Friday, July 1, 2022

Jackfruit Cake (Panache Dhonas)

I am always on the lookout for ripe jackfruit preparations and this year I came across jackfruit cake or Panache dhonas, which is a traditional dish of Goa. I got the recipe from the net  and baked it. It was so delicious, my husband went gaga over it!

 

Ingredients:

2 cups deseeded jackfruit bulbs made into pulp

1 cup semolina

1 cup grated coconut

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup jaggery

½ tsp dried ginger powder

½  tsp cardamon powder

10 chopped cashewnuts

10 raisins

1 ½ tbsps melted ghee

Procedure:

 

-           Roast the semolina till it is light brown or it gives out a nice aroma. Keep aside and let it cool for about 20 minutes.

-          Remove the jackfruit seeds and grind the bulbs.

-           Mix all the other ingredients and put them into an oiled flat baking dish.


-          Bake for 30 minutes at 180 degrees. If a tooth pick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, it is done.

-        Let it cool bit, then invert onto a plate. Heat the ghee and pour over it. Cut into pieces and serve. 

Thursday, June 23, 2022

Pathrode -2

 

This is a type of pathrode that my family likes, though I like the other one. This is easier and faster to prepare, so it is fine with me J

Ingredients

2 colocasia leaves

1 cup besan

Salt to taste

¼ tsp ajwain

¾ tsp dried mango powder

¼ tsp turmeric powder

¼ tsp red chilli powder

2 tsp oil

Water to make into a thick paste

Oil to shallow fry

Instruction

-  Gently remove the thick veins on the outer surface of the colocasia leaves with a sharp knife.

-  Wash the leaves, lightly shake off the excess water and keep aside for the remaining water to evaporate.

-  Mix all the ingredients with the besan, slowly adding water to make a thick paste.

-  Keep one leaf upside down, spread besan paste onto the whole of outer surface. Now keep the second leaf over this, and spread the remaining besan mix over the leaf.

-  Now gently roll them together, keep inside a container and steam for 20 minutes. Take out and allow to cool slightly.


- Slice the roll into pieces of about 1 ½ cm thickness

   

-  Heat oil on a thava, roast the both sides of the slices on medium heat and serve.

-  It can be served as a snack along with tomato sauce, or as an accompaniment of rice or chapati.

    11-5-2026

    Today when I was making pathrode, I did something more. After removing the veins of the leaves, I applied tamarind solution over them and left for about ten minutes before applying the besan paste. It really took the taste to another level, worth doing every time. 

  



Dahi vada, Kerala style

 

Ingredients

For vada:

1 cup udad dal soaked for 6 hours – for 6 vadas

½ tsp cut green chilli

¼ tsp cut ginger

Salt to taste

1 tbsp small coconut pieces

¼ tsp crushed pepper

A small pinch of baking soda

Oil for deep frying the vadas

Prepare curds

2 cups thick curds

2 cups water

1 tbsp finely cut onion

¼ tsp finely cut ginger

¼  tsp cut green chilli

A few curry leaves

A pinch of salt

1 ½ tsp sugar

To temper

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

Instruction

-          Drain the soaked dal and grind it to a slightly rough consistency. Mix all the other ingredients and deep fry the vadas in oil on medium heat.

-          Drain the golden colored vada from the oil, drop it into water, leave for a few seconds, and squeeze gently between the palms and keep aside.

-          If you want to make left over, cold vadas into dahi vada,  pour hot water over the vadas till they are immersed in the water, leave for a few seconds, gently squeeze between the palms.

-          Beat the curds to a smooth consistency, add water and beat again. Add all other ingredients, mix well.

-          Pour some of the prepared curd onto a serving bowl, arrange the vadas on it and pour the remaining curds over them.

-          Heat the oil, add the mustard seeds, when they splutter, pour over the dahi vadas and serve.

Sunday, June 12, 2022

Karkidaka Kanji

 In Kerala parboiled rice is the staple food. It is also known as matta rice, Rose matta rice, Kerala red rice, Red parboiled rice and Palakkadan matta rice, as locally it is sourced from the Palakkad region of Kerala. It takes longer time to cook as compared to polished white rice. What I usually do is, soak rice in water overnight, pressure cook with four times water for 5 to 6 minutes, cool and drain.

Karkidaka Kanji is made during the Malayalam month of Karkidakam when it rains heavily, which can cause ill health. It has been part of the traditional monsoon food regimen in Kerala for long as it gives our system the immunity boost it needs at the time. It also helps in detoxification, aids digestion, reduces cholesterol, and improves bowel movement.


Ingredients

1 cup or 100 gms of Red rice (for two people)

1 tsp Fenugreek seeds

4 cups water

½ tsp Dried ginger powder

½ tsp Crushed pepper

½ tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp Turmeric powder

3 flakes of Garlic peeled and chopped

Salt to taste

Coconut milk – 1/2 cup

Instruction

-          Wash the rice, fenugreek seeds  and soak  them together overnight or at least for 3-4 hours

-          Pressure cook all the ingredients together, except coconut milk for 8 minues.

