343) MALPURI

MALPURI

A DELICIOUS, SWEET, FRAGRANT KONKANI DEEP-FRIED DESSERT

Ingredients:

     1)    Bombay rava (fine wheat semolina) – 400 gm.

     2)    Maida (white wheat flour / all-purpose flour) – 100 gm.

     3)    Sugar – 250 gm.

     4)    Milk – 500 ml.

     5)    Water – 500 ml.

     6)    Cardamom pods – 6 Nos.

     7)    Saffron – 2 pinches

     8)    Oil to deep fry (cooking oil / ghee / hydrogenated vegetable oil) – 500 ml.

     9)    Powdered sugar for dusting (optional) – 100 gm.

To prepare:

          Put a thick bottomed pan on medium heat. Tip in the rava. Stir continuously so that the rava heats up without browning or burning in the least. As soon as the rava is uniformly hot, switch off the heat (there is no need to roast the rava, but only to heat it up so that the puris become soft and fluffy without adding any baking powder or other raising agent).

Crush the cardamom and transfer to a mixing bowl. Tip in the maida, the heated rava, the sugar, the saffron, the milk and the water. Use a blender to beat the mixture thoroughly (or just grind it for 10 seconds in your food processor). Let the batter rest for 4 hours.

To make:

          Set a deep, thick cast-iron wok or non-stick wok on high heat. Pour in the cooking oil. Use a ladle (of 125 ml. capacity) to stir the batter thoroughly. As soon as the oil is hot (it should not smoke), stir the batter and pour a ladleful in the center. The malpuri will rise beautifully.

          Use a perforated spatula to splash the hot oil carefully over the risen puri. Once it rises fully, gently flip it over. A minute later, turn down the heat a bit and lift out the puri. Drain off the excess oil. Deep-fry the rest of the malpuris likewise, taking care to stir the batter each time. You may have to adjust the heat to keep the oil from overheating.

          Serve warm or cold. They are equally delicious either way and taste even better the second day.

Enjoy!!!

Notes:

     1)    I have used just enough sugar in the batter for the perfect mildly sweet taste and softness so that you can enjoy many many more puris. If you like them sweeter, please dust the powdered sugar over the hot puris and enjoy!

     2)    If you like to have a crispy golden frill around your malpuri, just add half a cup more water to the batter. The thinner batter makes thinner puris.

     3)    The most important ingredient in malpuri which lends it its golden colour, richness and aroma is saffron. Take care to use original good quality saffron since duplicate shredded coloured paper saffron is plentiful in the market.

340) VEGETABLE PUTTE (PUTTU)

VEGETABLE PUTTE (PUTTU)

A TRADITIONAL KERALA STEAMED BREAKFAST DISH MADE EVEN HEALTHIER AND TASTIER, HOT AND SPICY

Ingredients:

     1)    Putte podi (roasted raw rice powder) – 500 gm.

     2)    Grated coconut – 125 gm.

     3)    Peeled potato – 175 gm.

     4)    Peeled beetroot – 300 gm.

     5)    Peeled carrot – 150 gm.

     6)    Onion – 50 gm.

     7)    Hot green chilies – 15 gm.

     8)    Coriander leaves – 10 gm.

     9)    Curry leaves – 2 sprigs

     10)    Powdered salt – 12 gm.

     11)    Garam masala powder – 3 gm.

To prepare:

          Grate the potatoes, the beets and the carrots. Chop the onion, the green chilies, the coriander leaves and the curry leaves to superfine pieces. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Tip in 25 gm. of the grated coconut. Add the rice powder (putte podi), the powdered salt and the garam masala powder. Mix well with your fingertips and set aside.

To steam:

          Fill three fourth of the putte steamer with water, cover with its lid and put it on high heat. Place the perforated disc at the bottom of the putte kutti (cylinder).

