Sweet Banana Rotti ~ Pazham Gothamba Rotti

Oh i am back from Kerala , after a small vacation... The weather there was so so lovely and moody... The rain was so beautiful ( I miss rains after being relocated to Bangalore)...I had a few posts in my drafts ... so let me start with those....
Usually when you hear the name 'ROTTI', the picture that will come to your mind is the 'ROTI'S'  we make. All of us make different kind of rotti's and innovate our own recipes. We usually make savory rottis, adding chopped onions, green chillies and curry leaves. Today i am sharing , a sweet version of the whole wheat rotti's using Kerala plantains . This was something i made , when my kids were small and they used to love this . I serve it with ghee and sugar for tea,  when they are back from school. So recently when here was ripe plantain's i made it again for tea and they were like, mummy we still remember the taste and smell of this rotti. So i thought , why don't i share it with my bloggers.. so here goes  the recipe.

Ingredients

1. Wheat Flour - 2 cups
2. Kerala plantain / Kerala banana - 4 nos (was about 1/4 Kg)
3. Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
4. Cardamom powder - 1/4 Tsp
5. Salt - a pinch
6. Sugar - optional (I did not use)
7. Water - as needed
8. Ghee - as needed

Preparation

• Peel and mash the bananas using a blender or a wooden spoon.
• In a bowl mix all the ingredients except ghee, using water into a thick batter. Check the taste of the batter, if sweetness is less, you can add sugar.

• Heat a pan/tawa on a medium flame, drizzle little ghee, now pour a ladle of batter and spread it using your hand (if not just spread using the bottom of the spoon). Cover with a lid. Let it cook for 3 minutes.
• Open the lid and drizzle oil on the sides and flip to cook the other. When you see light brown spots on top, stop cooking and transfer it to a serving plate, drizzle some generous amount of ghee...and Serve hot. (Tastes best) .

Notes

• The batter shouldn't be too thick nor too loose, should be spreadable.
• Add sugar only if the banana is less sweet.
• Should be eaten when it is warm.
• While serving you can drizzle ghee and sprinkle little sugar.

Linking this to Dish it out event hosted by Hasna of Kachuss Delights ; originally hosted by Vardhini of Cooks Joy"

Unnakkaya - A Malabar Ramadan Snack and My 150th post

With this post today,A Bowl Of Curry completes it's 150th post here.It was a journey with lots of interactions,friendships and   learning experience through valuable comments .I would love to thank each of my fellow foodies out there,for their valuable response and support !

It is Ramadan period, a holy month for Muslims all over the world.As all of you know it is the time when they fast and pray each day and break their fast in the evening. Each Iftar day they make delicious snacks, juices, and rice and much more.Each one differ in taste and preparation from one another.

Malabar cuisine is known for their rich,flavourful and exotic in all senses.Being from Malabar, i have tasted many for their recipes and have shared some of them like Chatti Pathiri,Kakkarotti , Pazham Nirachathu , Arikadukka . Today i am sharing one of the famous and a perfect snack from Thalassery, which will melt in your mouth from the first bite, "Unnakkaya". The name and shape of the snack represents elongated "Cotton Pods". When we think of preparation feel it is a long process, but i would say even a bachelor who loves cooking can give it a try. The steamed plantain is filled with mixture lightly sauted coconut , sugar, scrambled egg, elachi powder in ghee called "Pandam" and deep fried in oil. If you don't like or use eggs you can avoid eggs and make it pure vegetarian. Over to the recipe... 

Ingredients

1. Ripe plantains /Nenthrapazham - 5 
2. Grated coconut - 1 cup
3. Sugar - 3 Tbsp or as needed
4. Raisins -  2 Tbsp
5. Almonds /badam  roughly chopped - 4 Tbsp (You can also use cashew nuts)
6. Cardamom powder - 1 Tsp
7. Egg - 1
8. Salt - a tiny pinch
9. Ghee - 1 Tbsp
10. Oil - for deep frying

