NOTES FROM A MALLU KITCHEN: August 2008

GUILTY PLEASURES..

Ting-a –ling!!Ting- a-ling!!
As soon as I heard the sound of the brass bell ringing down the road , I knew that the Mithai seller was coming with his push cart.
’Ooh…Bombay mithai!!’
For those of you who haven’t seen or eaten Bombay mithai (poor suckers…you don’t know what you missed)..let me introduce you.
Bombay mithai or Madaamma pooda , as it is also called..is the original version of soan papdi, that sweet which mixes sugar with badam pista and cardamom. Soan papdi is nice, but nothing can compare with the taste of Bombay mithai.
When I was in school and college, these vendors used to come around, ringing their brass bells, nothing on their push carts other than a huge bell shaped glass jar, filled with fluffy white mithai. If you pay one rupee, you get a small cone of paper filled to the brim with Bombay mithai, sometimes even threatening to spill out …Nowadays, this is a rare sight. In cities, there are no Bombay mithai vendors. But here, in a small town like where I live, they can be seen occasionally, ringing their bells loud and clear.
And the taste…aah!! How can I describe the taste of it? Words won’t do justice to it. It melts in your mouth , filling it with the sweetness of sugar, sometimes..it is crunchy too.
I am sorry. I just won’t be able to properly give you an idea .
Anyway, yesterday when the Bombay mithai seller came, the kids were at school. So I bought some for myself and some for the kids. (like the good mother I am..ahem!!) I finished my quota in record time..and then started looking longingly at the mithai I had bought for the kids..
‘No...control yourself. are you a child , Reshma, that you have to steal the kids’ sweets?’
But finally I lost control and started on the other set too. Though it was wrong, I must tell you, the taste of that mithai was the most sinfully divine thing I’d ever eaten. The guilty pleasure must have added to the taste.
I consoled my conscience with the thought that what the kids don’t know won’t hurt them……(teehee!)
Now, what shall we make today? I can’t very well give you the recipe for Bombay mithai since I don’t know how it is made..so shall we go for a pudding?
Tender coconut soufflé is made from tender coconut water, which is kerala’s special drink. Sometimes, when tender coconut water is not available, I use coconut milk instead. Mind you, you must use thick coconut milk for that. The recipe with tender coconut water has a delicate and light taste. Perfect for after a heavy dinner, or to serve when we break our fast during ramzan.

TENDER COCONUT SOUFFLE

Ingredients:

Evaporated /condensed milk 1 tin(400 gm)
Tender coconut water 3 cups/tins
(tins meaning the tin containing evaporated/condensed milk)
China grass 1 packet(10 gm)
Vanilla essence ½ tsp
Milk ½ cup

Method:

1. Tear up the china grass into small pieces and soak in the milk in a saucepan.

2. Mix together condensed milk , tender coconut water, and vanilla essence in a blender.

3. Heat milk and chinagrass , stirring all the while, till the china grass has melted fully, and no trace remains.

4. Add to the blender and blend again for a minute.

5. This part is optional. If you have any tender coconut flesh available, spread thin slices on the base of a pudding dish.

6. Pour the mixed items onto this and keep in refrigerator for 1 hour till set.

7. Serve cold.

Tip: Once china grass has melted, it tends to set quickly, so you have to work fast after melting the chinagrass.

GUILTY PLEASURES..

Method:

1. Tear up the china grass into small pieces and soak in the milk in a saucepan.

2. Mix together condensed milk , tender coconut water, and vanilla essence in a blender.

3. Heat milk and chinagrass , stirring all the while, till the china grass has melted fully, and no trace remains.

4. Add to the blender and blend again for a minute.

5. This part is optional. If you have any tender coconut flesh available, spread thin slices on the base of a pudding dish.

6. Pour the mixed items onto this and keep in refrigerator for 1 hour till set.

7. Serve cold.

Tip: Once china grass has melted, it tends to set quickly, so you have to work fast after melting the chinagrass.

WATER FIGHT!!