 

Putte / Puttu Kutti

Tip in a couple of teaspoons of grated coconut. Fill a third of the cylinder with a vegetable rice mixture. Tip in a teaspoonful of grated coconut and fill up another third of the cylinder with the mixture. Repeat with grated coconut and the mixture once again till the cylinder is full. Top up with a teaspoonful of grated coconut. Take care never to press the mixture for the steam has to pass through freely. Put on the perforated lid and set the cylinder on the putte steamer which should be boiling by now. In 2 to 4 minutes, the steam will start coming out at the top. Keep for a minute longer, turn down the heat and lift up the cylinder. Remove the lid. Keeping the cylinder horizontally over a plate, insert the steel rod into the bottom of the cylinder and gently push your delicious steaming hot vegetable putte onto the plate. Enjoy hot. You need no other accompaniment for this healthy dish. Hungry kids coming back from school just love to gobble up this putte. So does everyone else!

Enjoy!!!

Note:

          The moisture from the vegetables is just right to make the putte, so long as you are steaming it immediately after mixing. If, however, you take an hour or more to start steaming the putte, you may need to sprinkle a few drops of water and mix again, since the rice flour tends to absorb water, rendering the mixture too dry to bind properly.

339) GODDA POVU

GODDA POVU

SWEET MELTED JAGGERY BEATEN RICE

A SIMPLE, INCOMPARABLY DELIGHTFUL TRADITIONAL KONKANI DISH

Introduction:

          Most Konkani people are accustomed to eating godda povu. As it is prepared on nearly all auspicious occasions, I had always enjoyed having godda povu right from my early memories of childhood. Later, when I got married, I tasted godda povu prepared by my mother-in-law with such a delightful surprise, as it was so much better than any I had ever had before. She would make tons of it and as I gobbled it up in raptures, I couldn’t help feeling that this is the world’s most delicious godda povu. No Navaratri is complete without having this simple, scrumptious dessert. Here is the special recipe for you. Do make and enjoy!

Ingredients:

     1)    White thin beaten rice flakes – 250 gm.

     2)    Grated coconut – 250 gm.

     3)    Jaggery (unrefined cane sugar) – 300 gm.

     4)    Sugar – 25 gm.

     5)    Cardamom – 6 pods

     6)    Ghee – 15 ml. (1 tablespoon)

     7)    Water – 50 ml.

To make:

          Put the rice flakes and the grated coconut together into a bowl. Mix thoroughly and set aside for the rice flakes to soften. Shell the cardamom. Crush to powder and set aside.

Put the jaggery in a small pan. Pour in the water and set on low heat. Stir occasionally till it melts fully. Sieve the melted jaggery into a wide, thick-bottomed pan or a shallow, copper-bottomed steel vessel. Set on high heat. Stir till the melted jaggery thickens and becomes gummy. Tip in the coconut rice flake mixture and stir. Lower the heat and keep stirring for 5 minutes (in order to heat up the mixture fully). Tip in the sugar, the ghee and the cardamom powder. Mix thoroughly and switch off the heat. Your delicious godda povu is ready to enjoy.

Serve hot or cold. Enjoy godda povu by itself or just mash in a few small ripe bananas (fragrant, sweet and sour Palayankodan or Mysore poovan is best, but any small yellow skinned banana will do) as you eat. Godda povu, when well heated during its preparation, will stay fresh at room temperature, when kept (after it is cool) in airtight jars for 3 to 4 days.

Bon appétit!

Tip:

          Curd lovers can soak a cup of godda povu in fresh curd for half an hour and enjoy, gourmet style.

329) UKDE TANDLA BAKRI

UKDE TANDLA BAKRI

A DELICIOUS, HEALTHY, TRADITIONAL KONKANI RICE FLATBREAD

Introduction:

          Ukde tandla bakri / bhakri is a breakfast dish which evokes nostalgic memories in the heart of every person who has enjoyed it even once in childhood. The smell of the cooked, slightly roasted rice and coconut suffused with the welcome fragrance of roasted green banana leaves in which it has been cooked on a cast-iron pan over a wood burning stove turns one into a hungry child, anxiously awaiting the delicious bakri.