-          Cool, open the pressure cooker, add the coconut milk and simmer for two minutes.

-          Serve with boiled and seasoned green gram or coconut chammanthi (chutney).

Sunday, May 15, 2022

Banana stem, Mung Dal Kootu Curry

Ingredients

1 ½ cups banana stem cut to small pieces  CLICK HERE for the video how to remove fibre from the stem

¾ cup skinned, split green gram (mung dal), soak for ten minutes

2 cups water

1/3 tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

To grind

¾ cup grated coconut

3 flakes of garlic

1/3 tsp cumin seeds

1 green chilli

To season

1 tbsp oil

¼ tsp mustard seeds

1 red chilli broken to pieces

A few curry leaves

Instruction

-          Keep the cut banana stem with half cup water, salt and turmeric powder on medium fire to cook. Check in between if more water needs to be added. In about ten minutes, it will be cooked.


-          Meanwhile, keep the soaked mung dal with salt and 1 ½ cups of water on medium flame. When it boils, reduce the flame and let it cook for ten minutes.

-          Grind the grated coconut with all spices, add this to the cooked banana stem kept on low fire. Also mix in the cooked dal.


-          Let it simmer for five minutes and season it.

-          Serve with steamed rice or chapatis. 

Banana stem, mung dal kootu curry served with jowar rotis, cucumber slices, and mango pulp.

Banana stem (Vazha pindi) Thoran

Banana stem is packed with nutrients and fibres.  It prevents kidney stones, anaemia, helps in weight loss, cures constipation, keeps diabetes under control, checks hyperacidity and helps in detoxification. Since it is fibrous and contains threads, you should know the preparation of the stem and cutting. We Malayalis love this preparation.

Method of removing fibre and cutting




Ingredients

2 cups finely cut banana stem

1 medium sized onion finely cut

Salt to taste

½ cup water

To grind

¾ cup grated coconut

1/3 tsp turmeric powder

¼ tsp red chilli powder

½ tsp cumin seeds

3 flakes of garlic

To season

1 tbsp oil

¼  tsp mustard seeds

1 red chilli broken to pieces

A few curry leaves

Instruction

-          Cook the finely cut banana stem and onion with salt and water for about 10 minutes till it is tender.

-          Meanwhile, roughly grind grated coconut with all the spices.

-          Add this to the cooked banana stem kept on low flame. Keep it covered for two minutes and then season it.

-          Serve with steamed rice and dal. 

                                     Here it is served with steamed rice and mango pulissery.


Sunday, November 28, 2021

Eat Your Dals without Bloating and Belching

 Being trained in the allopathic system, I was always uncomfortable with the fact that allopathy doesn’t address the cause of a disease and correct it, instead,  symptomatic treatment is given. This type of treatment maintains the diseased state, and brings in side effects of the medicines that have to be taken for long time.

The Biological doshas

The ancient science of Ayurveda recognised the existence of three doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha) that determine the process of life, growth, and decay. Each dosha is derived from a different natural element. Vata corresponds to air, Pitta to fire, and Kapha to water. These Doshas are the three primary life forces in the human body, and every deficiency, disease, or disorder is primarily caused due to a shift in the optimum levels of these Doshas.

Vata dosha

Vata is the air or wind Dosha. It is responsible for movement in the human body, making it a very important Dosha since the other two Doshas are found to be incapable without the presence of movement. So in effect, it regulates the functions of Pitta and Kapha as well.

Common vata disorders include flatulence, tics, twitches, aching joints, dry skin and hair, nerve disorders, constipation, and mental confusion. The Vata Dosha is manifest primarily in the abdominal cavity below the navel – colon, pelvis, pelvic organs, as well as the thighs, skin, ears and brain.

Lentils and stomach problems

Consumption of  pulses, like beans, lentils, and peas can cause gastrointestinal symptoms, such as bloating, gas, and stomach cramps. That's because pulses contain large amounts of indigestible carbohydrates (fibers) that are fermented in the GI tract resulting in the formation of gas.

It is better to consume dals during daytime , but moong dal is light and easily digestible, so it is okay to have it at night. Actually moong dal helps balance the digestion process. Soaking or spouting the lentils  make them much easier on the digestive system. Soak them overnight or at least for 4 hours. Throw away the water in which it is soaked and give the beans/lentils a good rinse before cooking to wash away those gas-producing carbohydrates.

While cooking

When using the pressure cooker, do not close the cooker straightaway. Put the water and beans/lentils in the cooker, put on flame and let it boil. You will see the surface being filled with froth. 

Remove this froth with a ladle.

 Then you can add salt and other condiments, close it and pressure cook.

Apart from alleviating the stomach discomfort on eating the preparation, I have even found an improvement in the taste.