  Preparation

• Cut each of the bananas into half and also the stems at both the ends. Steam the bananas in a steamer until cooked soft. You can even microwave the bananas and cook. BUT DO NOT OVERCOOK THEM as later it becomes mushy and wont be able to roll it tight .
• After cooling it, peel off the skin and cut into half and remove the black seed thread.
• Now mash it using a wooden spoon or with your hand into a very smooth dough without any lumps. Keep aside.
• Beat egg with a teaspoon of sugar, 1/4 tsp cardamom powder and salt. Keep aside.
• Heat a tsp oil in a nonstick pan and scramble egg. Keep aside.
• Now heat ghee, fry the raisins, let it puff up , remove from heat and keep aside.
• Add grated coconut and saute for 5 minutes till the moisture is absorbed.
• Add sugar, cardamom powder, raisins, scrambled egg and almonds. Remove from heat and keep aside to cool.
• Grease your palm and take little banana mixture, about a lemon size and flatten it with your thumb, place a 2 tsp of the filling inside., seal the edges and roll into cylindrical shape with elongated edges. Shape the remaining the same way.
• Heat oil in a kadai/deep bottomed pan for deep frying. Deep fry each of them into golden . Fry both the sides.
• Drain on paper towel and serve them hot.

Check out the recipe for Pachamulaku Thengaa Chammanthi

Notes

• Do no overcook the bananas, it will become watery and will become difficult to hold.
• If you don't like or use eggs you can avoid eggs and make it pure vegetarian.

Check out for more Ramadan recipes

        

    

   

Avocado Smoothie

Hi buddies, that was a whole month away from blogging. All might be thinking, "Did i take a break???", not really , but i was forced to.A virus had entered my family, the great "Chicken Pox" and it caught hold of both my husband and daughter. First it was my husband, who was coming back from Kerala and after 2 weeks my daughter. Its is said that during medication, they should have only oil free - fat free foods, fruits, veggies and loads of water . Loads of fruits like watermelon, musambi, robesta bananas , tender coconut water...to keep the body cool. When i had in my childhood days.. we use used to have Kanji as lunch and dinner and then rest fruits.. and my daughter hates KANJI. Initially i prepared kanji only for my husband but later, my daughter suggested to use non-sick pan. After that i prepared all the normal foods, oil-free and bit tasty.I prepared chapathis, upma, all veg curries, idli, dosa, pathiri, puttu, no oil, no coconut and no milk products. Now that they all are fine and coming back to normal diet here i am back to blogging. I was so worried about the event that i was guest hosting "Dish it out- Light Dinners", as i was unable to reply to each of the participants. and to my surprise.. there was almost 95 entries when i checked..i was so very surprised.I was so happy and excited. Thanks for all the support and making it a success and just 4 more days to close my event. So buddies cook more and more tasty recipes and link it to "Light Dinners".. so let's keep cooking and blogging.

On this note i would love to post this simple recipe of Avocado.. i have had this smoothie many times from outside, but never tried it at home... and it was so easy to make and refreshing.. and all loved it..all might be knowing the goodness of this fruit/veggie.Here goes the recipe..

Ingredients

1. Avocado - 1 ripe
2. Milk - 500 ml, chilled
3. Sugar - 2-3 Tbsp (adjust accordingly to your taste buds...)
4. Ice cubes - 4

Preparation

• Halve the avocado, discard the seed, and peel off the shell. Scoop the flesh from inside with a spoon.
• Put the scooped avocados, half the milk, and sugar in a blender or container of hand blender. Blend on high speed until smooth. Quickly blend in the remaining milk.
• Pour into 2 glasses , drop ice cubes and serve immediately, you might even need a spoon!

Notes

• You can also substitute sugar with honey..

Linking this to Priya of My Kitchen Odyssey event " Favourite recipes" and My Zesty Kitchen

Pineapple Pachadi - Kerala Sadya Style

Pachadi is an essential side dish at any Kerala Sadhya function, be it a wedding or any Kerala traditional event.
This is a tangy dish made with  vegetables and fruits like cucumber, ash gourd , Kerala cucumber,beetroot pineaaple , grapes etc. Today i have made Pineapple Pachadi, which is one of my favourite sadhya dishes, which has a sweet and tangy taste. I love to have pachadi...so here he recipe... it is best served with rice and sambar.
Ingredients