The hot bakri is served to children, topped with a dollop of fresh, homemade butter or ghee, sprinkled with sugar whereas adults have their first one likewise and the next with hot torin ghashi or with soyi bhajjile ghashi or with poached egg masala curry or with niliye kholu or with mushroom curry or with any Konkani pickle.

Ingredients:

     1)    Parboiled rice (preferably ponni rice) – 1 kg.

     2)    Grated coconut – 350 gm.

     3)    Salt – 10 gm. (2 teaspoons)

     4)    Water – 520 ml.

     5)    Banana leaf pieces of around 8” x 8” (20 cm. x 20 cm.) – 24 Nos.

To prepare:

          Soak the rice in water overnight (for urgent cooking, see note). Rinse the banana pieces carefully in water, wipe dry and set aside. Wash and drain the soaked rice. Use the measured water (no more than 520 ml.) to grind the rice together with the grated coconut to fine paste in your food processor (a little coarseness in the paste is alright).

Transfer the paste to a bowl, tip in the powdered salt and mix well. Set a cast iron pan on high heat. As soon as it is hot, place a banana leaf on the pan (dark side up) and put a dollop of batter in the center (around 150 ml. to 175 ml. would be ideal). Cover with another leaf (dark side down) and press it uniformly either with your fingers (the traditional way) or with the flat bottom of a vessel (my style, for an easy and more uniform result). Cover the upper leaf with a cloche.

A minute later, turn down the heat and let cook slowly for 7 minutes. Now lift up the cloche and flip over the leaf sandwich carefully. Cover again with the cloche and let cook for 7 more minutes.

Open the cloche and peel off the upper leaf. Flip over and peel off the lower leaf too. Roast each side for 2½ minutes. Your mouthwatering ukde tandla bakri is now ready to serve. Serve hot as suggested in the introduction.

Enjoy!!!

Tip:

          As it takes 20 minutes of cooking time to roast a bakri, I always use two cast-iron pans side by side to save on time.

Note:

          For urgent cooking, put the rice in a vessel and pour in enough boiling water to immerse it fully. Cover with a lid and keep for an hour. Drain, rinse in cold water and drain again before grinding. However, I like the traditional method better as it gives a fresher taste and a nicer smell to the bakri.

328) SHARKARA UPPERI OR VELIYUPPERI

SHARKARA UPPERI

OR

VELIYUPPERI

DELICIOUS SWEET AND SPICY KERALA NENDRAN BANANA CHIPS

Introduction:

          In Kerala, no banana leaf feast is considered complete if dual appetizers of crisp, sweet and savoury deep fried nendran banana pieces often called veliyupperi and cheriyupperi are not served. Of these, sharkara upperi is so tempting, no matter how much you make, it is finished in no time. In fact, its very taste is an adventure. Veliyupperi is also known as sharkara upperi, sharkara varatti or sharkara puratti. Here, I share with you one of my more precious recipes. Do cook and enjoy!

Ingredients:

     1)    Peeled, fully mature, raw nendran banana – 1 kg.

     2)    Jaggery (unrefined cane sugar) – 500 gm.

     3)    Krishna tulsi leaves (purple indian basil) – 5 gm.

     4)    Pepper powder – 10 gm.

     5)    Ginger powder – 5 gm.

     6)    Cumin (jeera) powder – 5 gm.

     7)    Cardamom pods – 10 Nos.

     8)    Powdered salt – 2 gm. (½ level teaspoon)

     9)    Water – 100 ml.

     10)    Coconut oil or other cooking oil – to deep fry

To make:

          Cut the banana lengthwise into halves. Cut each half across into pieces of around 8 mm. to 10 mm. thickness (⁵/₁₆ inch). Set a small pan on low heat. Tip in the jaggery and pour in the water. Stir occasionally till the jaggery dissolves fully. Switch off the heat. Strain and pour the jaggery into a wide thick-bottomed vessel and set aside.

          Set a wide wok or a large deep-frying pan on high heat. Pour in the cooking oil (you can deep-fry the banana pieces in a single batch if you use 2 litres). As soon as the oil is hot (it should not smoke), slip in the banana pieces. Stir occasionally.