It was a lovely spring day..butterflies everywhere..all the flowers were in full bloom..and the kids came home from school all tired and hot...J3 was crying..whining actually.."Umma...J1 pushed me !!I hate J1!!" Ugh..!!I hate whiny kids!!And when they're mine...they're even more irritating!!
And..KABOOM! A light bulb flashed on in my head!!Water fight!!
What a perfect time for a mommy sanctioned water fight!! So.. I grabbed three water guns, loaded them with water, and handed each to my whiny kids...
My!!Was it magic or what? The tears disappeared, huge grins split their faces...and the fight started!!

What fun we had that day..soaked to the skin...the kids trudged in laughing happily after an hour of intensive water fights...their anger forgotten, their tears forgotten....only the extreme joy of that hour remained.

After a bath, we all sat down and had a lovely teatime snack..Vegetable cutlets.
These are an integral part of mallu snacks..cutlets, whether they are veg or non veg, they are loved for their crispiness, and spiciness.
I make veg cutlets because they are a totally sneaky way of putting veggies on my kids' plates.Like children all over the world, they HATE veggies!!But cutlets, with a dash of ketchup will make them drool.
Check it out!!

VEGETABLE CUTLETS

Ingredients:

Potato -1 no
Carrot -1 no
Green peas -¼ cup

Onion (finely chopped) -1 no
Garlic (minced) -2 clove
Ginger (minced) -½ inch
Green chilli (finely chopped) -1 no
Red chilli powder -¼ tsp
Garam masala powder -¼ tsp
Turmeric powder -2 pinch
Coriander leaves (finely chopped) -3 stks
Salt (or to taste) -¼ tsp
Oil (for deep frying) -3 cup
Egg -1 beaten
Bread crumbs (for coating) -1 cup

Method:

1. Wash the veggies, cube the potatoes and carrots.

2. Boil cubed potatoes, carrots and green peas until thoroughly cooked. Drain water from the steamed vegetables and keep aside.

3. Heat a tsp of oil in a small saute pan and fry the minced onions, green chilli, ginger and garlic until slightly browned. Switch off and add this to the steamed veggies along with turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala and salt. Let this cool completely .

4. Then mix (mash gently) to make a thick mixture. Take a small portion and roll them between your palms to make a ball, then press to flatten or shape the cutlet according to your wish.

5. Take each pattie, first dip it in the beaten egg and then place it on the bread crumbs to coat all sides.

6. Drop that in the oil and fry until its golden on all sides.

7. Serve piping hot with ketchup or sauce of your choice.

A BOATRIDE.....

On a recent day, while the children were at school, N and I decided to take our boat out on the river. N was in the stern of the boat, stroking the water with a short handled oar. Normally, when we are sitting on the banks of the river, the only thing we see are the fishermen in boats, casting their nets, but on that day, I saw the river in a new way..from the middle, where the current was the strongest We rowed upriver…on either side of us, trees sprouted into the sky.There were more images …a temple, women washing vessels and clothes, a makeshift landing stage churned by many feet. I saw the life of the river, a timeless life that seemed to burst at the afternoon’s seams and spill onto a moment that had occurred many years ago or would occur at some time in the future..I was sure of very little in that moment other than my presence on a tiny boat in the river, with nothing ahead of me but a shining rail of water, that stretched to eternity.
A fisherman was hauling up the day’s catch when we came up alongside his boat. Spying fresh prawns, I told N to buy some for our dinner.
“You can row us back if you like” said N. My heart thundered in dread…how on earth was I going to get this boat back home in this large river with strong currents?
But once I angled the boat around ( no mean task I assure you), I understood. All I had to do was twist the oar in the water to point in the right direction..the river took us home.

PRAWN FRY
Ingredients:

Shrimps(Chemmeen) - 1/2 kg
Chilly powder - 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/4 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Lime juice - 1 tbsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Oil - enough to shallow fry
Water - if needed to make paste
Curry Leaves - A few

Method:

1)Mix together all the powders along with the lime juice and a little water.

2)Marinate the shrimps with the above for 30 mins.

3) Add 2 tbsp water, and cook in a pan till well cooked and dry.

4) Add oil( I prefer coconut oil) and fry till almost crisp.

5)Add curry leaves, and fry again for a minute.

6) Serve hot ..

