Alhamdulillah, Ramadan is going super fast and it is kind of making me sad. It has been extremely busy but one side of me hasn’t been very well health wise and has affected my ability for going to Tharaweeh prayers. Apart from that worry, it has been good. All I can do is be grateful to the Almighty Rubb.

Last December, I had gone home for roughly a month to attend two weddings in HD’s family. Just like every trip, this one was hectic too. I hardly had time to rest, and more than that, even hardly ate at home. During one of those rare days, my MIL made this dish with leftover pathal dough in the fridge. The only way I know to make it is how umma makes it, where the “pidi” or the dumplings is as complicated as making the pathiri. I had so many questions – will the dumplings stick to each other, won’t they dissolve into the liquid, etc. All my doubts were dissolved when I took the first spoonful. The first thought in my head was, “If this is so easy, why shouldn’t I make it more frequently?”

So this Ramadan, thanks to a collaboration with a brand called Tasty Food, which is a pioneer in introducing the Pathal Podi in the UAE, I got to recreate the dish from my recent memory. The no-involvement of hot boiling water makes it very convenient. All you need to do is to add sufficient normal water to the rice flour, pull them together to make a dough, roll them into small roundels and cook them. All the tips and tricks will be noted in the recipe card below. I served it for Iftar and HD had a whole big bowl of it. He enjoyed it a lot, Alhamdulillah. I am glad that this dish didn’t have to wait too long to come on the blog, thanks to that collaboration.

Let me tell you that this is not the only version to make this curry. There are so many versions across various places of Malabar. Like this Kayi Curry – which has plantains and chana dal in a sugar sauce. Even in this recipe, you can add cooked chana dal for an extra bite, but since my MIL didn’t add it then, I chose not to add it. Makes it a lazier version. There are even versions of the pidi in a simple coconut sauce, without any additions to it. Isn’t it amazing how the same base gives rise to so many different recipes?

You can watch the Instagram reel over here. I have done a voice over in Malayalam, and though it is crappy, I guess I have done a good job for the first time. Off to the recipe…

The post Madhura Curry | Kayi Pidi Curry ~ Malabar Plaintain and Rice Dumpling Dessert appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

When September started, I had noted down that I will do one post every Monday. That was the deal. Somehow, after posting the Iced Hibiscus Tea, that didn’t happen. My whole plans went derailed. A few things came over which took over and the blog had to wait. Alhamdulillah, unfortunately, whatever took my time didn’t work out. I felt sad initially, and then I thought to myself, it wasn’t meant for me. If it was, the Almighty has absolutely no reason to block it from me. In the same time, during the Quran class, we were taught for the following verse:

And do not crave what Allah has given some of you over others. Men will be rewarded according to their deeds and women ˹equally˺ according to theirs. Rather, ask Allah for His bounties. Surely Allah has ˹perfect˺ knowledge of all things. (Surah An-Nisa:32)

SubhanAllah… He tells us to keep asking so that He can provide from His infinite bounties. What more is there to assure myself that things will turn out for good! In Sha Allah…

Meanwhile, trying to get back into posting with this delicious curry, which is synonymous to the north Kerala district of Kasargode. Kasargode is a very peculiar state. Though it belongs to Kerala, they don’t speak legit Malayalam. Their language is a mix of all languages that belong to the boundaries in proximity to them, like Tulu, Kannada, etc. It is actually nice to hear, if you ask me. D had a colleague from there and his wife’s language was always over the head for us. However, umma managed to understand and can still pull out a decent conversation with her, where both understand each other despite their different dialects.

OK, so coming back to the curry, it is said to be a specialty of Kasargode and normally served in masjids during festivals, called “nercha” along with ghee rice, or during Ramadan and/or Eid. I adapted this recipe from an online source. The main difference in this curry from the way I usually make, is that the meat is marinated in a mix of aromatic spices for some time, before adding it to the onion-tomato masala to get cooked. It makes the dish more spiced and aromatic. I kept the curry a little thick because we had it with porottas, but surely this is amazing with any type of rice as well. When you crave for something different to make with your beef, then go ahead and try this amazing recipe, that doesn’t take much time, unlike the list of ingredients that go in, which seems quite long. Off to the recipe…

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Beef Palli Curry | Kasargode Style Meat Curry

Course Main Course

Cuisine Malabar

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 1 kg beef with bones, meduim peices

SPICES TO ROAST

• 3 tbsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp fennel powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp black pepper powder
• 1/8 tsp cardamom powder
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1/8 tsp clove powder
• Salt to taste

FOR GRAVY

• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 meduim onions chopped
• 3 green chillies slit
• 2 tomatoes chopped
• 1/4 tsp garam masala powder
• Handful of chopped coriander leaves optional

FOR TEMPERING

• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 5-6 dried red chillies
• 2 sprigs curry leaves

Instructions

• Wash and drain the beef well.
• On a hot saucepan, on low heat, roast all the ingredients under "spices to roast" for a few minutes or till aromatic.
• Add onto the beef, sprinkle in salt and toss well to coat all over. Marinate for 15 minutes or as long as possible.
• In a pressure cooker, heat coconut oil. Fry the ginger garlic paste for a couple of minutes.
• Add the onions and green chillies and saute till wilted.
• Add the tomatoes and cook till all mashed up.
• Now add the marinated beef along with a glass of water (ideally the water cleaning up any residue marination in the bowl), add more salt if needed.
• Cook for 5-6 whistles or till the beef is nicely cooked.
• Once done, sprinkle in the garam masala and add the coriander leaves if using.
• Heat oil for tempering. Splutter the mustard seeds and fry the dry chillies and curry leaves. Add in to the curry, allow it to rest for five minutes.
• Serve hot with neychor or flatbread of choice.

The post Beef Palli Curry | Kasargode Style Meat Curry appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

As soon as Ramadan had begun, I had seen this drink circulating on Instagram across many influencers. The recipe was a straightforward one, but all the additions into the drink sounded really interesting. I mean vermicelli, basil seeds, lots of bites of apple and pomegranate – what was not to love? I made this the first time when I had my friends for Iftar and one of them commented that she had this from her sister-in-law’s house, who is from Kannur. She remarked that they add a little custard powder to give the drink a nice flavor and a little thickness. What an idea that was! I am participating in this week’s Blogging Marathon #146 for the theme “Summer Coolers”.

This drink is called “Kannur Special Welcome Drink”. It is said that this is the drink that is served for weddings and functions as welcome drink for guests. It actually reminded me of the cardamom milk and the apple pista drink, that I would have at weddings during childhood. Now all these nostalgic drinks have given way to freshly made fruit juices, which somehow I feel takes away the whole feel of attending a wedding. Anyway, the recipes I saw online was to mix milk, condensed milk and cream together, add the vermicelli and cook it just till done. While it cools, the basil seeds are soaked to plump up, and the fruits are cut up. Then the whole thing is mixed up and allow to sit in the fridge till it is ready to serve. I followed this method the first time, but when my friend told me about adding custard, I added it the second time I made it and added almond slices for an extra bite. The custard added is so little that it doesn’t affect the color of the drink, but makes it a little more thick and creamy. Try this the next time you have guests. I can confirm to you that they will be charmed.

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Kannur Special Welcome Drink

A welcome drink made in a place called Kannur in Kerala for weddings and occasions...

Course Drinks

Cuisine Malabar - Indian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours

Servings 8

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 500 ml milk
• 500 ml water
• 1/2 tin condensed milk refer notes
• 1 tin thick cream 125-170 gm
• 1 tbsp custard powder
• A pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup vermicelli
• 2 tbsp basil seeds soaked to plum in 1/2 cup water
• 1 apple
• 1 pomegranate
• 2-3 tbsp sliced almonds optional

Instructions

• In a saucepan, whisk together ingredients from milk to salt. Bring it to heat on very low flame. Do not boil.
• As it starts to get hot, add the vermicelli and cook, stirring occasionally, scraping sides of the pan, till the vermicelli is done.
• Switch off and pour into a serving pitcher. Allow to cool completely
• Meanwhile, keep the basil seeds to get plumped.
• Chop the apple into small bite sized peices. Similarly remove the arils from the pomegranate.
• Once the drink is cool, add the plumped basil seeds, apple, pomegarante and almonds if using. Mix well.
• Allow it to rest in the fridge at least for a couple of hours till cold or till the time of serving.
• Before serving, mix well with a long spoon to combine and serve.

Notes

You can add sugar or more condensed milk to make the drink sweeter.

The post Kannur Special Welcome Drink appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

Even though October is almost ending, the climate hasn’t shown huge changes. Yes, mornings have gone to a below 30 degree temperatures and with fog. However, it is still warm and uncomfortable during the day. The nights however are much more pleasant, though because of the humidity, it does leave you heaving for a little bit of air. October is always a month every one looks forward to, in order to cram in a lot of outdoor activities in the upcoming months and we are sincerely hoping that the climate does get better soon, InShaAllah…

Since it is still warm and calls for something cold, I decided to share this soda-based drink that I so love. Remember the Naaranga Soda? Unlike that one, this particular one was a little difficult for me to accept. The flavor of the nannari or sarasparilla root syrup got onto me with time. I usually enjoy it with just plain lime and occasionally as paal sarbath whenever I have ice cream at home. But of late, I am totally in love with this drink. I keep soda in my fridge and this drink is what I make whenever I feel parched, and I want something more than water. The best thing about this drink is that it is low calorie, depending upon how much syrup you use. I keep it incredibly less sweet, so that I don’t feel guilty about it. It is really simple to make and even more delicious to enjoy… Off to the recipe…

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Nannari Soda Sarbath | Soda with Sarasparilla Syrup & Lime

Course Drink

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 2 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp nannari syrup add more for sweetness
• Juice of 1 lime
• 330 ml can club soda
• Ice if needed

Instructions

• In a tall glass, pour in the syrup, lime juice and soda and give it a vigorous mix.
• Enjoy as is or add ice if you need it more cold.

The post Nannari Soda Sarbath | Soda with Sarasparilla Syrup & Lime appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

I have been feeling this extremely lazy phase, but when it comes to the Blogging Marathon, I can’t afford to miss posting on the dates meant for the theme. For this week’s Blogging Marathon #137 theme of “Gravies with Lentils/Beans”, I chose to cook with three different whole lentils. Though I love lentils, I don’t have folks that favor it or would eat it as much as I would like. It is difficult to cook them in very little quantities, so I end up making a little extra and freezing the leftovers for a rainy day. Hehe…

Usually, there is only one way that I cook black chickpeas as curry. It is quite easy to make and goes well with puttu. However, this time, when I went home, I kept having this lentil in the form of a curry with roasted coconut paste. That was when I was actually reminded that this is a more delicious way to cook and the other is an easier version. If you have readily made roasted coconut in your freezer, then this  curry comes together fairly well. This curry goes amazingly well with rice and is a fairly filling curry to have. It tastes amazing along with thick dosas made with regular dosa as well. Off to this recipe…

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Varutharacha Kadala Curry | Black Chickpeas Curry in Roasted Coconut Sauce

Course Accompaniment

Cuisine Malabar - Indian

Prep Time 8 hours hours

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 1 cup black chickpeas
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder divided
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 cup roasted coconut refer notes
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 6-8 shallots thinly sliced
• 1 tomato chopped
• 1 tsp coriander powder heaped
• 1/4 tsp red chilli powder

FOR TEMPERING

• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1-2 sprigs curry leaves
• 3-4 dry red chillies

Instructions

• Soak black chickpeas overnight. Wash and drain.
• In a pressure cooker, add the chickpeas with sufficient water, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and salt and cook till done.
• Meanwhile, grind the roasted coconut to a very smooth paste adding little water.
• In a "chatti" (earthern pot), heat coconut oil. Add the shallots and saute for a couple of minutes.
• Add the tomato and cook till all mashed.
• Add in the remaining turmeric, coriander and red chilli powders and cook for a couple of minutes.
• Add the cooked chickpeas along with its water and the roasted coconut paste. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occassionally till the flavors are settled. Switch off.
• Heat oil in a small frying pan, sizzle the mustard seeds. Fry the curry leaves and dry chillies and add into the prepared curry.
• Serve hot with rice, puttu or dosa.

Notes

If making roasted coconut freshly, then you can make the quantities 1/4 of the roasted coconut recipe that I have shared here. 

The post Varutharacha Kadala Curry | Black Chickpeas Curry in Roasted Coconut Sauce appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

Let me start with a life update. My leg is finally feeling so much better now, Alhamdulillah. Last week, the plaster came off. Though there is a little swelling and the fracture is not fully closed, I am at least able to move around and do my basic tasks now. As per the doctor, it will take at least a month and a half to completely heal. I am just grateful to be able to be on the move. It is only during these occasions we realize how much what Allah gives is special and always the best…

I can’t believe that after blogging for 9+ years, this is my first bitter gourd recipe on the blog! It is simply because I am not a fan of this vegetable. I always wonder why should I even buy it when I won’t eat it. Once, HD casually mentioned how much he was missing umma’s kaipakka mulakittath. That is when I realized I had never made them before. This recipe is a very casual pickled side to rice and curry. It is very similar to the kadumaanga, but with the mango replaced with bitter gourd. I took notes from a dear friend of mine, who makes this quite frequently and made it. Alhamdulillah, it turned out really good. I had very little of it but HD really enjoyed it with matta rice/ choru and parippu curry. I also served this as side to biriyani when a couple of friends had come over for lunch. The best part about such dishes is the more they sit, the tastier they become. So always try to make this in advance and store them in a neat airtight container in the fridge, not allowing a wet spoon to touch in! Off to the recipe…

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Kaipakka Mulakittath | Malabar Pickled Bittergourd

Course Accompaniment

Cuisine Malabar

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 250 gm bitter-gourd (kaipakka/ pavakka)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• A fat pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 inch garlic minced
• 1 sprig curry leaves minced
• 10-15 shallots peeled and chopped
• 4 green chillies minced
• 3/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 1 tomato large, topped

Instructions

• Wash the bittergourd well. Cut into quarters, clean the seeds and chop them into equally sized small pieces. Set aside.
• In a mortar and pestle, slightly crush the mustard and fenugreek seeds.
• In a earthen pot (chatti), heat oil. Add the asafoetida, crushed seeds and allow to crackle.
• Fry the ginger for a little while.
• Add the curry leaves, shallots and green chillies and saute till wilted.
• Add the spice powders and saute for a couple of minutes.
• Add the chopped bittergourd and toss well. Sprinkle in some salt. Cook for a few minutes.
• Add the tomato and toss. Cook on low flame, till the tomato is mashed and the gourd looks done. Add water if necessary, to avoid sticking.
• Serve hot with rice or store leftovers in airtight container for one week.

Notes

The gourd won't change its color too much. Once the masala is well done and the gourd looks a little soft, you can switch off. 

The post Kaipakka Mulakittath | Malabar Pickled Bitter-gourd appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

If you are a follower of this blog or my Instagram, you may know that HD is from Payyoli – a tiny coastal city, mainly famous for sprinter PT Usha, who was called Payyoli Express. Since the quaint town is situated on the NH to Mahe, it is quite busy on its own. At the end of the town, there is a little shop in a corner that sells only fried chicken and some “saalan”. The boards says “Chicken Gopalan” and despite the size of the shop, the rush there is immense. Everyone in Payyoli knows and devours “chicken govaalan”, and whoever passes the NH and knows about the shop pick up a parcel too. It is said that the owner of the shop, Mr. Gopaalan or Gopaalettan, never shared the recipe of the chicken fry with anyone, not even his trusted employees. He unfortunately passed away a few years ago. The shop still exists but the taste of the chicken isn’t the same anymore, though it is still delicious. Each time we went home and stayed a little in Payyoli, one night dinner would be a parcel of this fried chicken, devored till the last bit…

Having said that, it is Calicut Paragon restaurant that made Payyoli chicken fry a famous item in their menu. Though it is different from what you actually get to eat in Payyoli, it tastes good in its own way. The deep fried coconut and curry leaves mopped up with porotta is one definite way of enjoying it. Hehe… I have tried to keep close to what I have tasted in Payyoli but more looking like what we get to eat in Calicut Paragon. The marinade has very limited ingredients. I have always felt that the chicken tastes more garlicky, so hence my recipe has more garlic in it. The more you can keep the chicken marinated, the better… There was a rumor that maybe the original Payyoli chicken has ajinomoto added to it for additional flavors, but let’s not dwell into it. Even without it, it is delicious. The color of the chicken is supposed to be a reddish brown, but my impatience actually keeps it a little darker. Hehe… But what is in the color? The end result matters… HD really loved it, so much that he said that it tasted very close to the actual. Let me bask in that compliment then…

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Payyoli Chicken Fry | Payyoli Kozhi Porichath

Course Chicken

Cuisine Malabar

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 29 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

FOR MARINADE

• 12-15 Kashmiri red chilli
• 8-10 cloves garlic
• 1 inch ginger
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• Salt to taste
• 1 kg chicken cut into medium pcs

FOR REST

• Coconut oil for deep frying
• 1 cup grated fresh coconut
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced optional but recommended

Instructions

• Soak the chilli in hot water till soft. Drain.
• Combine the chilli to vinegar into a jar and grind till the marinade is smooth. Add water if necessary but not too much.
• Empty onto the chicken and toss well to coat completely. Marinate the chicken for a minimum of 30 minutes to as much as possible.
• Heat coconut oil for deep frying. Drop chicken into the hot oil and fry on medium flame till done. Do not over fry.
• Drain the chicken and set aside. Fry all the chicken till done.
• Toss up the coconut into the marinade bowl to coat all the remaining marinade. Drop them into the hot oil along with the curry leaves and garlic.
• Give a stir and switch off immediately. Drain the entire mix, once the coconut is fried. Spread on top of the chicken.
• Serve hot with porotta and a simple dipping curry.

Notes

Frying in coconut oil is mandatory for the flavors to pop out.

Coconut tends to burn and hence switching off the oil once added into it. The heat of the oil will fry it sufficiently enough not to burn. 

The post Payyoli Chicken Fry | Payyoli Kozhi Porichath appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

Since this is a month of a lot of dhikr and duas, let me share another one of my personal favorites…

رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِنْ لِسَانِي يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِي

“My Lord, expand for me my breast [with assurance] and ease for me my task and untie the knot from my tongue that they may understand my speech.” (Surah Taha – 25:25)

This was the dua made by Prophet Musa (AS) when he was given the task of inviting Pharaoh into Islam. He was worried that he would fail since he had a problem with his speech. If we read through the supplication a few times, we realize that this is very useful in any part of our daily activities. When we have an exam coming up, or when we have an important presentation at work, or it may be even meeting new people out of our comfort zone, this dua becomes a source of calmness. It is knowing that by reciting it and keeping our trust in Allah, He will make matters easy for us, if it is meant to be.

As you know, I have been doing three back-to-back bread based recipes. The first two recipes, the Pesto Cheese Sandwich and the Baked Sausage Bread Roll-ups have been absolutely easy recipes to make. However, today’s is a little more work, though it is a simplified version of the Malabar “lasagna”, the Chattipathiri…

It is umma who taught me how to make this. I don’t know from where her inspiration came, but I remember her saying that one time she saw this way of making on the television. It reminded me that once upon a time, our TV shows during Ramadan included an Islamic quiz program and a cookery show after Tharaweeh prayers. Immediately after Iftar, we would watch half an hour of Mr Bean and then a little of Takeshi’s Castle. Do you remember those shows? They were hilarious and considered “halal” to watch by my parents, so we got that little time. Hehe… Anyway, coming back to this recipe, you can use any filling of your choice. I have made chicken filling here, but meat filling would be even more delicious.

The difference is using bread as the layer instead of making the crepes to go in between. That way, this recipe is a tad bit simpler. While making the layers, you can pinch and cut the bread to fill up the spaces in between and make it a proper circle. Once it is done, it just becomes one flat layer and all that patchwork you do wouldn’t even show. Hehe… Only one word of caution – if you are steaming or baking, make sure that the pan is greased really well, or you place a parchment paper at the bottom. Since we press down the bread while prepping the layers, the bottom tends to stick to the pan. I had made this last year and clicked it as well to post during Ramadan, but really didn’t like the shots, so redid it this time, with hopefully better looking pictures. Off to the recipe… Hope you enjoyed this simple series…

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Bread Chattipathiri

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Servings 8

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

FOR FILLING

• 350 gm cooked boneless chicken shredded
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 onion sliced
• 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp fennel powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
• 1/3 tsp garam masala powder
• Handful of chopped coriander and mint leaves
• Salt to taste

FOR LAYERING

• 15 slices bread
• 6 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Ghee or coconut oil as needed

Instructions

• In a saucepan, heat oil. Saute the onions with some salt till wilted.
• Add the ginger garlic paste and cook for a minute.
• Add turmeric, red chilli, fennel and pepper powders and give a good mix.
• Add the shredded chicken and toss to coat well. Cook for five minutes.
• Add the garam masala and chopped leaves, toss well. Adjust seasoning and set aside to cool.
• Heat an 8 inch pan and generously drizzle ghee or oil on it and the sides for not sticking. Take off.
• Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper.
• Take off the crusts of the bread. Take one slice, dunk into the egg mixture. Layer on the below. Use five slices to complete the bottom layer without any space, you can tear and snuggle up soaked up bread to make a flat bottom.
• Spread half the chicken mixture. Prepare one more layer as above with five slices of bread.
• Spread the remaining chicken. Finish off with the remaining bread slices on the top.
• Pour the remaining egg on the side to seal. Decorate on the top, if you like, like I did the coriander leaves.
• Cook on low flame till the sides detach. Flip carefully and cook on the top side too.
• Serve warm with tea...

Notes

Cook the chicken with salt and pepper till done and use in the recipe.

If baking, bake in a well greased pan so that the bottom doesn't stick. Bake in a preheated 180 degree oven for 40 minutes.

It is not necessary you need to layer the bread properly. Just make sure the layer is flat and all holes are covered by pinching the bread to cover up. 

The post Bread Chattipathiri | Easy Chatti Pathiri appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

So this month as well, I am doing two weeks for the Blogging Marathon #132, knowing fairly well that I will be taking a break from the BM for the next two months, one month because of Ramadan and the other because I am not good at cooking that spontaneously when pressed with time. I better know my weaknesses and play accordingly, isn’t it? Hehe… I am doing the theme “Healthy Snacks” this week and while scheduling my posts, I realized that I had put all sweet dishes in line. So much so for my blog name…

The first snack I chose is a favorite with my kids since a very long time. If there is something that hasn’t changed among their favorites, then it is andiputt. These Malabar style bliss balls are made with roasted matta rice, lots of cashew nuts and coconut. Jaggery is used as the  sweetener. My earliest memories go back to seeing the fresh cashew nuts being roasted on open fire outside till nicely done, then smashed to get those pearl like delicious stuff inside. Those cashew nuts would go into make these sweet balls, giving them a beautiful charred flavor. Clearly, since now that process hardly happens, you get refined tasting balls. Hehe…

The main time taken is to roast the rice. I have used matta rice like I have seen my mattamma and umma using. After washing and draining the rice to get rid of its water, roast it on a hot pan as much as possible, till you keep hearing popping sounds and the rice releases a beautiful aroma. I can’t specify how much time it would take, but it can easily take around 30 to 45 minutes and needs constant stirring to ensure equal popping. The time to stop roasting is when the popping ceases. While you allow the rice to cool, you can roast the cashew nuts, melt your jaggery and keep the grated coconut ready. Once everything is ready, the rest of the process happens in tandem and you get deliciousness that can’t be described.