Meanwhile, shell the cardamom and crush the seeds to powder. Chop the tulsi leaves to superfine pieces and set aside. Stir the banana pieces till the bubbles are very few and the pieces feel like wood as you turn them with a perforated ladle or meshed noodle strainer (take care to fry them till most of the moisture has evaporated, but not so late as to burn the pieces). Lift out the banana pieces and drain off the excess oil. Switch off the heat.

Now set the thick vessel containing the jaggery on high heat. Stir continuously taking care not to let the jaggery burn at the base. As it comes to a boil, tip in the chopped Krishna tulsi leaves, the pepper powder, the ginger powder, the cumin powder, the cardamom powder and the salt. Continue to stir till the jaggery thickens and feels gummy.

Now lower the heat and tip in the fried banana pieces. Stir well till the banana absorbs and gets coated fully with the melted jaggery (this will take around 2 to 3 minutes). Switch off the heat. Stir for a minute more for the jaggery to crystallize and then tip the contents onto a large banana leaf or on non-stick paper or on a stainless steel platter to cool. When cool, your delicious sharkara upperi is ready to enjoy. Store in an airtight container, if any remain after sampling!

Bon appétit!!!

Note:

          The sharkara upperi available commercially in bakeries in Kerala is prepared the same way, but with slightly different ingredients. Tulsi is not used. Cumin is also often omitted. Only 300 gm. of jaggery is used, but supplemented with 50 gm. of powdered sugar and 100 gm. of fine rice powder. The latter two are simply dusted over the jaggery coated banana pieces while stirring them in the final round.

327) CHERIYUPPERI

CHERIYUPPERI

CRUNCHY NENDRAN BANANA UPPERI

TRADITIONAL KERALA DEEP-FRIED CHIPS

 

Introduction:

          Long before the chipmaker was invented, the people of Kerala were enjoying crunchy, deep-fried nendran chips – each painstakingly cut by hand and fried in coconut oil. This enticing tradition is so ingrained in the heart of the Malayali, that despite the changing times and fashions, each banana leaf rightfully claims a serving of upperi – veliyupperi / sweet sharkara upperi and cheriyupperi / savoury upperi. While traditional cheriyupperi is a simple, savoury deep-fried snack, relying fully upon the goodness of nendran banana alone, the modern bakery version incorporates the flavour of chili powder and curry leaves as well. Here are both versions. Do fry and enjoy!

Ingredients (for the traditional version):

     1)    Peeled, fully mature, raw nendran banana – 500 gm.

     2)    Powdered salt – 1 heaped teaspoon (10 – 12 gm.)

     3)    Oil – to deep fry

Ingredients (for the modern version):

     1)    Peeled, fully mature, raw nendran banana – 500 gm.

     2)    Powdered salt – 1 heaped teaspoon (10 – 12 gm.)

     3)    Oil – to deep fry

     4)    Curry leaves – 2 sprigs

     5)    Kashmiri chili powder – 2 teaspoons (10 gm.)

To prepare:

          Cut each banana lengthwise into halves. Slice each half across into 3 mm (⅛ inch) thick half-moon pieces and set aside. Take two tablespoonfuls of water (30 ml.) in a small bowl or cup. Tip in a heaped teaspoonful of powdered salt and stir till the solution is fully saturated (no more will dissolve). Set aside.

To deep-fry the traditional version:

          Set a wide wok or deep-frying pan on high heat. Pour in the cooking (a little should suffice to deep-fry 500 gm. of banana pieces in one batch). As soon as the oil is hot, tip in the banana pieces. Stir every now and then for frying uniformly.

When the banana pieces are almost done (the bubbles will be few and most of the pieces would be floating on the surface of the oil), tip a teaspoon and a half (8 ml.) of brine (saturated salt solution) and stir continuously. This is for the dissolved salt to coat the pieces uniformly.