A MISTY MORNING WALK

It was a a misty morning today. I had been for my morning walk down the lanes nearby, and I could see the dew hang heavily on the leaves..so heavy, they looked like giant drops of water....It seems this type of dew are called kanneerthullikal(tear drops)The kids had a grand time, plucking the kanneerthullikal and rubbing them against their face and arms..leaving a sticky wet trail behind.
The rains have gone..and it’s spring in Kerala now. There’s a lovely cool breeze blowing all the time..so lovely that I insist on throwing open all the doors and windows to let it flow throughout the house….( N goes around locking all doors as I open them…grumbling about security problems……my! He is so grouchy in the mornings….misty morning or cool breeze be damned!! )
Walking into my kitchen..I notice that the bananas have become too ripe to be eaten…hmm….waste..waste…I hate wasting food…Eureka!!
KAAYPOLA !!
This is a traditional malabari cake which is unbelievably soft ..tasty..and easy to make too!! You should use big yellow coloured bananas for this , and if you don’t like the taste of rose in your cakes, just add vanilla essence instead…but, be warned…adding rose water will retain the true malabari taste and smell..

KAAYPOLA
Ingredients:

Banana 4(chopped)
Eggs 8
Maida 4 tbsp
Sugar 4 tbsp
Soda bicarb 2 tsp
Nuts and raisins 1 tbsp
Ghee 4 tbsp
Cardamom 6
(remove husk and powder the seeds inside)
Salt a tiny pinch
Rose water 2 tsp

Method:

1. Saute bananas in ghee till golden an colour.
2. Add nuts and raisins . Saute for half a minute, keep aside.
3. Beat eggs and sugar till light and frothy.
4. Add maida and soda powder. Beat again.
5. Add cardamom and rosewater, beat again well.
6. Fold in the bananas gently, and bake till done. (15 to 20 minutes)
7. Serve hot .

CHINGAM 1

Yesterday was Chingam 1
It’s the Malayalam New year. It also marks the onset of Onam…the festival of festivals!! Us mallus call this ponnin chingam, (golden chingam) because it is the month when harvesting takes place. After the rain drenched month of Karkitakam,which is also known as the month of privation, Chingam is welcomed as the month of plenty. The sky is a deep blue, the fields are emerald green, and the harvest is ready for reaping.
Traditionally, the first day in the month of Chingam is regarded as the most auspicious one by mallus, thus making it apt for new beginnings. Chingam is also the time for mallus to go all gooey eyed with fond remembrances of the good times…actually, the old timers…I don’t think any of the new generation mallus celebrate it at all….Sadly, they find celebrating the Gregorian New year on January 1st much more fun than the traditional Malayalam new year.
The best thing about Chingam 1 was the Athachamayam , a cultural procession that takes place in the royal town of Tripunithara, which also marks the beginning of Onam Celebrations in the state. Ahuge crowd accompanies the procession. There is music, caparisoned elephants, floats depicting various aspects of mallu life, colourful and glittery umbrellas, pulikkali,(play showing tiger hunting with people colouring themselves like tigers)…what not..!!
I love the colours, and the excitement….what a grand spectacle it is! Since I am a true blue mallu… I make sure of my attendance at this festival . Me and my husband, N, with kids in tow , park ourselves in the pavement on the side of the street through which the procession winds. And this year too… we are not disappointed!! The kids loved the elephants the best.
I think I’ve been rambling too much….you guys must be getting bored…no?
So …shall we move on to a recipe?
In keeping with today’s post, I thought we’d make an Aviyal , in which simple, robust vegetables combine to form a tasty dish without which no mallu meal is complete.

AVIYAL

Ingredients:

Coconut (grated) ½
Curryleaves a stalk
Button Onions 3
Garlic 2 small pieces
Fenugreek a pinch
Cumin a pinch
Mustard seeds a pinch
-----------------------------------------------------Grind all these items coarsely.
Potato 2 sliced lengthwise
Carrot 2 sliced lengthwise
Tomato 1 sliced lengthwise
Beans 4 chopped
Drumstick 3 cut into 2 “slices
Green chilly 5 slit in half
Onion 1 sliced
Cucumber(vellarikka /kumbalanga…not the salad type)
100 gm
Turmeric 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Coconut oil 4 tbsp

Method:
Put all the vegetables together with turmeric and salt as well as1/2 a glass of water in a pressure cooker and cook till it emits 4 whistles.if not using pressure cooker, just put in a vessel and cook till vegetables are tender and well cooked.
Add the ground masala and coconut oil. Mix well. Heat again till just hot Do not boil. Serve hot with rice.

