Summers bring with them a much lower appetite. And also plenty of yummy fruits! The Kerala banana, or nenthra-pazham (നേന്ത്രപഴം), is very high in carbs, therefore very filling. And high carbs is exactly what you are looking for, in the perfect breakfast. Pair it up with a glass of milk, and you’re good to go!
This can also be made with the regular big bananas, although the texture and taste will be completely different.
I am an idly lover. On those mornings when I wake up craving idly and there isn’t an ounce of batter in the fridge, guess what comes to the rescue? Rava idly! This quick recipe makes a very yummy breakfast.
You can buy rava idly mixes in the market. I used to. Until I turned the packet over and read the ingredients. These rava idly packets are charging you for pouring some oil and spices over rava! It’s crazy! That was absolutely the last day I bought a ready-to-make rava idly pack.
Ingredients:
1 cup semolina/ suji
1 cup sour curds, or ½ cup thick yogurt
½ cup grated carrot
1 tsp grated ginger
1-2 green chilies
½ tsp cooking soda
For the tempering:
2 tsp oil
¼ tsp mustard seeds/ rai
¼ tsp cumin seeds/ jeera
1 tsp black gram/ urad dal
1 tsp bengal gram/ chanadal a pinch of asafetida
1 dried red chili, broken
a sprig of curry leaves
2 tsp broken cashewnuts
water, oil, salt as needed
Equipment:
Idly molds
Steamer
Recipe:
Heat oil and add all the tempering ingredients.
Add the suji and roast until fragrant.
Let it cool a bit, and then mix it with curds, chopped green chili, ginger and grated carrot. Add water if needed, to make a thick batter.
Let it sit for 20-30 minutes.
Add salt and cooking soda and mix the batter well.
Prepare the steamer. If you are using a pressure cooker, remember to remove the vent, pour about an inch of water inside, and bring to a boil.
Pour the batter into greased molds and steam for 10 min. Let cool for 5 minutes before you take them out of the molds.
If you ever meet a mallu away from home, just mention puttu kadala and you will be friends immediately. I am yet to meet a mallu who doesn’t sigh dreamily at it’s mention. Or for that matter, anyone who’s eaten it. This is something special. Beware though, for it is also deceptively filling!
What’s more, the kadala is one of the healthiest vegetarian forms of protien to have. Pairing these two along with coconut makes it a nearly perfect breakfast.
Ingredients:
2 cups coarse rice flour or chemba puttu podi (red rice flour)
1 cup freshly grated coconut
½ cup water
Salt
Special Equipment:
The puttu vessel is traditionally used to prepare puttu
Substitutions: A coconut shell with one eye pierced and placed over the valve of a pressure cooker might be used as a substitute.
A steamer could also be used.
Method:
Mix half of the grated coconut and salt into the rice flour.
Mix water into it in small quantities. The water is mixed in by rubbing it into the flour, so that the flour becomes granular. It should not be too dry or too wet.
Place a layer of 2-3 tbsp of coconut at the bottom of the puttu vessel and then put the rice flour mixture, followed by another layer of coconut.
Steam for 5 minutes.
Remove the puttu from the vessel and serve hot with kadala or payar curry, plaintains or just sugar and ghee.
When I spent a few days with a Chinese friend, I was shocked when he told me that they don’t have any desserts in Chinese cuisine. Maybe they do, just not in his town, who knows. But it makes me wonder if one of my favorite Chinese desserts – sesame honey noodles, is also an Indian invention like much of our ‘Chinese’ food.
I don’t know why I’m talking about China in a Thai recipe post.
I was looking to make dessert along with Thai curry rice one day many years ago, which is when I discovered this dish. I know it looks a bit boring, but if you are a coconut milk lover like me, then it is beyond divine.
Traditionally, they use small bananas, or pumpkin, sweet potato or taro in this dish. I like to make it with Kerala banana (of the banana chips fame) called nenthra-pazham (നേന്ത്രപഴം)
Time Taken: 10 min
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
2 cups bananas, chopped into bite-sized pieces
½ cup grated palm sugar (can substitute with jaggery or molasses)
2 cups thick coconut milk
2 pandanus leaves – optional
a pinch of salt
Method:
Place the banana in a cup of water and bring to a boil. Cook until almost done, usually 2-3 minutes.
Add the palm sugar and the pandanus leaves
And finally, add the coconut milk.
If you want a thicker consistency, add a teaspoon of tapioca flour or cornflour to it. Make a paste of the flour with a little water before you pour it in.
Akki roti is typically eaten in various parts of South Karnataka. I remember enjoying them the most at a friend’s place in my early days in Bangalore. We used to go together to office, and I’d be at her place most nights, letting her mother happily indulge me in her awesome akki rotis and cucumber gojju.
Those akki rotis were different, though. There are 2 different types of akki rotis. The ingredients are the same, but while one uses a banana leaf to smear the dough on, the other, bāndlay akki roti is made in a kadhai (wok) and is smeared on a hot wok by hand. Not my favourite process. It is then covered and allowed to cook. It is not turned over (obviously. The shape doesn’t allow it) The result is very different in both cases. The former is soft, and the latter is a combination of very soft and very crispy, if you get it right.
