Papaya Cheese

 I had this recipe with me for a very long time, but I did not ever want to try it, even though I remember tasting guava cheese, which was definitely worth trying.

 I have often wondered why they named it “cheese”, I guess it’s because of the smooth texture & cheesy flavour.

If anyone can give more info on this, please do write.

INGREDIENTS:

Papaya pulp: 2 kgs

Sugar: 1 ½ kg

Lime juice: juice of 2 medium limes

Ghee: 100 g

METHOD:

In a heavy bottomed pan, put in the papaya pulp & sugar. Heat till it boils & lower the flame.

Keep stirring till the mix thickens.

Add ghee a little at a time.

Add lime juice & stir till the mix forms a soft ball & ghee starts oozing from the sides.

Transfer onto a greased plate & let it cool well before cutting into pieces.

The natural colour of the papaya gives the cheese a pleasant eye appeal.  

The Sadya

We all take trouble to learn how to manage with the inadequate fork, knife and spoon, to conform to the norm. The more adventurous, amongst us, even venture to balance strands of those un-obliging & slithery noodles between chopsticks, whilst carrying on a casual conversation, all the while wearing an indifferent look...... been there.....done that, sort of...

 Wonder though, how many of us Keralites, know the art of serving & relishing a “SADYA”. It is not just about putting it all there on the leaf.... and then polishing it off.

 There apparently is a science as to what is being served where... and when.

 Timing the consumption of each delicacy, some individually, and others in strict combinations, is another matter that merits serious attention and rigorous discipline.

So here’s the when, how & whys of the Sadya delight .

History:

The grandiose saying “Naalum Kootty Unnuka” essentially implies that the 4,(repeat four)  accompaniments were all that was required to complete a  sumptuous sadya. Those were the modest Kaalan & Olan and the unassuming Erissery & Pulissery.

With time, came the changes we now know.

Even where vegetables are concerned, yam(chena), ash gourd (kumbalanga), colacassia (Chembu), red pumkin (Mathanga), snake gourd (Padavalam), long beans (achinga),bitter gourd (pavakka), drumstick, raw banana (pacha kaya) was all that we required to make a sadya. Now, the “English” vegetables have sneaked their way in. 

Serving:

  First, let us learn to lay the leaf –tender banana leaves are picked for this. The narrow end of the leaf should be on your left.

Start serving the fried items like chips, sharkaravaratti, pappadum & a small banana on the left hand lower half of the leaf, closer to the diner.

Starting from the left on the upper part of the leaf, place the pickles, Puli inji, Inji thayir, Pachadi, Kichadi,Kaalan, Olan, Erissery, Aviyal, Mezhukkupuratti &Thoran in that order, from left to right.(There are local variations like the Vada curry in South, Potato stew(prounced ISHTU) in the Travancore region & Theeyal in North Kerala, which finds it space between the erissery & aviyal.)

Rice is served on the lower half of the leaf.

Ingestion

Now, the diner separates a little rice to be eaten with dhal, ghee & a small pappadum crushed into it.

Next, is the Sambar. A little more rice can be taken aside for this & a depression is made in the centre, so that the sambar doesn’t flow out of the leaf. With this course, the thoran, erissery & the other dishes can be tasted.

Munch on the chips & sharkaravaratti in between.

It’s the turn of the rasam now. Rasam is watery, so be careful when it’s being served. (Folding the lower end of the leaf inward will help restrain its flow.)

After this, the first prathaman is brought. Generally, a white & brown prathaman will be on the list.

First the brown jaggery based one-either ada/wheat/banana/jackfruit payasam is served. To enjoy this, crush a pappadum & a small banana into the payasam, mix & enjoy. After this, you are expected to eat a little Olan (which is bland) to get rid of the sweetness of the first payasam. A lick of the Puli inji also helps.

Next, the sugar based payasam is served. It can be anything from Ada,rice or vermicelli.

Now a days people prefer to drink the payasam from a cup, but then you don’t get the full satisfaction of licking your hand from the base of your wrist band  to the very ends of your  finger tip---in one loud, long, lingering slurp! ...please do look around though....., lest you might offend those that are less immune to culture shocks, the way we do.)

Burp ...  (a little  ... to express your satisfaction  ... and not so much as to elicit disgust!)