Easy as pie…no?

RAINBOW SIGHTED!!

We saw a rainbow today...well..technically..it couldn't exactly be called a rainbow...the kids were quite disappointed..actually.."that's a REAL rainbow?No Umma..the rainbows we see in books are so much better...so much more colourful..this one has no colour to speak of..how can this be a rainbow?"
AAh..I wonder where the thick multicoloured rainbows of the books have disappeared to..I have to admit...this is only the second time in my life that I have seen a rainbow(how come?maybe I was too busy to stand and stare at the clouds before I had kids)...the kids were seeing it for the first time..anyways...to get rid of the anti climactic feeling we all had...I thought...why not make some rainbows at home?
So I started by searching the net for a thing I'd heard a long time ago..rainbow catchers..and glory be to God...the net never disappoints!!
So we set out to capture a rainbow in our home itself with glass paints ..and we did quite well with what we had at hand(I have a sneaky suspicion that i'm biased..)
I'd like to say that the iseas below are not mine at all..I found them on the internet from various sites..just thought someone out there with kids might like to try these out..the're so simple to make!!
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* Unwrap colorful crayons and make shavings, either by grating them with a cheese grater or sharpening them in a crayon sharpener.
* Place the shavings on top of a sheet of wax paper. Place a second piece of wax paper on top to make a “sandwich.”
* Using an iron on low heat, press the wax paper, moving the iron constantly.
* As it heats up, the crayon shavings will melt and form a colorful design.
* Let cool and then cut into a shape. Poke a hole in top and hang in the window from a ribbon.
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* Melt different colored crayons in the microwave or a double boiler and spoon into small molds or an ice cube tray.
* Cool, remove from the mold and use like regular crayons. Because the colors are mixed, the crayon with change colors as it is used.
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I also recreated the rainbow in my kitchen...how could I deny myself?
In Kerala, we muslims make a special dessert called the Falooda.Garishly coloured, it is a favorite for my kids.It's quite easy to make..you could even make all the stuff ahead, and assemble it in tall thin glasses , and watch your guests eyes grow wide as saucers in wonder at the beauty of it!!

FALOODA

This recipe , I cannot give you exact measurements and ingredients.
Basically,there are layers.
On the bottom comes sugar syrup.For this, take 5 tbsp sugar, add just enough water so it is just above the sugar, and boil till sugar has melted fully, and the water turns thick.Add 2 drops of green food colour.
The next layer is 1 tbsp black khus khus seeds which have been soaked in water for at least an hour.drain and use.

Next, chop 1 apple,a banana, half a pineapple, a few cashewnuts, 2 dates, and a mango.All these fruits are optional.You could even use only apple and banana..you just have to tweak your portions accordingly.
Take a handful of vermicelli ,boil in 1/2 cup milk. When well cooked, turn heat off, and add rose essence.If it doesnt have colour, add pink colour too.If you don't like the taste of rose essence( alot of people don't ..I just love the subtle taste of rose in malabari food!)don't add rose essence, just pink color.
For the next layer, take 2 or 3 jelly packets.they should be of different colours.Red, Orange,Yellow...don't make the lime jelly..that one tastes horrible in falooda.!!
The final layer is Icecream.Some people use vanilla as well as pista and choclate.It adds to the colours.For me, I prefer vanilla alone.
Make all these ahead and keep in the refrigerator.Then, when you need to serve dessert, take all the stuff and keep them ready for assembling.Assemble like this for each tall glass.
1. A tablespoon of emerald green sugar syrup.

2. A tablespoon of Khus seeds.

3. Gently add a tbsp of the mixed fruits.

4. Add 1 tablespoon of the pink vermicelli.

5. Put one tbsp of red jelly to one side of the layer, add 1 tbsp of yellow jelly to another side of the layer, and add 1 more tbsp of orange jelly .

