whip it well either by hand or
electric mixer (This is to get good thick cream).
=►Then add condensed milk, mango puree and honey (optional) into it.
=► Mix it well and pour to glass vessel and cover it with lid.
=► Keep it in freezer for 5-6 hr. Serve as a dessert.
=► Add cherry or any other decorative things to give it a party look.


Note- If you have mangoes then you can make the puree by taking the mango pulp and adding sugar to it. Make sure that you filter it to get only the pulp.

Submitting this to Akheela's Food palette series Orange

Chowari payasam / Pal Vazhakkka

This is a special payasam mainly made for Ramadan time. To make it a solid pudding it is kept in refrigerator for 15-30min.


Ingredients
Chowari / Sabudana/ Tapioca balls – ¾ cup
Milk – 2 ½ cups
Condensed milk – 2tsp (optional)
Ripe banana or Robust banana – 1no (cut into small pieces)
Sugar – ¼ cup
Cashew – as reqd
Ghee – 2tsp

How to prepare
=►Soak chowari in hot water for 10-15min.
=►Boil 2 ½ cups of milk in a pan on medium flame.
=►When it boils add soaked chowari into it.
=►Cook it well, then add sugar and condensed milk(optional).
=►Mix it well and switch off the flame.
=►Heat 2tsp of oil in a pan put cashew and fry it well.
=►Add ripe banana pieces into it and sauté it and switch off the flame.
=► Add fried cashew & banana pieces into the chowari payasam.

Coconut Halwa

This is an easy to prepare dish and very sweet in taste. Children will surely like this one. If you don’t have much time and don’t know what dessert to prepare for any party—you can try this recipe.
Ingredients
Grated coconut – ½ cup
Jaggery /Sharkkara – 4-5 cubes
Cardamom powder – ¼ tsp
Melted ghee – 1tsp
Water – ½ cup























How to prepare
=►Boil ½ cup water along with jaggery and make a thick liquid.
=►When it becomes thick add grated coconut, cardamom powder and ghee.
=►Saute it well for 3-4 min on medium flame.
=►When the mixture turns very tight, switch off the flame.
=►Transfer to plate (add little bit ghee on plate.
=► Spread it evenly and keep it in refrigerator for less than 1hour.
=►Take outside and cut it into small pieces.

Kuzhalappam

This is a very tasty crispy tubular shaped snack from Kerala coated with light sugar syrup. You will find this in any bakery in Kerala. This is a good tea time snack. Children will love it any time.

Ingredients
Slightly fine rice powder/pachari – ¾ cup
Sesame seeds – 1 ½ tsp
Water – 3/4-1cup
Oil for deep frying
Salt to taste

For grinding
Sliced shallots (Small onion) – ¼ cup
Cumin seeds (Jeerakam) – 1tsp
Grated coconut – ¼ cup
Grind it and make fine paste.

For syrup preparation
Sugar – ½ cup
Water – ¼ cup
Cardamom pods – 2-3 nos






















How to prepare
=►Grind all the ingredients mentioned above in the grinding section.
=►Mix well the slightly roasted rice flour, sesame seeds and the above grinded paste.
=►Boil one cup of water with ¼ tsp of salt.
=►When it boils add mixed rice powder and stir it continuously and reduce the flame.
=►Allow it to cook for 1-2min on sim flame and switch off the flame.
=► Make a dough out of this and if it is very stick add little rice powder to make it non sticky.
=►Knead it well and make small balls like you make for poori (smaller than chapatti).
=►Take chapatti board or marble piece and place the dough ball on to the board and press it. (Use oil or rice powder on the board other wise the rice will stick on the board)
=►Press it till it becomes in the shape of a poori.
=►Then roll it lengthwise using fingers. Place the dough on your middle finger so that it gets a cylindrical shape. Remove the dough from the finger so that it is void from inside like a PVC cylinder.
=►Heat oil in a pan and fry(deep fry) it until it becomes light brown in color.
=►Make thick sugar syrup and pour it over these.

Note – If you want more sugary you can dip the fried Kuzhalappam in sugar syrup.

Pazham nurukku & Rice Ada

Rice ada and pazham nuruku is mainly taken as breakfast on the Onam morning in malabar region. Pappadam is also taken along with these which gives a salty taste to the breakfast.


Preparation of pazhamnurukku
Cut 2 banana (nentra pazham) to pieces and boil it with 3 pieces of jaggery. This is for giving more sweet taste.

Rice Ada (Pancake)

It is a special breakfast for Onam. Normally rice ada is made using banana leaf. But as it is difficult to get banana leaf so I have used flat surface without using leaf or any paper. This one is a good tea time snacks also.