Makes 3 akki rotis
Ingredients:
½ cup very fine rice flour (Appam flour usually works well)
½ onion, chopped
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
½ cup grated coconut
1 green chili minced
Salt to taste
Equipment:
Banana leaves or plastic sheets
Skillet (tava)
Method:
Mix all ingredients with boiling water to make the dough thick enough to hold in your hands.
Smear oil on a banana leaf and flatten some dough on it. You could either flatten the dough with your hands – in this case, wet your fingers with water periodically to prevent the dough from sticking to them. Or, you could place the dough between two well-oiled banana leaves and use a rolling pin to spread it. Take off the upper banana leaf before cooking, in this case.
Heat some oil on a tava and place the banana leaf on it, dough-side down.
Carefully peel the leaf off. If you are using a plastic sheet, make sure it doesn’t touch the tava.
Cook on a medium flame on both sides. Serve with coconut chutney or vegetable curry
This is one of my favourite snacks. The ginger and chili gives it a lovely flavour and it is also is sooo healthy. The best part is, for those who find steamed foods boring, it also gives you the option to make them a fried version. Satisfies the health-conscious as well as the,… well, the rest of them 😀
Traditionally nuchchina unde is made purely with toor dal. I found these to be quite dry. I experimented until I was satisfied. Mixing in urad dal and letting it sit, even overnight if possible, makes them much more moist and soft. Adding some mung and chana dal enhances the taste.
Drop the left overs in majige huli or sambar.
Ingredients:
1 cup toor dal
½ cup bengal gram/ chana dal
¼ cup black gram/ urad dal, split, without skin
¼ cup mung dal
3-4 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
2-3 tbsp chopped dill leaves (optional)
2 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp chopped green chili
½ cup chopped onion (optional: This is usually skipped during festivals)
A pinch of asafetida
Salt
Equipment:
Food processor/ Wet grinder/ Mixer
Steamer
Recipe:
Soak the dals together for 2-3 hours.
Drain and grind with minimum water into a very thick consistency, almost between a dough and a batter.
(For an instant version, I grind the dals into a powder first, and then soak in just enough warm water for about half an hour. )
I’ve found that if I let it sit for about half an hour or more, the result is softer nuchchina unde, so this is an optional step if you have the time.
Mix in the leaves, asafetida, onion, grated ginger, chilies and salt.
Make into little balls and steam for 10 minutes.
Serve with a dollop of ghee and curds, or drop into majige huli.
Note: You could also flatten the balls and deep fry them for a crispier version.
In the age of ready-to-eat foods and ever expanding super markets, cooking has become more of a hobby than a necessity. TV programs like Masterchef make it seem even more like an exotic way to pass time, and so many people I know enjoy cooking, but find it terribly boring to do the daily, mundane cooking. Special weekend dishes anytime!
Bring in the Love
As an energy healer, I know the importance of ‘clean’ food. Ever wondered why temple meals are so tasty, even when they are so simple? Or why, even if you frequently indulge in fine dining, your mother’s rustic dish still satisfies more? It is is the love. And that, really, makes all the difference.
It doesn’t matter how fancy it is. It doesn’t matter how you plate it up. It’s not good enough if it wasn’t made with love. And no matter how cool the 5 star chef is, to him you are just another customer. He cannot love your kids like you do. The food will therefore, never really compare, although your children will probably realize that only decades later.
Of course, health is another factor, but we’ll talk about that another day.
Watch your Feelings
For most mothers, it is not possible to avoid cooking when you are feeling low. Food cooked in anger or depression has very low energies and can even create illness in the family. If you are feeling low while cooking, be deeply aware of your feelings and surrender to them – do not resist. I know this sounds counter-intuitive, but it is the only way the vibration doesn’t affect the food.
Chant
One of the most wonderful things to do while cooking, is chanting. It could be anything that means something to you. If you aren’t religious, simply sing a soothing song that you like. The Gayatri mantra is a very powerful chant, if you are up for it.
Keep it Fresh
Foods are best eaten fresh, warm. Refrigerating it brings down the energy. Freezing even more. Not like many of us have much of an option there, but just saying, in case you do. The fresher, the better. Even better if it is eaten raw!
Be Judicious
My friends tell me I sound like their mother when I say this – please, please, PLEASE don’t waste your food. Give it away to a maid, to a beggar, do anything. So many are dying because they have nothing to eat. Wasting cannot be an option.
Those who aren’t into cooking find it appalling when they find a couple of cooks discussing the basics – like boiling an egg. But cooking is like that. One can be pretty good, and yet be struggling with some basic methods.
Boiling an egg can be tricky.
Are the Eggs Fresh?
Aged eggs usually peel better. To check whether the eggs are fresh, put them in a glass of water. If the egg sinks and lays on its side, it is fresh. If it floats on the surface, it is too old to consume. If it stands on one end, then it is a few weeks old and perfect for boiling.