As the bubbles subside, you can feel the chips to be lightweight like pieces of wood as you touch them with the perforated ladle or with the mesh net noodle strainer. Lift out the chips and drain off the excess oil. Switch off the heat. Let cool naturally. Your delicious, crunchy, traditional cheriyupperi is now ready to enjoy.

To make the modern version:

Deep-fry the chips just as in the traditional version. As soon as you lift them out, switch off the heat and throw the curry leaf sprigs into the hot oil. Stir once (they would have fried crisp in just a few seconds), lift out and set aside.

Put the hot chips in a stainless steel bowl and sprinkle the chili powder. Shake vigorously so that the chili powder gets coated uniformly. Crumble the curry leaves and tip them in. Shake once more. Let cool naturally before you transfer the upperi to an airtight container.

 

Enjoy!!!

324) KAPPA BONDA

KAPPA BONDA

SPICY, YUMMY, DEEP-FRIED TEATIME CASSAVA SNACK

 

Ingredients for the filling:

     1)    Peeled and washed cassava – 500 gm.

     2)    Onion – 100 gm.

     3)    Peeled garlic cloves – 3 gm.

     4)    Hot green chilies – 8 gm.

     5)    Kashmiri chili powder – 5 gm.

     6)    Garam masala powder – 3 gm.

     7)    Cooking oil – 2 teaspoons

     8)    Curry leaves – 2 sprigs.

     9)    Powdered salt – 6 gm.

Ingredients for the tempura:

     1)    Maida (white wheat flour) – 200 gm.

     2)    Salt – 4 gm.

     3)    Water – 225 ml.

     4)    Cooking oil – to deep fry

To make the filling:

          Chop the cassava roughly to large chunks and transfer to a pressure cooker. Tip in the turmeric powder and pour in enough water to immerse the cassava fully. Close the lid and set on high heat. As soon as the cooker blows the first whistle, lower the heat and let cook for 10 minutes. Switch off the heat and let the cooker cool naturally.

          Meanwhile, peel and chop the onion to fine pieces. Chop the garlic and the chilies to superfine bits and set aside. Check to see if the cooker has cooled down enough for the steam to subside naturally. If so, open the lid and drain off the water.

Put the cooked cassava chunks into a mixing bowl and mash nicely with the bottom of a stainless steel glass. Pick off fibres if any.

Set a wide pan or vessel on high heat. Pour in the cooking oil (2 teaspoons) and tip in the chopped onions, the green chilies and the garlic. Pull the curry leaves off their sprigs and throw them in. Stir well for 3 minutes.

Now tip in the garam masala, the powdered salt and the Kashmir chili powder. Stir twice or thrice and tip in the mashed cassava. Lower the heat and stir till all the ingredients mix thoroughly. Switch off the heat and leave aside to cool.

To make the tempura:

In the meantime, put the flour (maida) in a mixing bowl. Tip in the salt and pour in the water. Mix or blend well till all the lumps are dissolved and set aside.

To deep-fry:

Check to see if the filling is cool enough to touch. If it is, make small balls (you can make gooseberry sized ones or even lemon sized ones as you like) of uniform size.

Set a wok or frying pan on high heat. Pour in the cooking oil. As soon as the oil is hot (it should not smoke), put 5 or 10 balls into the batter. Roll each ball to coat it fully and slip it carefully into the hot oil. Take care not to overcrowd the wok or frying pan.

After a couple of minutes, start turning them carefully. Fry for 4 to 5 minutes till the tempura feels a bit crisp as you turn the bondas. Lift them out, drain off the excess oil and continue the process till all the bondas are fried. Your delicious, spicy-hot kappa bondas are ready to serve. Enjoy hot.

Kappa Bonda with Ekpanni Chutney

Try with ekpanni chutney if you like to spoil yourself or just enjoy a bite of kappa vada pav (open up a pav, put a dollop of ekpanni chutney, top up with a kappa bonda and close the pav) followed by a little bite of coconut chili fries or hinga mirsange. Repeat till you nearly bite off your fingers!

Bon appétit!!!