Ingredients
Fine rice powder – 1cup
Grated coconut – ½ cup
Melted Jaggery (Sharkkara) – 3-4tsp
Cardamom Powder – ¼ tsp
Dry ginger (Chukku Podi) powder – ¼ tsp
Salt – as rqd
Oil – 1tsp
Hot Water for making dough

How to prepare
=►Make a dough with rice powder, salt and hot water.
=►The dough consistency should be like idiyappam dough (should not be dry).
After that make dough balls (Bigger than chapatti balls)
=►Make a sweet mix with melted jaggery, grated coconut, cardamom & dry ginger.
=►Place one dough on the flat surface (I used upside down of a steel plate and apply a little oil)
to spread the dough on the surface in round shape using hand.




=►Then add 2tsp of sweet mix in half portion.
=►Fold it and press all the sides using hand.
=►Place into a staeamer cooker for steaming.

Gulab Jamun (Waffle balls)

It is one of the famous Indian desserts made from dough consisting mainly of milk solids and flour in sugar syrup. Gulab Jamun powder is commercially available which makes it very easily prepareable.

Ingredients
Milk powder – ½ cup
Maida (whole purpose flour) – 1-2tsp
Butter – 1 ½ tsp
Baking soda – ½ tsp
Whole milk for making dough
Oil for deep frying
Cashew & Pistachio for decorating

For the syrup preparation
Sugar – 1cup
Water – 2cups
Cardamom pods – 2-3nos

How to prepare
=►Take a vessel. Add ½ cup of milk powder, whole purpose flour and baking soda.
=►Mix it well and make dough along with enough milk and melted butter.
=►Keep aside the dough for 3-5 min.
=►Make small dough balls like gooseberry shape.
=►Heat oil in a pan and fry each dough balls very well.
=►Make sugar syrup with 1cup of sugar, cardamom pods and water.
=►Put all fried balls into the hot sugar syrup and decorate with cashews & pistachio.
=►Leave it overnight to get best results.

Kalathappam (Rice Cake)

Kalathappam is a famous Malabar snack and is also called rice cake. This is mainly an evening snack and also for the ifthar party. This has two versions, one is sweetened and another one is non sweetened. Here I am giving you sweetened version. Fried shallots & coconut gives immense taste to kalathappam.

Ingredients
White rice/Pachari – 1cup
Cooked parboiled or matta rice – 4tsp
Baking soda – ¼ tsp
Melted jaggery – ½ cup
Cumin seeds -1/2 tsp
Cashew & Raisin – a few
Cardamom powder – ½ tsp
Coconut slices/thenga kothu – 3tsp
Finely sliced shallots/Small onion – 3-4 tspGhee – 4tsp

How to prepare
=►Soak rice for 4-5 hours and grind it along with ½ cup of melted jaggery and 4tsp of cooked rice.
=►Add baking, cumin seeds and cardamom powder into the fine paste (consistency like idly batter)
=►Mix it well and keep it aside for 3-4hour.
=►Heat 2tsp of ghee in a pan, put cashew, raisins, sliced coconut and shallots into it.
=►Fry it well and keep it aside.
=►Preheat a cooker(used 3litre) add 2tsp of ghee and put 1tsp of fried coconut & shallots into it.
=►Then pour the batter into the cooker and put cashew, resins and remaining fried shallots and coconut into the above the batter.
=►Close it with lid (without whistle) and allow it to cook for 10-15min on medium flame.
Steps.
=►Switch off the flame when you see steam coming through the whistle hole.
=►Allow it to cool for sometime and remove the lid. Take out kalathappam from the cooker carefully so that it retains the shape.

Unnakaya (Banana flambe fritters)

This is simple tea time snack and another tasty snack from Malabar which is made with ripe Banana. This can be made in different methods. You can make the filling with egg or without it. The below preparation is without egg one.

Ingredients
Ripe banana (Kerala banana) – 2nos
Grated Coconut – 4-6tsp
Sugar – 1 ½ tsp
Cardamom powder – a pinch
Cashew nut – a few
Raisin – a few
Ghee or oil for deep frying


How to prepare
For fillings

=►Heat 1tsp of ghee in a pan add nuts, raisin, grated coconut, sugar,
& cardamom powder into it.
=►Saute it till the sugar completely melts and keep it aside (1-2min).

Method
=►Boil ripe banana (only half ripe) and mash it to a fine paste (like chapatti dough).
=► Make small balls like chapatti balls..
=►Take the dough ball in hand and press it with palm to make an oval shape.
=►Put 1-2tsp of filling (depends on your size of dough) into the dough and
fold it carefully.
=►Press the edges and close it so that it retains the oval shape.
=►Heat ghee or oil in a pan and fry till it turns golden brown (deep fry).

Note: If the dough is little bit loose, add a little rice powder or bread crumbs. We can do shallow fry but the taste will be little lesser than deep fed one.

