IDICHAKKA THORAN

Idichakka is nothing but baby jackfruit. The thorny outer skin of the raw jack fruit is removed , cut into pieces and cooked before making the curry. It can be steamed, pressure cooked or cooked in a microwave oven.The taste is best if the jackfruit is fresh.

INGREDIENTS

1. Idichakka - 1
2. Turmeric powder - 3/4 tea spoon
3. Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
4. Green chilli - 1
5. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
6. Red chilli - 1 (break into 3)
7. Coconut oil - 1 table sp
8. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea sp
9. Urad dal - 1 1/2 tea spoon
10. Salt

METHOD

1. Remove the outer skin of jack fruit (2-3 mm ) and cut into pieces. (Use a piece of cloth soaked in coconut oil to wipe your hands). Mix this with a little water, salt and 1/2 tea sp turmeric and cook in the MW oven for 5 minutes.

2. Mince the pieces in a mortar or mixie. If using a mixie run it for only 3-4 seconds

3. Heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds. Add urad dal, red chilli pieces and curry leaves and fry. To this add the minced jck fruit and stir.

4. Mix the coconut, 1/4 tea sp turmeric and a little salt. Grind this in the mixie for just 1 second. Add this into  the jack fruit with 1 tab sp water. Cover and cook on alow flame for 4-5 minutes. Stir well for a minute

OATS PUTTU

INGREDIENTS

1. Oats - 1 cup
2. Grated coconut - 1/4 cup (or grated coconut & carrot)
3. Salt 1/4 tea spoon
4. Water - 1/4 cup

METHOD

1. Dry roast oats for 2-3 minutes

2. Grind in a mixer to get a coarse powder

3. Dissolve salt in water. Add it little by little to the oats and mix so that it is wet but in powder form. I(f there are lumps put in the mixer and grind for just 1 second.)

4. Fill the “puttu maker”with 1 table spoon of coconut, then 3-4 table spoons of oats and again coconut and so on until it is full. The final layer should be coconut

5. Heat water in a pressure cooker. Remove the weight and fix the puttu maker on the vent tube.  Steam will start coming through the lid of the puttu maker. Allow the puttu to cook for 2 minutes and transfer to a plate.

BEETROOT PACHADI

INGREDIENTS

1. Beetroot chopped - 1 cup

2. Diced onion - 1/4 cup

3. Green chilly (chopped) - 1 or 2

4. Curry leaves - 1 sprig

5. Coconut oil - 1 table spoon

6. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tea spoon

7. Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tea spoon

8 red chilly whole - 1 (cut into 3)

9. Curd - 1/2 cup

10. Salt

METHOD

1. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Fry fenugreek and red chilly pieces.

2. Add onion followed by curry leaves and green chilly and saute for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the beetroot and stirfry.

4. Switch off stove, wait for the beetroot to cool and add curd and salt. Mix well.

DIAMOND CUTS

INGREDIENTS

1. Maida - 1 cup
2. Wheat flour - 1 cup
3. Salt
4. Butter - 1 tea spoon
5. Black sesame seeds - 1 table spoon
6. Oil - for frying

METHOD

1. Make a dough with maida, wheat flour and salt. Add butter and sesame seeds and knead again.

2. Make thin chapathis with the dough. Prick all over with a fork.

3. Using a knife make parallel cuts horizontally and diagonally  to get diamond shaped pieces.

4. Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the pieces. Drain on a kitchen towel.

MULAYARI (BAMBOO SEED) PAYASAM

We were in Wayanad last month and I bought a packet of mulayari (bamboo seed) from a shop near Muthanga check post. Mulayari looks and tastes somewhat like unakkalari (raw red rice) and I made payasam with it using the recipe given in "Taste of Kerala"Actually this recipe is the same used for "unakkalari payasam"

                  Bamboo trees

INGREDIENTS

1. Mulayari - 1/4 cup

2. Sharkkara pani (jaggery syrup) - 1 cup                              

3. Cardamom - 2

4. Thick coconut milk - 1 cup

5. Thin coconut milk - 1 1/2 cup

6. Ghee - 1 table spoon

7. Cashewnut - 10-12
8. Kismis - 15-20

METHOD

1. Pressure cook mulayari with 2 cups of water for 10 minutes. Allow to cool and open the cooker.

2. Cook for some more time and add jaggery syrup, crushed cardamom and thin coconut milk. Stir well and once it thickens reduce the heat.

3. Add  thick coconut milk stirring continuously and remove from fire. Continue stirring for 3-4 minutes.

4. Heat ghee in a pan. Fry cashewnuts and kismis and add to the payasam.

GARAM MASALA POWDER

INGREDIENTS

1. Fennel seeds (perum jeerakam) - 50 gms
2. Cardamom ( elakka) - 10 gms
3. Cloves (grampoo) - 10 gms
4. Black peppercorns (kurumulaku) - 10 gms
5. Cinnamon sticks (karuva patta) - 10 gms
6. Star anise (thakkolam) - 2 (optional)
7. Turmeric - 1 small piece or 1 tea spoon powder (this is added for more shelf life)

METHOD

1. Clean and dry all the spices in the sun or heat for a minute stirring.

2. Grind well and store in an dry container.

UZHUNNU VADA

INGREDIENTS

1. Uzhunnu (Urad dal) - 1 cup
2. Small onion - 8-10
3. Green chilly - 1 or 2
4. Ginger - 1/2 " cube
5. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
6. Black pepper - 1 tea spoon
7. Salt
8. Oil

METHOD

1. Soak dal for 1 hour. Grind to a fine thick paste with salt and minimum amount of water.

2. Chop onions, ginger, chilly and curry leaves. Mix this and the pepper corns carefully with the dal paste.

3. Heat oil in a pan. Make vadas with hand or using a vada maker. Deep fry in oil.