Vattayappam

Ingredients

1. Rice flour -3 cups
2. Cooked rice -exactly 3/4cup
3. Grated coconut /Coconut milk- 2 cup
4. Yeast - a pinch
5. Sugar - 1 cup
6. Salt -3 pinch
7. Cumin powder (Jeerakam)-1 tsp
8. Elakka/Cardamom powder-1 tsp

Preparation

1. Dissolve 2 tsp sugar in 3 tsp luke warm water/Coconut water /juice.[Coconut juice is the best]. Add the yeast to it and keep in warm temperature.
2. Grind the cooked rice with little water to a fine paste and mix this with the rice flour

3.Now grind the grated coconut with water and add to the rice flour. 

4. Add the dissolved yeast in step1, Cumin powder, Elakka (Cardamom) & Salt into the rice flour and mix well

5. Grind the mixed rice flour for few minutes to avoid lumps. The batter should be very thick as we need to add sugar later which will make the flour looser. 

6.Preheat the oven to 150 degree Fahrenheit and turn off.

7.Keep the batter in oven with the lights turned on.

8.The batter will be fermented and ready to be made in 6 hours.This batter is good enough to make 5 vattayappams.

9.Apply some Ghee on a round pan and half fill the batter

10.Add some raisins to the top (You can also add some cashews too)

11.Steam it for 20 - 25 minutes and VATTAYAPPAM will be ready to serve

Avalose Podi

Ingredients

Pachari podichathu /aripodi -1/4 kg  or 2 cup
Grated Coconut -1 coconut  or 1 cup
Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1tsp

Preparation
1.Add grated coconut ,cumin seeds , cumin powder and a pinch of salt  to the rice flour and mix very well using hand.
2.Keep it aside for one hour.
3.Roast the above mixture in a pan .Stir until it turns golden brown.Switch off the flame.
4.Cool it and store in an air tight container.

Ulli Vada

Ingredients

1.Onion - 5 big

2.Besan/Kadalamavu /All purpose flour/maida- 1cup

3.Ginger -1 inch piece(big piece)

4.Green chilly -5 chopped

5.Curry leaves chopped - 2 springs

6.Coriander leaves - few (optional)

7.Asafoetida/Kayam powder - 1 pinch

8.Salt-as required

9.Oil -for frying

Preparation

1.Chop Onions ,ginger,garlic,green chillies and curry leaves (If you could fry the onions in oil,the excess water from the onion will get absorbed)

2.Mix besan /maida with the above ingredients.Do not add water.

3.Make small balls from the mixture and  make a small hole in the centre.

4.Carefully drop it to the oil.

5.Turn it when one side is brown

6.You can take it out when the ullivada is crispy

Uzhunnu Vada

Ingredients

Uzhunnu parippu (black gram) - 1 cup

Shallots/Kunjulli/Red onions chopped -1 cup

Green chilly chopped - 7

Ginger finely chopped - one piece

Curry leaves crushed/chopped - 1 spring

Salt -to taste

Oil- for deep frying

Baking soda -1/4 tsp 

Preparation

1.Soak dal in water for 6 hours
2.Grind  dal in to a very fine smooth  paste by adding a few tablespoons of water ,if required.
   It would be better if you could grind it without adding water.
   Adding too much water will make it difficult to  get the vada in round shape.
   You can use the food processor or mixer.But the mixture should be well ground and thick.

3.Keep aside for 3 hours or until the batter became soft and puffy.
4.Add  chopped shallots(kunjulli), curry leaves,green chillies, chopped ginger, and salt  to the above mixture and mix well.

5.If the batter became loose refrigerate it for better consistency.Refrigerating makes the batter thick so that it will be easy for you to roll the vada.
5.Heat oil in a pan,put it on a medium flame.
6.Wet your palm with cold water and take a small portion of the dough and roll it into a ball.Slightly flatten it and make a hole in the center using your finger.Slip this into hot oil.Cook until it turns golden brown.
7.Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Kozhukatta / Kozhukotta /Kozhukkotta- Easter Eggs

Ingredients

Rice flour/aripodi-1 cup

Jaggery -as required

Grated Coconut-3/4 cup

Crushed cardamom-3-4

Cumin powder-1/2 tsp

Pepper powder- 1 pinch(optional)

Ghee-1-2tsp(optional)

chopped nuts and raisins - (optional)

Preparation

Filling

1.Mix together jaggery and coconut .
2.Heat a pan and add the above mixture to the pan.

3.Stir,let the jaggery melt .

4.Add crushed cardamom , cumin powder , pepper powder and stir.
5.If you like aval (poha), you can also add aval  to this coconut - jaggery mixture and mix them all together properly[optional]

6.Add ghee and stir it for few more minutes.Switch off the flame and keep the mixture aside.
7.If you have time,take a small portion of this filling (it will be sticky, you can grease your palms with ghee) and make small balls and keep aside.[optional]

Dough

1.Boil one cup of water with salt and ghee (ghee is optional)
2.Sprinkle hot water little by little on  rice flour and mix well  using a spatula

3.When the dough is warm enough to handle, knead the dough and make it to a soft ball

4.The dough should not be too sticky.(The dough will be smooth but yet slightly sticky)

5.Don't let it cold

Kozhukatta(Placing the filling in to the dough)
1.Keep aside  two separate cups - one with 3 tsp ghee/oil  and  another one with warm water

2.Grease your palms with ghee and take one ball at a time and place it in your palm.
3.Make medium sized balls out of the dough

4.Press it with the other hand and make it thin.If  the dough is sticky,dip your fingers in the warm water.