6. Take a large scoop of icecream and set on top of the jelly layer..

7.Serve as soon as possible.

A thought while I was typing this post...This sounds awfully like a trifle pudding..no?Maybe some old malabari maami might have read a trifle pudding and tried to make a mallu version of it...or is this a mughlai recipe?I am very sorry to say I am truly ignorant about it's origins.If there is anyone out there who knows about the origin of the falooda, please let me know..ok?

Really sorry about the picture quality..I think my camera is dying on me...

DANCE IN THE RAIN..

It's raining!!
It's raining !!
It's been raining all day today..The scene outside my kitchen window is so tempting ..Sheets of water pouring down, down,swollen streams flowing down my driveway...the grass is sooo green and wet, the swings in the sandpit sway enticingly...inviting me for a swing in the rains...
There's a steady drumming on the roof which tells me that these are not your ordinary namby pamby soft raindrops...they're strong and heavy ..wild too....calling out to me "come on...let's dance in the rain..let's splash about in all those muddy puddles..cut loose!!come on!!"
Control ,Reshma...control!!Don't give in to temptation..Just think of the consequences!!
Consequences? what problem could there be if I dance in the rain? Am I not a free agent? Who is there to object?No one.
Yeah...No one to clean up after me when I rush inside all wet and muddy after my tryst with nature..There'll be water and muddy footprints trailing all the way from my front door to the linen cupboard where I'll have to pull out towels...then onto the bathroom..A mad dash from the bathroom to my closet to get dry clothes...putting the soggy clothes for washing..cleaning up the bathroom....aaah ...the myriad problems that my practical mommy brain tells me to look out for...They can very effectively squash any mad impulse I have!!
Sometimes I wish I could revert back to childhood..If I had been a child now....my Umma(as we mallu muslims call our moms)would be standing at the front door with a large towel in hand , scolding me (not too much, though!) and I would enter the house all snugly wrapped ...run to the bathroom, throw out my wet clothes and holler.."Umma !!my clothes please!!"
And she would come bustling around, dry clothes in one hand..hot steaming coffee in the other...After having that coffee...I would nestle up next to her and doze off ...Umma...really miss being your baby girl now...
Maybe if I were a queen..just imagine!!I could just run out..play in the rain, walk into my room, and curl up on my sumptous bed, wet clothes and all..There would be maid s to dry my hair, clean up the puddles I left behind..change the sheets..wash my clothes..my list would be endless...!!Imagine...I could even stroll into my royal kitchen (ahem!!the mind never strays too far from the kitchen!!)and whip up a lovely dish in minutes..no hassle ..no fuss..since all the other work like chopping, sifting, measuring..etc..will be done by one of my many lackeys....Washing dirty dishes and cleaning up the messy kitchen.?ho hum...let the maids do it!!haha!!
Wow!!just imagine!!the mind boggles at the myriad possibilities....
Sorreee...got a bit carried away...Queen indeed!
Anyway, since I 'm just a little mom who happens to be the cook rolled into the cleaning lady(and nota queen)let' forget dancing in the rain and start cooking..shall we?
Let's make something simple ,easy, and delicious too(can't forget that part!)..something that requires very little effort,and minimum cleaning up afterwards..!!

CHETTINADU STYLE CHICKEN FRY

Ingredients:
Chicken(chopped,bonless preferably) 1 kg
Ginger (crushed)- 2 tsp
Garlic(crushed)- 4 tsp
Salt 2 tsp
Red chilly(coarsely crushed) 1/2 cup
Chilly powder 4 tsp
Turmeric powder 2 tsp

Curd 1/2 cup
(preferably hung curd..not too dry)
Rice flour(or cornflour) 1/2 cup
soda bicarb 3/4 tsp
curry leaves 10-15 nos.
red color (optional) a pinch

Method:

1. Rub ginger garlic all over the chicken and keep aside for 15 minutes.

2. Put rest of ingredients in a blender and mix for 10 seconds..shouldn't be too well ground..it should be a thick slurry type paste.(add a little water if you feel it's too dry.

3. Spread paste on the chicken, and leave to marinate in fridge for another 1 hour at least.

4. Deep fry in hot oil and serve hot.