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.

Monsoon is always connected to savory fried snacks and cups of hot chai or coffee, whatever you fancy. So of course, when I sign up for a theme called “Monsoon Delights” for the Blogging Marathon #137, I have to include a fried snack. I am trying to figure out why this snack is called “pottitherichath” – meaning “something that bursts”. I guess it is because of the burst feeling when you bite in to the crispy wrapping before you get to the chicken. I think it was Adaminte Chaayakkada that introduced this snack here. Anyway I have not tried eating it from outside but during Ramadan, a lot of them were trying this all over Instagram and YouTube that I had to try it.

The recipe is very simple. Boneless chicken is cut as strips and marinated with some basic spices. Then samosa sheets or spring roll sheets are cut into long strips – make it as thin as possible, but I am a lazy head so I cut them quite thick. Hehe… The marinated chicken is then rolled into these cut sheets, till it is stuck to them in abundance, and finally deep fried. I only found the wrapping of the samosa strips around the chicken peices a little daunting, but once fried and served, it was so crunchy and delicious, that it disappeared in no time. Apart from serving as a tea time snack, this would be a very interesting appetizer too, that can be served along with a dipping sauce. Off to this recipe…

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Chicken Pottitherichath | Threaded Chicken Fingers

Course Tea Snacks

Cuisine Malabar

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 350 gm boneless chicken breast
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp garam masala powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp corn flour
• Samosa or spring roll sheets as needed
• Oil for deep frying

Instructions

• Cut the chicken into long and thin strips.
• Marinate with the spice powders and salt for ten minutes.
• Add the egg and corn flour and coat completely.
• Cut samosa sheets or spring roll sheets into thin to meduim strips.
• Pick a chicken peice and carefully coat the strips around the chicken till it is entirely wrapped. Press to allow it to stick to it.
• Repeat till you complete all the chicken peices, till then cut strips off sheets as needed.
• Heat enough oil to deep fry. Once hot, drop each coated strip carefully and fry till golden brown on meduim flame, to ensure that the inside is cooked as well.
• Drain and set aside. Enjoy warm with a dip of choice or as is.

The post Chicken Pottitherichath | Threaded Chicken Fingers 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.

Even though my blog is intended to be more of Malabar and Emirati recipes, I haven’t been representing both the cuisines as required in the recent past. I have not been testing any new recipes, since it takes time and moreover, my folks have become more picky than I would have liked them to. But since I am already slow in many ways, I am in no hurry and not in a race to outdo anyone. Hehe… I would rather post reliable recipes on the blog, that my readers as well I can come back to and cook whenever I feel like.

There are a lot of recipes that I discover as a part of being a part of groups with a sufficient Malabar population. As I have mentioned somewhere before, the place I come from doesn’t have a wide variety of food and hence, the knowledge passed from my family down is quite limited. I am trying to find out more and more of forgotten recipes, even though at times the process becomes absolutely stressful. Some of the recipes that I found out that way are Palooda, Mutta Urapichath and Erachi Kinnapathiri, just to name a few. Here is another one into that group…

We have always made athishayapathiri, which is one of umma’s favorite snack to make, despite the difficulty. As soon as I came across this super easy way of making something similar, I was overjoyed. Basically the batter is very similar and even you could make the same filling, but instead of making crepes, you pour the whole thing and layer the meat in between and just let it cook. So much of effort cut down! The batter is a very spongy and thick layer and keeping the meat filling spicy gives it a nice edge, since the batter is like plain crepe. I have used beef to make the filling – it always makes snacks better! – but you can surely use chicken if that is what you have.

I took the easy route and used chicken masala powder, but that was only because I had got a complementary pack and I had to use it. I have mentioned the replacement in the notes section. Since Ramadan is very close – InShaAllah – and all of us want to try easy recipes, then this one should be on the list for sure… If you make the filling in advance, the pie is such a cake walk, literally! Off to the recipe…

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Irani Pola | Malabar Meat Pie

Course Snacks

Cuisine Malabar

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 200 gm boneless meat I used beef
• Salt and pepper to tastes
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp fennel powder
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 onion minced
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 sprig curry leaves minced
• 2 green chillies minced
• 1 tbsp curry powder/ chicken masala powder heaped
• Coriander leaves as needed
• Ghee as needed

FOR BATTER

• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 3 eggs large
• 3/4 cup oil
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Pressure cook the beef along with the turmeric, red chilli, fennel and seasonings till well cooked. Reserve the stock. Shred the cooked meat.
• In a pan, heat coconut oil. Add the onion, ginger garlic paste, curry leaves and green chillies with some salt and saute till wilted and golden brown.
• Add in the shredded beef, the stock and curry powder and cook till done. Adjust seasoning.
• Blend all ingredients under "for batter" in a blender till smooth.
• Heat a large frying pan and drizzle ghee. Brush the ghee all over the pan.
• Pour half the batter and spread onto the sides. Cook for a couple of minutes on low flame.
• Sprinkle all the masala on top of it. Now pour the rest of the batter over it. Sprinkle the coriander leaves.
• Cook on low flame with closed lid till the bottom is done. Carefully flip and cook the other side as well.
• Switch off, slice into 8 triangles and serve warm with chai!