Potato Fry (Urulakizhangu Upperi)

Everyone know potato is a good source of carbohydrates and it also contain vitamins and minerals. We can put it any gravies. It will give taste and thickness. This is simple and easy to make recipe which can be a very good side dish for rice.

Ingredients
Potato – 2medium size
Mustard seeds – 1/4tsp
Dry red chilies – 2nos
Curry leaves – a few
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Garam masala – ½ tsp
Chilly powder – ½ tsp
Oil - 1tsp

How to Prepare
=►Cut Potato to cylindrical shape.
=►Boil sliced skinned potato with ½ tsp of salt.
=►Cut boiled potato to small pieces (cubes).

=►Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter.
=►Add dry red chilies, curry leaves, turmeric, garam masala and
chilly powder into it.
=►Sauté it well and put potato pieces into it .
=►Mix it carefully and let it fry for another 1-2 min on medium flame.
=►Once potato absorbs the flavor of spices, turn off the flame .

Palada Pradaman (Rice flakes kheer)

It is a sweet dish made of rice flakes (ada),sugar and milk. Instead of sugar we can usejaggery(shakara). Pradaman has its own role in any sadhya.

Ingredients
Rice ada -1/2cup
Milk – 4cups
Sugar – as rqd
Ghee -1tsp
Cashews & Raisins – a few

How to Prepare
=►Soak rice ada (readymade ada) in hot water for 15min.
=►After that wash rice ada in water (It helps to make it smooth & smell free).
=►Heat a pan, add 4cups of milk into it and allow it to boil.
=►Keep stirring till it becomes light brown. It would become condense(thick) by now.
=►Add drained ada into it and keep on stirring until the ada becomes soft.
=►Add sugar to taste, stir it so that it mixes well and switch off the flame.
=►Add resins and cashew fried in ghee into it.

Note: You can get readymade ada from Indian stores. The whole process can take 1hr.Make sure that you are putting ada only after the milk has become thick after stirring (step 4). If you want to make it more thick add condensed milk (milkmaid).

Bread balls

This is a tea time snack and is very tasty. Children will surely like this bread balls. All the ingredients are readily available ones and the preparation is also very easy. This can also be served as an appetizer in any party.

Ingredients
Bread – 3 pieces
Milk – 1 1/2tsp
Cardamom powder – a pinch
Sugar – 1/2tsp
Grated nuts (optional) – 1tsp
Oil for deep frying



How to Prepare
=►Remove the 4 sides(brown color border) from the bread (I used wheat bread).
=►Make a dough along with bread pieces, milk, cardamom, nuts and sugar.
=►The dough should be softer than chapatti dough and make small balls (like small gooseberry).
=►Fry each bread balls in oil. Fry it till the balls turns brown color.
=►serve hot with tea or coffee.

Pappada Vada

This is a tea time snack which is easy to make and tasty, Pappad is dipped in a special batter of rice and is deep fried to make this salty crispy snack.

Ingredients
White Rice Powder – 1/2cup
Cumin seeds – 4tsp
Sesame seeds (ellu) -5tsp
Turmeric powder -1/2tsp
Red chilly powder – 3/4tsp
Pappadam - 10
Salt – a pinch
Oil – 1cup
Water – 1cup

How to Prepare
=►Take a vessel and pour 1/2cup of nice rice powder along with water and salt.
=►Mix it properly and make sure that the batter consistency is thinner than dosha batter.
=►Add turmeric pwdr, red chilly pwdr, cumin and sesame seeds and mix well.
=►Heat one cup of oil in a pan and dip pappad in the above mixture.
=►When it turns golden brown and crips remove and is ready to serve with tea.

Parippu Payasam ( Moong Dal Kheer )

One of the sweetest dish of south India, easy to make and readily available ingredients makes it a flavor to cherish. A very good healthy payasam.

Ingredients
Yellow split Moong dal – 1/2cup
(Cherupayar parippu)
Jaggery (Sarkkara) – 3-4cubes
Coconut Milk – ½ cup
Cashew nuts – 6nos
Cardamom – 3nos
Raisins – 6-10nos
Ghee – 3tsp




How to prepare

=►Preheat a tava, add ½ tsp of ghee and yellow moong dal into it on a medium flame.
=►Roast it until the color changes from yellow to light red and keep it aside.
=►Heat ghee in another pan, add and roast raisins & cashew nuts separately.
=►Cook moong dal with 1/4 cup of coconut milk and one cup of water.(I used pressure cooker and allow it to give 2 whistle).
=►Next take 4 cubes of jaggery in a pan and add 1/4 cup of water, allow it to melt properly and stir continuously.
=►Add melted jaggery in to cooked dal and allow it to cook for another 3-4 min on
a medium flame.
=►Reduce the heat and add cardamom, 1/4cup of coconut milk into it and mix it properly.
=►Finaly switch off the flame and garnish with raisins and cashew nuts…..