5.Start folding it inwards in such a way that you get a cup shape

6.Place 1-2 tsp of the filling, ( or the filling balls you already prepared ) cover it and roll it back into a ball.
7.Dip your hands in warm water and ghee alternatively

8.Repeat the process with the rest of the dough and filling.

Steam the kozhukattas in appachembu/steamer for 9-10 minutes on medium - high flame. Keep it covered for 1 more minute. Serve warm.

Ethakka Appam / Pazham Pori / Banana Fritters/Boli

Ingredients

1.Well ripened Plantains/Nannai vilanju pazhutha Etha pazham - 6 nos
2.All purpose flour/Maida- 1 cup
3.Sugar -1 1/2 tsp
4.Salt- 1/4 tsp 
5.Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp
6.Water -1 cup
7.baking powder -a pinch (optional)
8.Oil -as required to deep fry

Preparation of  batter

Mix Maida,baking powder,turmeric powder,sugar and salt together.Add water little by little and make a smooth  thick dough.The dough should not be too thick or too loose.

Preparation

1.Cut the  bananas vertically  in to 4 pieces.

2.Heat oil in a pan.

3.Dip the bananas in the above mixture and deep fry until golden brown on both sides.

4.Drain the excess oil and Serve hot.

Sukhiyan/Sugiyan

Ingredients for filling

1.Moong Dal/Cherupayar - 1/4 kg 

2.Jaggery - 250 gram or as required

3.Grated coconut- 1 1/2 cup

4.Cardamom powder-1 tsp

5.Oil- to fry

Ingredients for the batter

1.Maida/All purpose flour -2 cup

2.Water- 1 1/4 cup

3.Salt -as required

4.Turmeric powder - a pinch

5.Egg-1 (optional)

6.Baking powder -1/4 tsp(optional)

7.Coconut powder/coconut milk -1/2 cup (optional)

Preparation of the filling

1.Soak the moong dal in water for about 4 hours.

2.Cook  the moong dal with little water (approx. 1/2 cup water to 1 cup moong dal) Don't over cook the  dal.Dal should be in its original texture ,you should not mash it.Open the lid  and stir for an additional 2 minutes to evaporate any excess water.

3.Melt jaggery with ¼ cup of water. Strain to remove any impurities .

4.Heat a big pan and add the melted jaggery to it.Add the grated coconut .Let the coconut cook well in the jaggery syrup.Stir continuously and cook until the mixture is close to thick.

5.Add the cooked moong dal to the above mixture.Continue stirring until the mixture turns into a thick paste and separates easily from the base of the pan .

6.Add cardamom powder and keep it aside.

7.Allow it to cool.You should be able to round it up with hands.

Preparation of  the dipping batter

1.Add 1/4 tsp baking powder to 2 cup Maida/All purpose flour. Add enough salt for the batter.

2.Add a pinch of turmeric powder to get a nice color.

2.Add coconut milk to better taste.Mix well.

3.To make the batter more soft add 1 egg and mix well in 1 cup of water.The batter will not be too loose or too thick.

4.Mix well to remove any lumps..

Tips:baking powder will  prevent the batter from absorbing too much oil. 

Preparation of Sugiyan

1.Heat oil in a pan to deep fry

2.Make small balls from the coconut mixture and keep aside

3.Dip each ball in the batter and deep fry them in hot oil till it turns out to be golden brown.

4.Turn over after one side is done.

5.Drain on a tissue paper.  Set aside till warm enough to relish.

Banana Kumbilappam

Kumbilappam (Chakka ada/Poocha puzhungiyathu) is a very delicious tea-time snack in Kerala.Usually Kumbilappam is made from ripen jack fruit and wrap in edana ela.Since I don't have jackfruit available I am using ripened bananas instead of jack fruit and banana leaf instead of edana ela.You can also try this with ripen papaya.

Ingredients

Roasted rice -1 cup

Overripe bananas/well Ripened bananas -6

Jaggery -1 cup (as required)

Cumin powder-1/2 tsp

Cardamom-1/2 tsp

Grated Coconut- 1/2cup
Salt -a pinch(optional)
Banana leaf -as required

1.Roast the rice well.

2.Cut all the bananas and grind it well in a mixer.

3.Pour this mixture in to a pan and stir in medium flame.

4.After 5 minutes add the grated jaggery and stir well.

5.Add the grated coconut ,cumin powder and stir well.

6.Check the sweetness and add more jaggery if required.

6.Stir well until the mixture thickens

7. Add the cardamom powder and switch off the flame.

8.When the mixture has cooled enough to handle,add roasted rice little by little and mix well.

9.Knead the dough well.The dough should be smooth and soft.It should not be too loose or too thick.

10.Divide the banana leaves into small pieces (Size of the leaves - width:1 palm and height: 2 palms)

11.Spread the dough on the banana leaf and fold it.

12.In an appachembu steam all the kumbilappam for around 20-30 minutes

Serve warm.