Notes

You can bake the pola in a preheated 180 degree oven for 20 minutes or till the batter is cooked.

If you don't have masala powder, then you can use 1/2 tsp coriander powder + 1/4 tsp turmeric powder + 1/4 tsp red chilli powder + 1/8 tsp fennel powder + 1/4 tsp cumin powder + 1/4 tsp garam masala to the beef masala. 

The post Irani Pola | Malabar Meat Pie appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

We are almost at the mid of this blessed month. Alhamdulillah… As is always, the month seems to be flying as fast as it can from our hands. I am trying my level best to utilize my time as much as I can, but I am not very sure if I am doing it well. Sometimes the moods set in and derail all my plans. I am really struggling with waking up in the morning. Somehow, the news back home with the explotion of Covid cases is making me feeling very restless and anxious. I was really hoping to bring my parents by this month end so that they would be here for the last ten days of Ramadan. However, all my hopes have been dashed with the suspension of all flights from India until further notice. As much as you would like to be in oblivion, one side is quite worried about the situation. Kerala seems to be in a better situation as far as healthcare is concerned, but the medical system is under such stress that it is palpable despite being miles away from home. The videos and news on the social media is quite disturbing and there is rising turbulence all over the country. We can only pray and make dua for the situation to get better…

In the meanwhile, there was this Aayat that really grabbed my attention and I wish to share it, since we only need constant assurance that we are not in control of anything that is happening in the world:

Every day that passes shows how miniscule and helpless we are, and it is a call to keep us as humble as possible…

Mutta Chutney Kebab is a recipe that has been floating online for a while. I am sure it first appeared in the Malabar Cuisine book that I had earlier reviewed earlier. We ate it for the first time a few years ago when we had gone to my parent’s friend’s home for Iftar. Aunty had made these and umma as usual asked for the recipe. Umma isn’t a very keen cook but if she finds something interesting, she would make sure she asks for the recipe. That is how I learned from her to make delicious snacks like chatti pathiri and the chicken rolls. Before they left for good, we tried to recreate it at home once and totally enjoyed it. Then as usual, this snack went into my archives till I was reminded of it again last year during Ramadan.

Yes, I kept this post in my drafts so that I could post it this year. Sometimes, we are forced to do that when we can foresee that we may not be able to create any new related content. The recipe is quite simple though it can be a little tricky. The eggs are first boiled, cooled, shelled and slit into half. The chutney is also made by the side. It is important to make sure that it doesn’t have any liquid in it. Then the chutney is placed on top of the egg, carefully rolled in whipped egg white and fried till done. We deep fried and hence the dark shade. Do take care of splutters, they are bound to happen especially when you deal with deep frying eggs. I have to say that with a cup of hot chai, these spicy bites are simply a joy. You must try them at least once during this Ramadan or maybe keep them for some time when you need the rains to come by…

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Mutta Chutney Kebab | Egg Chutney Kabab

Course Tea Time Snacks

Cuisine Malabar

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 6 eggs hard boiled and shelled
• 2 egg whites large
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying

FOR CHUTNEY

• 1 cup grated coconut
• 2 green chillies
• 1 inch pc ginger
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• A handful coriander leaves
• Juice of 1 lime
• Salt to taste

Instructions

• Shell the eggs and cut into half.
• Combine all the ingredients under "chutney" and grind into a smooth paste.
• Whip the egg whites slightly. Add salt to taste.
• Heat oil to a level in a pan.
• Take one half of the egg. Top with chutney. Roll into the egg white. Carefully put into the hot oil. Fry till done.
• Serve hot.

The post Mutta Chutney Kabab | Egg Chutney Kebab appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

I really don’t know when is the last time I have had “Chakkara Payar”. I really don’t remember how the whole thought came into my memory as well. I have always mentioned that there were certain dishes that umma would make on a repeat mode and then all of a sudden, she would just stop making them. One example is the Kadala Pidi. She used to make it once in a while as kids and then she just stopped. While I tried to figure out what the reason may be, I get an inkling that it may be because we weren’t really interested in any “naadan” dishes as kids. Maybe she figured out that we weren’t keen on eating them as much as she was keen on making them.