To finish the Sadya, a little more rice is served to be eaten with Moru (butter milk).  

 Finish whatever is left on the leaf & fold the leaf inward, before you leave the table. 

The Sadya is washed down with a glass of warm “ Karingali  or jeeraka wellam” which aides digestion.   

PS : Just in case, I’ve taken all the joy of polishing a sadya .... Just go ahead and do what your heart tells you to do. I’ll still justify you... Thats what ONAM is all about.

Eat while its harvest time !

ORANGE CAKE WITH A DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE.(Just Bakes)

This is an eggless cake, very easy to prepare. The dark chocolate ganache gives it a rich royal taste.Use regular milk chocolate if you like it sweeter. 

INGREDIENTS:

Orange juice: 150 ml

Orange rind: 1 tsp

Plain flour: 225 g

Sugar: 150 g powdered

Curd: 250 g

Oil: ½ cup (measured in a 200 ml cup)

Vanilla essence/orange essence: 1/ 2 tsp

Baking powder: 1 ¼ tsp

Baking soda: ½ tsp

METHOD:

Pre heat oven to 180⁰C & grease & dust an 8” cake tin.

Sieve flour with baking powder & baking soda & keep aside.

Whisk curd, sugar, oil, orange juice, rind & essence.

Fold in flour & pour into prepared tin & bake at 180⁰ C for 40 minutes or till a tooth inserted in centre comes out clean.

Cool cake in the tin for 5 minutes & then on a wire rack.

For the ganache:

Fresh cream: 150 ml

Dark chocolate: 150 g grated

Butter: 1 tbsp

Heat cream & butter, pour it over grated chocolate.

Stir well till all the chocolate dissolves.

Cool it & pour over the cake.

Let it drip down on its own.  

Place a tray, under the wire rack with the cake, to collect the dripping.
Chill cake before serving.

Brinjal Pickle (Maami's Corner)

INGREDIENTS:

Brinjals: 1 kg

Mustard sauce: 3 tbsps

Ginger –garlic paste: 1 tbsp

Green chilli: 10 slit

Turmeric powder: ½ tsp

Vinegar: 100 ml

Sugar: to taste

Salt: 1 tbsp

Oil: 200 ml 

METHOD:

 Cube brinjal, rub with turmeric & a little salt.

Heat oil in a pan & fry the brinjal brown. Keep aside.

In the remaining oil, fry the ginger-garlic paste & green chillies.

When fragrant, add mustard sauce & vinegar.

 Add a little sugar & remaining salt.

Stir in the fried brinjal.

Cool well & bottle.

Pineapple upside down cake (Just Bakes)

INGREDIENTS:

Pineapple: 6 slices remove stem in centre

Butter: 150 g unsalted

Sugar: 150 g + 5 tbsps

Maida/plain flour: 150 g

Eggs: 3

Vanilla essence/pineapple: 1 tsp

Milk: 2 tbsps if required

Baking powder: 1 ½ tsp

Salt: a pinch

Cherry: 3

METHOD: 

Grease a 10” cake tin.Pre- heat oven to 180⁰C.

If using fresh pineapples, stew them (cook in half a cup of water & 2 tbsps sugar.)  

Cool & line the cake tin with it. Place a halved cherry (cut side up) in the centre of the pineapple slices.  

Burn 3 tbsps sugar in a pan till golden brown & add 2 tbsps water to make a caramel syrup. Cool & pour over arranged pineapple slices. Now, cake tin is ready.

In a bowl, cream butter & sugar till fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time & whisk again.

Fold in sieved flour & baking powder.

Add a pinch of salt & essence.

If the batter is too thick, mix in 2 tbsps of milk.

Pour batter over the pineapple very carefully, taking care not to upset the arrangement.

Bake for 45 minutes or till top is brown. 

Let it sit in the tin for 5 minutes, then, unmould when still hot.

Kappa Puzhukku/Tapioca

This is how tapioca is usually made in Kerala.

An important point to keep in mind when cooking tapioca:-

Cook tuber in boiling water for a minute.

Strain.

Pour more water & cook the tapioca again till done. Strain again.

This is to remove the cyanide components in tapioca, which gives it a bitter taste.