The Foolproof Method
The best boiled eggs take a bit of effort. With this method, you can even use fresh eggs, it should be fine. If the eggs are cracked too, this technique is a saving grace.
The eggs turn out beautiful with this method, almost translucent, soft and yet cooked through.
Place the eggs in a steamer. If you don’t have a steamer, place them in a colander and place the colander inside a pot. Don’t use a plastic colander or it will melt. Make sure the colander isn’t touching the water, and that there is enough water so it doesn’t dry up.
Steam the eggs for 20 minutes.
If the eggs were farm fresh, dunk the eggs in cold water for a few minutes after steaming, and they should be easy to peel.
The Lazy Method
This has worked for me almost all the time, but if the eggs are very fresh, that could be a bit problematic.
Add 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp vinegar to a pot of water.
Place the eggs gently into the water.
NOW place the pot on the heat and bring to a boil. Do not heat the water before adding the eggs, as the eggs will crack.
It is so interesting how the basics can be so hard to get right some times. I always tell people that dessert is my specialty. Almost every potluck, that is what I make and people are usually drooling. And yet, I’ve always had trouble with getting one simple thing right – the sponge cake. Somehow, something goes wrong.
Not that I need to make sponge cakes too often anyway, since I tend to make cakes more than pastries. Still, some dishes just cannot do away with this basic item.
It pays to have friends who cook. When a friend told me she had made a sponge cake as soft as the ones you get in bakeries, I was itching to know what she googled for. Where did she find a recipe so unique? ‘I searched for best sponge cake’, she said. Ah. Now why did I never think of that?
Preparation time : 20 min Baking time : 35 – 40 min
Makes one 9 inch sponge cake
Ingredients:
1 cup refined flour
1 cup cornflour
1½ cups sunflower oil
4 eggs
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp soda bicarbonate
½ tsp vanilla essence
Method:
Grease a 9″ diameter baking tin and dust it with flour. Pre heat the oven to 180°C.
Sieve together flour, cornflour, baking powder and soda bicarbonate.
Mix oil and sugar, and beat in the eggs. Add the vanilla essence.
Add the flour to the batter till all the maida a little at a time, mixing in well so that no lumps form.
Pour the batter into the baking tin and bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or till the tooth pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Remove from oven, cool for a while. Loosen sides of cake, using a knife if necessary. Turnout over a wire rack/plate
This cake can be used in several ways, and makes a great base for gateaux or trifle puddings. Or, just serve it with some custard and fruits!
Almost every time I am at a darshini, this is what I order. I really think I can eat idly everyday and still love it. Hold on, I do eat idly nearly everyday and still love it!
It was hard initially for me to get the idly batter to rise, so I’d simply stick to the store-bought batter. Not a satisfying thing for someone like me. Then I found it, just through trial and error.
One thing I do very differently is that I use a lot more dal than other people. Why not, I wonder, because that makes the idly infinitely healthier and doesn’t seem to affect the texture any. I make a LOT of variations of idly, this is just the basic recipe.
Before I begin, I must also mention to the uninitiated, that the same, normal white idly is made in a variety of ways. Kerala idly is waayyyy different from Karnataka idly. This is the idly Kerala style, also similar to what you would find in Saravana Bhavan.
Ingredients:
1 cup parboiled rice
1 cup black gram/ uraddal (traditionally, this would be ½ cup)
¼ cup beaten rice/ poha or cooked rice (optional)
¼ tsp fenugreek/ methi seeds
water, oil, salt as needed
Soak the rice and poha together, in sufficient water.
Soak the dal along with methi seeds.
Let these soak for atleast 4 hours. I’ve let them sit for up to 15 hours and it seems to do just fine. About 8 hours of soaking is ideal.
Drain the rice, as well as the dal. Reserve the water. Grind both of them separately, using the reserved water to bring it to a smooth, thick batter consistency.
Mix both the batters together. Place this batter in a vessel that can hold twice the amount, because it will rise.
Cover with a cloth or a lid and let it ferment for about 8-10 hours.
This process works great in summers, but if the room temperature is under 25°C, the results can be a bit disappointing. To counter this, you could place the vessel with the batter inside a casserole, warmed up pressure cooker or pre-heated (40°C) oven.
Mix the batter, add salt.
Prepare the steamer. If you are using a pressure cooker, remember to remove the vent, pour about an inch of water inside, and bring to a boil.
Oil the idly moulds, pour the batter into them and steam for 10 min. For best results, let the idlies rest for another 5 minutes before you take them out of the moulds.
Serve hot with chutney and sambar.
Makes 12-14 idlies.
Note: The batter can be refrigerated upto 3 days.
Tips: I know we all love to wash the rice and dal to remove any chemical residues, but this also washes off the precious bacteria that help in the rising process. I’ve seen better results when I don’t wash the rice and dal. Use organic ingredients to skimp on the chemicals.
Special Equipment:
