Idiyappam (String Hoppers)

Idiyappam, a traditional Kerala breakfast dish, can be included in the group of healthy dishes.  This is my hubby’s favourite breakfast.  Although I used to make it occasionally, I love my co-sister’s preparation.  She used to make soft idiyappams.  Here is her recipe of making soft idiyappams.Ingredients:-

Roasted rice flour (sieved)  2 cups

Water                                      3 cups

Salt                                         to taste

Grated coconut                     1 cup

Oil                                           to grease the plates

Method:-

Boil the water and add salt.  Remove from fire.  Add the rice flour and stir it well. Allow it to cool down slightly.  When it still warm (cools down slightly)  knead the dough very well until it is soft.   If the dough is not soft, add little more warm water and knead well.  Make lemon-sized balls with this dough and keep aside.

 Grease the idiyappam moulds (idly plates) with little oil. Take idiyappam maker.  Put the small-holed disc in it.   Place the balls of dough into the idiyappam maker. 

Turn the handle of the idiyappam maker clockwise and let the dough in the shape of noodles fall on the moulds.  When the mould is filled sprinkle 1 tbsp of grated coconut on top of the idiyappam.   Repeat this process until all the idli moulds filled.

 Stack the filled idli moulds on the idli stand and steam cook for 10 minutes.   After 10 minutes, remove the idli plates from the steamer and allow it to cool.  After cooling slide the idiyappam from the idly plates on to a serving dish.

Achappam

 

Achappam is a traditional snack both in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.  In Tamil nadu it is known as “achumurukku”.  You can avoid eggs if you are a pure vegetarian. 

Ingredients:-

Raw rice flour 3 cups

powdered Sugar 3/4 cup

Grated coconut 3 cups

Eggs 2 nos

Salt 1/2 teaspoon

sesame seeds 3 teaspoon

vanila essence 1/2 teaspoon

Oil for deep frying

Method:-

Extract 3 cups of thick coconut milk (1st extract) from grated coconut and keep aside. Beat the eggs very well with an egg beater. Mix together beaten eggs, sugar, rice flour, coconut milk, salt, sesame seeds, and vanila essence to the consistency of dosa batter.

Heat oil and dip the achappam mould. The achappam mould should become very hot to the extent of achappams should come out from the mould when you dip it in the oil.

Dip the 3/4 part of the achappam mould into the batter. Dip it in oil again for 1 minute. Shake the mould gently so that the achappams will come out into the oil from the mould easily. (Do not shake the mould vigourously. If so there are chances of achappams to break.)

Again dip the mould in oil and then in batter and repeat the above process. When it is golden brown turn and cook the other side.

Remove achappams from the oil and drain the excess oil by placing them on a tissue paper. When it is cool down, keep them in airtight containers.

Besan Laddu

Besan Laddu is a sweet Indian dish.  South Indian Brahmins are very expert in making laddus.  This recipe I got from Saroja Mammy, my neighbour in Coimbatore.  For all occasions like Diwali, Vinayagar Chathurthi, etc., she used to make laddu and distribute it to her neighbours.Ingredients:-

Besan(Bengal gram flour 1 cup

Rice flour 2 tablespoon

Kesar 1 pinch

Baking Powder 1/4 teaspoon

Cardamom powder 1/4 teaspoon

Broken Cashew Nut 1 tablespoon

Raisins 1 tablespoon

Sugar 2 cups

Water 1 cup

Oil for deep frying

Method:-

Mix together besan, rice flour, baking powder and kesar colour. Prepare a smooth thick batter by adding little water. Heat the oil. Take the batter in a perforated ladle and allow the drops of batter to fall into the oil. Make small balls (boondis) with this batter and keep aside.

Heat sugar and water and cardamom powder together. Stir well and allow it to reach thread consistency and keep aside.

Put the fried boondis, cashew nuts and raisins in warm sugar syrup. When the mixture is still warm make into lemon-sized balls.

Tips: Do not allow the mixture to cool down. the sugar will crystalize and the balls cannot be made.

Kerala Black Halwa

Ingredients:-

Maida 500 gms

Grated coconut 4 cups

Jaggery 750 gms

Dalda 250 gms

Vanilla essence 1 teaspoon

cardamom powder 1 teaspoon

Cashew nut 100 gms

Method:-

Take 2 litres of coconut milk from grated coconut. Mix maida in coconut milk and keep for half an hour.

Take a thick-bottomed pan. Heat jaggery. When it is melted fully allow it to cool. Pour it over the maida batter and mix well. In the pan add this mixture and bring to boil, stirring continuously. Add dalda little by little to the mix. When it is half done add cardamom powder and vanila esence. When the whole thing becomes a lump and started to come off from the pan, add cashew nuts and then pour the mixture into greased plates. Allow it to cool. Then cut and serve.

Pineapple wine

Mutton Khorma

Chakka Varattiyathu (Jackfruit pulp cooked in jaggery)

Another masterpiece from Kerala kitchens.  You can make a number of snacks with this basic recipe.  Nowadays with the use of pressure cooker and mixer grinder it becomes little bit easy to prepare.  Still  it is a time-consuming dish, but it does worth the pain.   In olden days this was a full day program for my grandma, mom, aunts and maids.  Altogether they started to prepare this from the morning in large Urulis (Thick-bottomed large bronze kadais) and by night the devouring smell of  chakka Halwa (one of the end product) is hovering in our home.  Granny used to pack nicely the remaining chakka varattiyathu in airtight containers and keep it for long time to make other snacks.  This time when we go for summer vacation to Kerala my co-sister made and packed it for us with love.

Chakka Upperi (Jackfruit Chips)

 

This crispy chips you can store even for an year.  My gradma used to make this during jackfruit season and stored it in airtight containers for a whole year.  During our childhood days it used to be a common snack in most part of the Kerala.  Ingredients:-

Chakka Chula (Raw Jackfruit)            500 gms

Salt                 to taste

Oil                   500 ml (for deep frying)

Method:-

Remove the seeds from jackfruit.  Cut off  the top and bottom edge of each fruit.  Cut each fruit lengthwise.  Heat oil. Deep fry the sliced jackfruits in oil.  Stir occasionally.  When it is golden brown, take the chips out from oil and put in a steel strainer.  Sprinkle salt.  Allow it to cool and then store it in airtight containers.

Chakka Kuzhachathu(Jackfruit with coconut and spices)

Ingredients:-

Chakka chula/ Raw Jackfruit flesh            500 gms

Garlic                                                  4 cloves

Curry leaves                                       1 sprig

Salt                                                        to taste

 Grated coconut                                   1 cup

Button onion                                       3 nos.

Turmeric powder                                   1/2 tsp

Green chillies                         5 nos

For seasoning:-

Oil                                                       1 tablespoon

Mustard seeds                         1/2 teaspoon

Button Onion                                      3 nos.

Curry leaves                                       1 sprig

red chilli                                              1 no. (slit

Method:-

Remove seeds from jackfruit flesh and slice it lengthwise. 

Grind grated coconut , turmeric powder , green chilly, and button onion without water.

In a thick-bottomed pan, first add 1 cup of water, then ground coconut paste, salt, curry leaves and garlic, and then sliced jackfruit,  Cover with a lid and bring to boil.  When the steam comes up (10 minutes) remove from fire.  Keep aside.  Do not open the lid.

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.  When it crackles add sliced button onion, dried red chilly and curry leaves.  Pour it over the jackfruit-coconut mix and stir the whole thing well.(Kuzhakkuka).

Vegetable Noodles