INGREDIENTS:

 Tapioca/ kappa: 1 kg

Coconut: 1 cup

Cumin seeds: ¼ tsp

Green chilli: 6 /Kandari

Garlic: 2 pods

Shallots: 5

Curry leaves: a few

Turmeric powder: ½ tsp

Salt to taste

For tempering:

Mustard seeds: ½ tsp

Dry red chilli: 2

Curry leaves: a few

Coconut oil: 1 tbsp

METHOD:

Cook tapioca as mentioned above. Keep aside.

Coarsely grind coconut, cumin, green chilli, garlic, shallots, curry leaves& turmeric powder.

Make a well in the centre of the cooked tapioca, put in ground masala, salt & cover.

Let it steam till raw smell of the ground masala goes.

Mash with a spoon.

Heat oil in a frying pan & splutter mustard seeds, add dry red chilli cut in two & a few curry leaves. Pour over the mashed tapioca & serve with a spicy red fish curry.

Peanut Ladoos

 

INGREDIENTS:

Palm sugar/jaggery: 1 cup

Peanuts: 2 cups roasted & crushed

Cardamom: 1/2tsp

Ghee: 2 tsps

 

METHOD:

 

Melt the palm sugar/jaggery with 2 tbsps water, cool & strain to remove any grit.

Reheat the syrup, till it reaches a string consistency.

Add the nuts, cardamom powder & one teaspoon ghee.

Mix well, take off fire, cool a little & roll into small balls.

Grease your palm with a little ghee for easy handling.

Use almonds, cashew nuts, coconut or a mixture of different nuts to make yummy ladoos.

Juicy Momos (seafood)

Juicy momos with a prawn filling! Try it with chicken or beef mince too.

INGREDIENTS:

Plain flour/refined flour/maida: 1 cup

Salt: ¼ tsp

Refined oil: 1 tbsp

 

Knead the above, to a soft pliable dough & keep aside for 20 minutes. 

For the filling:

Fresh prawns: 100 g minced

Spring onion: 2 tbsps chopped

Pepper powder: 1/2 tsp

Ginger: ½ tsp chopped fine

Coriander leaves: chopped fine 1 tbsp

Soy sauce: 2 tsps

Salt to taste

Mix all the ingredients together. Keep aside.

 

METHOD:

Make gooseberry sized balls from the dough. Roll out into small puris, keeping the centre thicker than the sides.

Put a teaspoonful of the filling in the centre & pleat the sides together to form a ball. (you can make any shape, as long as it doesn’t open out.)

Place in a steamer & steam for 15 minutes.

Serve with chilli sauce.

Crab/Njandu masala (Seafood)

For sea food lovers, crab is an all time favourite. Generally made dry, but there are places where crabs are always made into gravy dishes.

A point to note when preparing crabs for cooking- wash them well, scrub with a small brush, if possible, before opening the shell.

Trim claws, cut off gills (dead man's fingers).

DO NOT wash after opening the shell.  

 

INGREDIENTS:

Crab: 500 g

Onion: 2 sliced

Tomato: 2 chopped fine

Ginger-garlic paste: 2 tsp

Pepper powder: 1 tsp

Red chilli powder: 1 tsp

Turmeric powder: 1/4tsp

Cinnamon: 1” stick

Coconut oil: 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

 

METHOD:

Cook crab with salt, turmeric powder, half a cup of water & one tablespoon of coconut oil.

Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan, fry onions well.

Add ginger-garlic paste, cinnamon, pepper powder, chilli powder, & chopped tomatoes.

Sauté well till oil clears out.

Add crab & fry till gravy dries.

Serve with rice. 

 

 

 

Fruit Cake (Just Bakes)

 This is a very easy fruit cake that doesn’t require soaking fruits in alcohol & caramel syrup for colour.

 

INGREDIENTS: 

Butter: 3/4 cup

Self raising flour: 2 3/4 cup

Eggs: 2

Sugar: 1 1/2cups

Dry fruits: 2 cups

Cherries: 1 cup

Ginger candy: 1/4cup

Candied peel: 1/4cup

Cashew nuts: 1/2 cup

Orange juice: 1 cup

Jam: 3 tbsps (any flavour)

Nutmeg powder: 1 tsp

 METHOD:

 Pre-heat oven to160⁰ C.