There are a few factors that determine how the snack turns out. If you use more jaggery, you may have softer balls. The color of the jaggery also determines how dark or light it is. It is not necessary to use all cashews to make them. There are times we take a mix of equal quantities of peanuts and cashew-nuts. Cardamom is used to flavor the balls. Since the coconut is usually used direct, there are chances of it getting rancid as time passes. However, I lightly roast the coconut just till it is less moist, so that the balls stay fresh for longer. I prefer storing them in an airtight container inside the fridge till they are done, which doesn’t take too long, considering my girls love to have them whenever they feel like. I think I have covered all the points here… Hehe… Off to the recipe…

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Andi Putt | Ari Unda ~ Malabar Cashewnut Rice Balls

Course Tea Snacks

Cuisine Malabar

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups matta rice
• 1 cup grated coconut
• 450 gm jaggery melted in 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• 2 cups cashewnuts refer notes

Instructions

• Wash the rice well till water is clear. Allow it to drip excess water in a colander.
• In a hot pan, add the drained rice and roast on medium flame, stirring constantly. You will start hearing pop sounds. Keep tossing till the pop sound ceases. This process can take around half an hour to 45 minutes.
• Once the rice has popped completely and it smells roasted, switch off and transfer to a flat dry tray. Allow to cool completely.
• In the same pan, roast the coconut just till the moisture in gone. Empty into another wide pan.
• Roast the cashewnuts as well till just done and switch off.
• Melt the jaggery, strain the mixture and keep it warm.
• Once cool, grind the rice as smooth as you can. Coarse bits are fine. Drop into the same pan as the coconut.
• Now grind the cashewnuts till coarse. Do not overgrind to avoid it from becoming butter. Add into the rice mixture.
• Add the cardamom and give the whole powder a good mix.
• Now pour the melted jaggery in batches while mixing the powders and use up the whole till all the mixture is moist.
• Start making them in to small rounds as soon as possible. They will be soft when done at first, but as they sit, they harden up slightly.
• Enjoy them with a cup of sulaimani.

Notes

You can use a mix of cashew nuts and peanuts to make this.

You can even increase the nuts to upto 3 cups to make it more nuttier. 

Makes around 12-20 balls dependent on size. 

The post Andi Putt | Ari Unda ~ Malabar Cashewnut Rice Balls appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

I have been struggling to add posts to the blog. It isn’t that I am not getting time, but it is more of not being in a mood to do it. I do have a lot to post… Sometimes I get in a mood to cook and click, but the process after that is getting difficult for me. I always wonder how I used to type such long posts, while I struggle now to keep my basic mode on. I guess I will just keep my pitch on and move on, without exerting too much on myself…

There are days when the mood is only for kanji and chammanthi, but there are times when you want rice, but don’t want to make curry at all.  This is one chammanthi umma makes with rice or dosas for the lazy meals. The tomato gives it more body and a nice tanginess, along with the little piece of tamarind. The tempering at the end makes it really tempting. Usually rice, this chammanthi and mutta omelette makes one of the most nostalgic meals of all times, especially for those who would pack lunch tiffins to school. This is also an easy side dish with neer dosa or even wheat dosa. Off to this simple recipe…

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Thakkali Thenga Chammanthi | Tomato Coconut Chutney

Course Afternoon Side

Cuisine Kerala

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 1 cup grated coconut
• 1 tomato roughly chopped
• 3 garlic pod peeled
• 4-6 shallots/ pearl onions/ cheriyulli peeled
• 2 dried red chillies soaked
• 1 pc tamarind
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• Salt to taste

FOR TEMPERING

• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves

Instructions

• Place all ingredients from coconut to salt in a blender jar and blitz coarsely till ground. Adjust seasoning.
• Heat oil, splutter the mustard seeds and sizzle curry leaves. Pour into chutney and mix.
• Serve immediately with rice or dosa.

Notes

You can skip the tempering if wanted.

The post Thenga Thakkali Chammanthi | Tomato Coconut Chutney appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.