PAANAKAM
Paanakam is believed to be the favorite drink of Lord Subrmaniam
We prepare this as a offering, at festivals dedicated to him.
Ingredients:
1 cup brown sugar dissolve and strain.
tsp cardamom powder
tsp dried ginger or sukku powder
Juice from 1 lime
Enough water
Method:
Dissolve the brown sugar in water and strain.
Sprinkle the ginger and cardamom powder.
Stir well and add the lime juice.
Serve over ice-cubes for a cool refreshing drink.
Sue Akka this Kerala item is specially for you.
SARKARA UPPERI ( Sweet Plantain Chips)
Ingredients:
6 firm green plantains
1 cup jaggery
cup water
1 tbs ghee or oil
tsp cardamom powder
Oil for frying
Little salt
Method:
Peel the green skin.
Cut the plantain in half length wise
Cut these pieces into 1 inch thick slices.
Rub a little salt into it.
Heat a wok with enough oil, and fry the chips
Until they are crisp and golden in colour.
Remove and keep aside.
Combine the water and sugar and boil till it
Forms a single string syrup.
Add the fried plantain chips, ghee and cardamom powder.
Stir well the sugar to coat the chips well.
The syrup will coat the chips evenly and will harden in few minutes.
Remove and let them cool, then serve.
Another sweet rice kozhukkatta
Steamed Sweet Rice Kozhukkata
Ingredients:
1 cup raw rice soaked
cup brown sugar dissolved and strained
2 tbs thinly sliced fresh coconut
1/3 cup ghee
tsp cardamom powder
Method:
In a blender grind the rice along with brown sugar,
With just enough water to form a thick batter.
Toast the coconut in a tsp of ghee. Keep aside.
Combine the rice batter and the rest of the ghee
In a non-stick pan, and cook the mixture over a medium
Heat, stirring all the time.
As the mixture thickens, add the sliced coconut
And cardamom powder.
Keep on stirring till the mixture has cooked down to a dough.
Remove from stove and let it cool.
Shape the cooked dough and steam it for about 20 minutes.
NOTE: In my family this kozhukkata is made by the athai, when the
Child has has the first tooth.
The child is made to sit on a decorated stool and the kozhukkata
Is showered on the head of the child. Elders and children
Pick up the kozhukkata and there is much fun in the house.
Mashed mung dal with ghee, a simple combination.
A small serving of boiled mung dal with a dollop of golden ghee, marks the beginning of a banana leaf vegetarian feast.
Ingredients:
1 cup mung dal
1/2 tsp tumeric powder
salt to taste
1/4 cup ghee
Boil the mung dal with enough water, tumeric powder and salt. Simmer till the dal is well cooked and can be mashed with a back of a spoon.
Remove from stove and serve with ghee.
This is the sweet version of the kuzhi paniyaram
It is also called Neyyappam
Ingredients:
100gms jaggery ,grated
1 cup water
1 cup fine rice flour
2 tbs coconut,finely chopped and fried in ghee
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
1 dsp sugar
1/8 tsp baking soda
a pinch of cardamom powder
dissolve the jaggery in the water and make a thick syrup.
mix all ingredients together to a thick batter of dropping consistency.
proceed as usual!as you would do for kuzhi paniyaram
Children will love this pancake.
BANANA PANCAKES
Ingredients:
1 cup long grain rice soaked for 3 hours
5 ripe bananas
1 cup brown sugar
cup ghee.
Method:
Grind the rice with the bananas, and brown sugar.
The batter should have the consistency of pancake batter.
Heat a griddle, smear the griddle with tsp of ghee.
Pour a ladleful of batter evenly to form a thick pancake.
Pour a little ghee around the edges.
Cook for a minute or two. When the pancake is cooked
Use a spatula and turn over the pancake. Cook for another minute.
Remove from the griddle and repeat with remaining batter.
For breakfast serve them with honey or maple syrup.
Sue Akka one more sweet cake for you.
HONEYCOMB CAKE
Ingredients:
140g sugar
200ml water
125g margarine
380g condensed milk
4 eggs (size A)
Sift:
150g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
Method:
Heat a heavy-based saucepan over low heat. Add in sugar and allow to melt, stirring slowly until the sugar turns golden brown. Bring the saucepan away from the heat and gradually add in water. Return saucepan to heat and keep stirring until the caramelised sugar dissolves into a thin dark brown syrup. Leave aside to cool.
Whip margarine with an electric beater until light and creamy. Add in condensed milk and continue to beat.
In another mixing bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy, then add into the creamed margarine mixture. Mix well to combine.
Fold in sifted flour to mix until well combined. Stir in the cooled syrup to mix.
Pour the mixture into a lined and greased 20cm cake pan and bake in preheated oven at 180c for 55 minutes to an hour or until cake is springy to the touch. The texture of the cake should be like honeycomb.
BANANA IN SWEET SAUCE
INGREDIENTS
5 large firm bananas
2 cups of coconut milk
1 cup of water
1/2 cup of castor sugar or brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
3 pieces screw pine leaves tied into knots
salt to taste
PREPARATIONS
1. Slice the bananas thickly.
2. Boil water in a large deep pan. When its boiled add
sugar into the pan, reduce the heat and keep
stirring while it dissloves.
3. When the sugar has dissolved, put the bananas into
the sweet sauce. Let it simmer.
4. Then, immediately add the coconut milk & knotted
screw pine leaves. Bring to a boil again and remove
the screw pine leaves. Sprinkle cinnamon powder
and when bananas are soft (but not mushy) switch off
the fire. Serve warm or cold as desired.
Note: If you prefer it slightly thicker dissolve a little cornflour in water and add into this dessert while its still boiling. Keep stirring so that it doesn't form lumps.