 Line an 8” tin with butter paper.
Chop fruits, peels & nuts into small pieces.

 Combine dry fruits, nuts, sugar, butter, jam and orange juice in a sauce-pan.

Add nutmeg powder and bring to a boil.

Simmer on low flame for 5 mins, stir in between. 

Cool to room temperature.

Stir in beaten eggs & fold in sieved flour.

 Pour into prepared tins and bake at 160⁰ C for 45 mins.

Remove from oven, cool in tin for 5 mins & then on rack.

 

NOTE:

If using plain flour, add 11/2 tsp of baking powder & sieve.

All measurements are with 200 ml measuring cup.

 

 

 

 

Nankhatai (Just Bakes)

Nankatais are very simple cardamom flavoured cookies. I got this recipe from the baking class for home makers at the Food Craft Institute, Kalamasseri.

INGREDIENTS:

Plain flour: 150g

Margarine/vanaspati/ghee: 115g

Powdered sugar: 100g

Cardamom powder: half teaspoon

Baking powder: a pinch

Salt: a pinch

 METHOD:

 Grease & dust a baking tin with flour.

Cream fat with powdered sugar till sugar is fully dissolved, (I used ghee).

Add flour, salt, baking powder, cardamom powder.

Mix well & form a soft dough (without using much pressure).

Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll small balls & place on baking tray 1”apart.

Bake at 160⁰C for 15 to 20 minutes.

Take off oven & let it cool well before storing.

Raisins Bun

 

INGREDIENTS:

Plain flour: 250 g

Dry yeast: 1 tsp (I used instant dry yeast)

Sugar: 4 tbsps

Egg: 1

Butter: 1 tbsp

Vanilla essence: 1/2tsp

Salt: a pinch

Raisins: 50 g 

METHOD: 

Sift flour into a large bowl.

Dissolve 1 tbsp sugar & a pinch of salt in half a cup of water.

Sprinkle this on the flour in the bowl & rub it in well.

Now, add the yeast, beaten egg & essence.

Using water or milk, make a soft pliable dough.

(The longer you knead softer the buns.)

Last, add butter to this dough, knead till well incorporated.

Leave to prove for about 30 minutes,( it should double in size.) 

Mix the remaining 3 tbsps sugar with the raisins & keep aside. 

Pre heat your oven to 180⁰C. Grease a flat tray.

After the dough has doubled, remove onto a flat surface & beat out the air. 

Roll the dough out into a rectangle about 1 cm thick.

Sprinkle the raisins & sugar all over & roll (like you do the Swiss roll).

Cut into 1inch pieces.

Place it on the greased tray 2” apart.

Cover with a damp & let it sit for 10 minutes before putting it into the oven.

Bake at 180⁰C for 15 minutes.

Take it off the oven & coat with a sugar glaze while hot.

Cool & serve.

For sugar glaze 

Sugar: 3 tbsps
Water: 3 tbsps
Heat water & sugar till you get a thick syrup. Use this to glaze the buns.

Japanese Quail masala /Kada masala

 Japanese quails & their eggs have been a part of our diet in recent times because of their easy availability, thanks to government  sponsorship & encouragement.Hatcheries are aplenty because of low maintenance & risk.
The flesh of the bird is known for its medicinal properties,besides containing very little fat making it an altogether healthy proposition.

INGREDIENTS:
Quail/kada: 2
Onion: 1 sliced fine
Curry leaves: a few
Oil: 2 tbsps

 Grind:

Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tsp
Whole black pepper: 2 tsps
Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
Coriander powder: 1 tsp
Salt to taste

METHOD:

 Wash the kada, keep them whole.

Grind the ingredients under “Grind”, to a smooth paste.
Smear this paste all over the birds & keep aside to marinate.
Heat oil in a frying pan, fry sliced onions & curry leaves with a pinch of salt. Remove onto a plate.
In the same pan, add the marinated kada, turn around a few times.
Pour half a cup of water, cover & cook till done.
Put the fried onions back into pan. Stir till the quails are well coated.
Serve hot with rice or bread.
Another way of preparing this is to deep fry the marinated quails & serve it with fried potatoes.