I can now see myself repeating history with my girls. Sometimes, I find it extremely difficult trying to gauge their likes and dislikes. As much as I would like to register them into my head, sometimes they escape my radar. Last week, I had gone down to complete my formalities with my ex-company. While coming back, I dropped by a bakery and picked up some pastries. Azza had been asking for them for some days, so I thought I could better pick them up. Knowing that Rasha loves chocolate, I picked up a chocolate pastry. But as soon as I came home, she saw the chocolate pastry and frowned. “Ummi, I don’t like such dark chocolate cakes!” She was right – she always blames my brownies are extremely dark, and that explains her favoritie of mine are these Milk Chocolate Brownies, which have a decent shade of brown. Maybe I should have picked the black forest for her…

Maybe it is a part of the motherly instinct that we stop cooking any dish that our family doesn’t seem to enjoy. They may not imply it in words but if the vibe is off, the we just take it that they don’t like it and never make it again, if it is a dish that we love to eat ourselves. I mean I do feel lazy to make a dish just for myself to enjoy. A part of that laziness also stems from guilt of enjoying by my own without giving to my family. Even then a lot of times, I feel that we do need to take care of ourselves and push off that guilt to give what we have been craving or looking forward to…

OK, so coming back to the Chakkara Payar, after having a revelation of sorts, I bought a very small batch of red pea beans and ended up making the whole pack into this batch. I wasn’t sure my girls would eat them, since they aren’t usually fond of any traditional dish. The dish is really easy to make, once the cow pea beans are soaked and cooked till done. While it simmers in the coconut milk and jaggery, we keep mashing some so that the sauce thickens quickly. There is no use of any fat like ghee in this dish, and hence it is totally vegan. I was surprised to see my girls really enjoying it and equate it to the Chakkara Gothambu, sans the carbs. Hehe… Maybe now that I know my girls wouldn’t mind having this once in a while, I am looking forward to making this in a bigger quantity, InShaAllah… In case this does pique your memories, go ahead and cook it as soon as you can!

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Chakkara Payar | Malabar Red Cow Pea Dessert

Course Breakfast/ Dessert

Cuisine Malabar

Prep Time 4 hours hours

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda AR

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup red cow pea beans soaked for four hours and drained
• 1 cup thin coconut milk
• 1/2 cup thick coconut milk
• 200 gm jaggery melted in 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 tsp fennel powder
• 1/4 tsp dry ginger powder
• 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
• A pinch of salt

Instructions

• Cook the red cow pea beans in a pressure cooker till done. Drain and set aside.
• In a saucepan, combine the thin coconut milk, melted jaggery and the beans and bring to boil.
• Cook on low flame, stirring occassionally till it starts to thicken.
• Add the remaining ingredients and give a good mix. Simmer for some more time. Serve warm.

The post Chakkara Payar | Malabar Red Cow Pea Dessert appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

When we come back from home, something that we bring without fail is a minimum of two big packs of “pooram varuthath”- also called “poora podi” or “avalose podi”, though the latter is more of a South Keralite name. I haven’t seen this being eaten in HD’s side, so I guess it is more prevalent in the Malappuram side, thanks to its proximity to Thrissur. I store one packet in a container outside and another one in the fridge. It makes a very quick fix breakfast or chai time snack, either on its own along with a cup of sulaimani or with a banana mashed into it. B and Azza loves it a lot, but they have their moods to have it, so it would last us for a long period. D would dread this being served because if you are eating it without the banana, then you can imagine the mess.

Last time, I forgot to bring it, so it has been really long time since we had eaten it and I was craving to make some. It was a very surprising to know that it is quite easy to make at home and I wish you could see my excitement when I tried this. I have used store bought puttu podi to make it, but if you are in a mood to make it from scratch, then you can make your own puttu podi and then go ahead with the rest of the process. The regular rice flour can’t be used since it would be very finely ground. The rice flour to be used for making this snack should be course, and hence the use of puttu podi.