1. Pineapple chopped cubes - 1/2 cup (I took half of a pineapple)
2. Turmeric powder -  a pinch
3. Red chill powder - 1/4 Tsp
4. Grated Jaggery - 1 Tbsp
5. Grated coconut -1/2 cup
6. Mustard seeds - 1 Tsp
7. Green chilly - 3
8. Cumin seeds - 1/4 Tsp
9. Curd / Yoghurt - 1/4 cup - 1/2 cup
10. Salt -to taste 
11. Curry Leaves - 1 Sprig
12. Mustard seeds - 1/2 Tsp
13. Dry red chilly - 2
14. Coconut Oil - 2 Tbsp

Preparation

• Cook the cubed pineapple pieces with 1/4 cup of water , turmeric powder , red chill powder and a pinch of salt. Let it cook.
• In the meanwhile, grind grated coconut, green chilly , mustard seeds and cumin seeds to a smooth paste. Mix curd in it
• Now add the grated jaggery to the cooked pineapple. Cook on low fire, till all the water is absorbed. Let it cool completely.
• Add the coconut-curd grind paste to it. Heat it on low flame, do not boil. Off the flame and add curry leaves and remove from fire.
• Heat coconut oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds , let it crackle. Add dry red chilly and curry leaves.Pour this on to the pineapple pachadi. Close the lid.
• Serve with rice.

Sending this to cook-with-comfort event by Sapana

Sending this to  Healthy side dishes and New “U” 2014 and Priya's versaile recipes , Cook N Share What You Like Event & Giveaway, South Indian cooking hosted ny nandoo an event by Anu
    

Fruit Custard / Fruit Salad with Custard

Fruit Custard or rather Fruits Salad with custard is one of the easiest dessert anyone can prepare. This is a very creamy delicious dessert with a crunch of fruits in between. This can be best served as a party dessert, for  get togethers or parties for a large crowd.Basically you can add any fruits , but it tastes much better with fruits like bananas, apples, mosambi, orange, grapes, mangoes, pineapple and pomegranate.

You can prepare the custard ahead by boiling milk and adding custard powder to it and allow it to cool, chill it and just add in cubes of fruits available to it.When guests arrive, surprise them by serving it chilled with a dollop of vanilla ice cream, fresh cream or even whipped cream. Can also be garnished with dry fruits or glazed cherry on top or drizzle honey on top of a scoop of ice cream. So, here goes the recipe....

Ingredients

1. Milk - 2 cups
2. Vanilla custard powder - 3 Tbsp
3. Sugar - 4 Tbsp or to taste
4. Mixed fruits cut into cubes - 2 cups or more to tastes of your choice ( I used apples, bananas, grapes and pomegranates)

Preparation

• In a bowl take 1/4 cup of milk , mix the custard powder to it and make a paste. Keep aside.
• Boil the remaining milk in a thick bottomed pan on low fire, when it comes to boil, add in the sugar. Let it dissolve .
• Now add in the custard mix and keep stirring and cook for 3-4 minutes or until it thickens to a creamy texture. Switch off the flame.

• Allow it to cool completely to a room temperature. Refrigerate it.
• Chop and refrigerate the fruits just an hour before you serve it.
• To serve, add a required amount of custard in a bowl, add the chopped fruits.
• Garnish with dry fruits, glazed cherries , whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
• Serve chilled and enjoy................

Notes

• Do not boil the custard for too long, as it has a tendency to burn. 
• It should be a creamy/ slight runny consistency, as it will get thickened after refrigerating.
• Add the fruits just an hour before you serve it.
• When you add citrus fruits, add it fresh while serving because, it will make the custard watery.

Sending this to 50 Sweet and Savory Holiday Recipes + Add yours to win a surprise Giveaway! by Siri

Sending this to cook-with-comfort event by Sapana

Grape Juice - Refreshing.....

Got fresh grapes from 'Hyper City'.... As we wanted to have fresh juice back home... couldn't get a photo of fresh grapes....
Ingredients

1. Grapes - 1/2 Kg
2. Sugar - use as needed [depending upon the sweetness of grapes.]
3. Ice cubes
4. Water - 3 cups or as needed

Preparation

• Wash grapes in fresh water.Soak these grapes in lukewarm water for 1/2 hour. Cool it down.
• Put the grapes in a blender. Add sugar. Blend with little water in which grapes was soaked. Add 2-3 ice cubes.
• Blend it well and filter it.
• Serve with ice cubes on top.