The whole point is to toast the mixture patiently till it is nicely done and has no raw taste, while doing a taste tester. Once it is cooked and cooled, the sugar is tossed in so that it doesn’t melt into the podi. I had a tough time trying to click this. All my clicks turned out a big dud except these two. It is so much easier to eat for sure… hehe… I am linking this post for this month’s A2Z challenge hosted by Vidya and Jolly, the alphabet in question is “R” and I chose “Rice flour” as my ingredient. I had initially decided on rice and had planned out what to cook, but this recipe jumped in between and I couldn’t wait to share it… Off to the recipe…

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Pooram Varuthathu | Poora Podi | Avalose Podi ~ Malabar Roasted Rice Flour Snack

Course Snack

Cuisine Malabar

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Rafeeda

Ingredients

• 2 cups puttu podi roasted rice flour (I used Nirapara)
• 3/4 cup grated coconut
• A pinch of salt
• 1 tsp black cumin seeds
• A pinch of turmeric powder
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar

Instructions

• Add ingredients from puttu podi to water in a large bowl and give a good mix.
• In a large saucepan, once heated and dry, add these ingredients and start roasting, stirring occasionally till the mixture looks toasted and golden brown.
• Cook on medium-low flame, tossing the mixture to avoid burning. The process may take around 20-25 minutes to get done.
• Switch off and spread onto a large plate to cool. Once the mixture is lukewarm, toss in the sugar. Allow to cool completely.
• Store in airtight container and enjoy with a cup of tea as is, or with a banana.

Notes

This keeps good in an air tight container for two weeks.

The post Pooram Varuthathu | Poora Podi | Avalose Podi ~ Malabar Roasted Rice Flour Snack appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

I never knew the dish called Kalthappam or Cookerappam till I got married. I must say that marriage to HD did open up a whole variety in food. For us, food is very limited to maybe a pazhampori, pinjiyappam and/or ullivada for snack time, and neychor and erachi curry for lunch time. We don’t even have biriyani, even though we are a part of Malabar! Our main specialty is the Pathiri and that is something that our side women can churn out whenever given the chance, though I can’t include myself in it. Hehe… Umma herself learned a lot after she came here and was staying with a Kozhikodan family, and then from the very minimal friend circle she had over here.

Since we had landed during the evening during our first trip back home, we were treated to a wide range of palahaarams for chai time. Two things I fell in love with was this Mutta Porichath and then the Kalthappam, which his aunt called “cookerappam” because it is usually made in a pressure cooker, sans the pressure. Most of the evenings, she would make this effortlessly and I would be in awe as to how quickly and perfectly it would be done. The main highlight of this snack are those gorgeous lines – aar, as they are called – that can be seen once cut. The next is its chewy texture. I have eaten this snack from so many places, whether homemade or at eateries outside, but nothing can beat what she makes, period!

I have been trying to perfect this since long but somehow it just never turned out as good as I wanted it to be. When I asked ammayi (that’s what we call her…), she just said that adding baking soda when the whole mixture is hot does the trick. She would use a recipe that had raw rice and cooked rice added, however since we cook matta rice at home, I discovered that even a tablespoon of it was making my Kalthappam super sticky. I had first tried with raw rice or pachari, and though it did taste good, I never got those lines. Then I read that Jeerakashala rice, which is used to make Thalassery biriyani, is the best for this. But when used alone, it doesn’t give the softness and cooked matta rice was driving me up the wall. That is when Famidha shared on her IG stories as to how she makes her Kalthappam adding aval or rice flakes instead of cooked rice – what a brilliant idea! Her steps still reminded me of how ammayi had demonstrated it to me. Almost during that time, Vinee also did a try with her mother’s recipe and made the Kalthappam in a non-stick pan, which made this dish even simpler!

So basically these are some of the tips to make a good Kalthappam, which has those beautiful stripes:

• The batter needs to be super smooth, so no grainy bites in it.
• If you want to use cooked rice instead of the aval, use parboiled variety. Please, no matta rice…
• Once the batter is ground, it will be lukewarm. The jaggery syrup has to be added hot and immediately the baking soda has to follow.
• The batter has to be hot as you start cooking it. So always have everything in hand to get started.
• Last but not the least, pour the batter from a little height. Not too much that it splatters all over, but enough for the sides to start settling.

The Kalthappam would still taste amazing even if you don’t get the stripes. But somehow success of this dish lies in those lines. Hehe… I remember I had a guest post long time ago with a similar recipe. I wonder where she is… Off to the recipe…

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Kalthappam | Cookerappam ~ Malabar Rice Cake

Course Snack

Cuisine Malabar

Prep Time 6 hours hours

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 7 hours hours

Servings 8 -10

Author Rafeeda

Ingredients

• 2 cups jeerakashala rice soaked for 4-6 hours
• 1/4 cup rice flakes aval, soaked for 15 minutes
• 3 cardamom
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 1/2 cups water
• A pinch of salt
• 350 gm jaggery melted with 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil/ ghee
• 4 shallots peeled and thinly sliced
• 10-15 crushed cashewnuts
• 1/4 cup coconut bites

Instructions

• Drain the rice and aval. Add it into a blender along with cardamom, cumin, salt and water. Blend till the mixture is smooth.
• Meanwhile, melt and strain the jaggery.
• Immediately pour the hot jaggery syrup into the rice mixture. Add the baking soda and whisk till completely combined.
• Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Fry the shallots, cashew nuts and coconut bites till browned. Drain out. Add more oil or ghee if required.
• Pour the warm mixture from a height onto the hot pan, so that it starts spluttering as it settles. Reduce the flame to simmer and close with a tight lid wrapped in a towel to avoid any water dripping onto the appam.
• After five minutes, sprinkle the fried onions and coconut on top of it. Close and cook till a knife tester comes out clean from the center and you see bubbly texture on top.
• Serve warm with a cup of chai.

The post Kalthappam | Cookerappam ~ Malabar Rice Cake appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.

Time for two weeks of the Blogging Marathon this month too! By now, you would have figured out how much I love doing the Blogging Marathon whenever I can. I always tell Valli how much the two weeks makes me feel really energized and looking forward to trying new recipes and doing posts on the blog. I am really thankful that I am finding it easier to do posts and things seem to be in a nice flow now, though I wouldn’t want to get over excited about anything at the moment.

This month’s edition is the BM #115 and this week, the theme I have chosen is “Monsoon Delights”. I have been going home every year for the past six years. Every year, we would think of not travelling, however at the beginning of the year while fitting in the plans, going home comes in automatically. Staying over here during the summers is nothing less than torture with the temperatures unbearable and staying at home being the best option possible. When the climate is different and cozy back home, then why not travel, even if it means that the airlines would rip you off saying “peak season”! Just like has been for the past two years, the rains have been extremely heavy and scary to say the least. Having gone through the experiences, I sincerely hope that it doesn’t worsen when the state is already grappling with increasing cases of Covid. All we can do is pray and hope for the best…

Coming back to the theme, the first recipe I chooose to share is the urulakizhangu bonda aka deep fried potato balls. This post has been in my drafts ever since I started blogging. I am not kidding. I shot it during Ramadan in 2013, which is the year I started blogging, and then lost those pictures. I then made it a couple of times, whenever I craved for it but never got with shooting it. It was when I made the Batata Vada sometime back, that I was again reminded that I never posted our Kerala special. This Ramadan, while my SIL and I were thinking about what snack to make, she remarked that we could make some bonda, since she loved them, and it was a Eureka moment. Finally this post gets its appearance on the blog. Hehe…

On heavy rainy nights, a warm bonda with a cup of hot chai is a true bliss. Somehow, potatoes have this impecable capacity of turning anything simple into a very comforting dish, and this bonda is no different. The potatoes are cooked and mashed, and tossed up in a little spicy onion masala, rolled, dipped into a thick batter and deep fried till done. I totally love the intermittent bites of the green chilli in the potatoes, and when combined with hot tea, provides a total play in the mouth. This is apt when you have cooked potatoes in the fridge and wondering what to have for chai time that can come together in minimal time. Ah, amn’t I craving for some now, though it is really hot over here…

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Urulakizhangu Bonda | Aloo Bonda ~ Potato Balls

Course Snack

Cuisine Malabar

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 3 -4

Author Rafeeda

Ingredients

• 3 meduim potatoes boiled and mashed
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 meduim onion minced
• 2 green chillies minced
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp garam masala powder
• Salt to taste
• Oil for deep frying
• FOR BATTER:
• 1/2 cup wholewheat flour
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp rice flour
• A pinch salt
• A pinch turmeric powder
• A pinch red chilli powder
• Water as required

Instructions

• Heat oil, splutter mustard seeds. Saute the onion and green chillies till soft. Add the powders and salt and saute for a couple of minutes.
• Add the mashed potatoes and mix well till combined. Make sure the mixture is dry. Switch off the flame and set aside to cool. Divide the mixture into 10 equal balls.
• Mix all the ingredients for the batter and add water little by little till you have a very thick batter. I used around 1/2 cup of water.
• Heat oil in a kadai till smoking hot. When you drop a little batter, it would push up.
• Dip one potato ball into the thick batter and roll using a spoon till evenly coated. Slowly lift and drop into the oil.
• Fry on meduim-low flame till golden brown. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on a kitchen towel. Repeat till all the bondas is completed.
• Serve warm with a cup of chai!

The post Urulakizhangu Bonda | Aloo Bonda ~ Potato Balls appeared first on The Big Sweet Tooth.