An Utsavam/Festival in Kerala-Glimpses

Tiruvangad SreeRamaswamiTemple,Tellicherry....
From my Home town

Well this is a picture that I had taken last time I went home...Tiruvangad Utsavam is something that we all look forward to...It comes during the Vishu days....The Utsavam that we Tellicherrites would love not to miss..It is an Utsavam which has still retained its beauty and grandeur ....It is a nostalgia that we cannot live without.... those traditional copra lit lamps filling your nostrils with a wonderful aroma, its golden flame beautifully reflecting on the decked elephants making them look ethereal, the traditional drummers-the 'panchavadyam' and 'tayambaka'-resonating in your ears....it is an experience that you would love to cherish...I was feeling homesick...and I couldnt do anything more than just browse these snaps...So thought I'll share my nostalgia with many out there who carry the whisperings of their hometown in their heart.....
 
 
 
 

Paneer Roll,BananaHalwa,DahiBaingan

Paneer Roll














Sorry..... all you wonderful people out there in the cyberworld who took interest in my blog and really coaxed me to shed a little bit of my laziness...Let me go to the recipe quickly without much of the usual banter... I'm a Procrastination incarnate...I may fall into my lazy snooze again!
Ingredients:

1.Paneer-100g(minced)
2.Ginger paste-1tsp
3.Garlic paste-2 tsp(fresh please!)
4.green chilli-3-4(as rqd)-minced
5.Onion-1 small-minced
6.coriander leaves-finely chopped-2tbsp
7.Potato-1 large-cooked
8.salt-as required


Bread-5 loaves
Water/milk-for soaking bread

Oil-for deep frying

Method

Mix all the ingredients 1-8 to form a soft filling.(You could put ingredients 1-8(except potato) in a blender/mixer/mincer and give a couple of quick whisks.)Mix it with the cooked potato,the filling is ready.

Now quick soak a bread loaf in water/milk.Squeeze out the excess fluid by pressing the loaf between your palms.Now lay it on a flat surface.Take a tbsp of the filling already prepared and spread it in oblong shape in the middle of the loaf.Now start rolling the loaf carefully from one end to form a spindle shape.Roll the remaining loaves similarly.Keep it in the fridge for an hour,so that it doesnt break apart while frying..If you dont have much time put it in the freezer compartment for 10mts.

Now heat oil in a wok.When the oil is hot enough slowly slide in the rolls into it and fry them till golden brown.Enjoy it with any dip/sauce of your choice!

The filling can be customised to your taste.Instead of Paneer,you could add cooked prawns,minced meat,chicken breasts,firm fleshed fish etc...and you could even spice it up differently adding different masalas!It is a wonderful snack for the evening and more so if you want to get rid of all those extra loaves of bread sitting in the fridge for a while!

Banana halwa













Many a time the over ripe banana with her 'deglam' look ends up in the coffin of my waste bin.... and I have had to mourn over the untimely death of my banana maiden...I have felt very sorry for her...once in a while I try to salvage her with a make over...an unniyappam,a paniyaram,a milkshake, or into the gorgeous form of a banana halwa...So get rid of all those sulking, black, over ripe bananas in your pantry waiting for 'moksha' by a complete make over to a charming banana halwa now!

Ingredients
ripe banana pulp-1 cup(over ripe the better!!)
sugar-1cup
Ghee/Butter-1/2cup chalega!(preferably 3/4cup)
Banana Essence-1/2 tsp
Cashews-25g
Raisins-25g
Melon seeds-15g
Organic food colour-optional-1 drop

Method

Blend together the ripe bananas and sugar into a smooth pulp.Heat a heavy bottomed vessel.Pour the pulp into it and cook it at a very low flame by stirring occasionally until it thickens.Now add half the portion of ghee and mix well....now keep stirring continuously...Be careful it might splash onto your hand...so use proper gloves..and a big ladle. Meanwhile keep the tempering ready, for which take a small portion of the ghee.Heat it and roast cashews,raisins and melon seed lightly and keep it aside.Add this tempering and the remaining ghee into the cooked pulp when it starts leaving sides and is of the consistency of Jam.Keep stirring, and it reaches a mouldable consistency.Pour it into a greased tray.Spread it evenly.Allow it to cool and refrigerate it for 10mts.Your halwa is ready to be cut into desired sizes/shapes.

Dahi Baingan
I'm not very much of a fan of Brinjal/Baingan...but my husband is!Quite often I cook baingan a bit half heartedly...This was an attempt to approximate it to something of my taste as well and lol...I should say that I love baingan now...It is a very yummy curry which goes well with Chappathi.

Ingredients
Brinjal-3-4(Cut into medium size pieces)/you could just slit them and leave the tail intact.(like in Noona Vankaya)
Ginger+Garlic+coriander leaves-ground into a coarse paste.
Green chilli-5(as rqd)
Yoghurt-1 cup(Give a quick whisk)
Aamchoor/DryMangoPowder-1tbsp(reduce it if the yoghurt is too sour)
Turmeric powder-1/2tsp
Fennel powder-1tsp
Seasoning
Cumin-1/4tsp
Shah jeera-1/4 tsp
Fenugreek seeds-1/2tsp
Dry red chillies-3
Mustar-1tsp
Curry leaves-2 sprigs

Oil-as rqd
Salt-as rqd
Method
Mix together ginger-garlic-coriander paste,tumeric powder,fennel powder,aamchoor and salt.Now marinate brinjal in this paste 15-20 mts.Heat oil in a wok for deep frying. Deep fry the brinjal(Oil will splurt,so be careful)(Alternativel you could shallow fry as well).Now In a wok heat 2tbsp of oil.Add all the seasoning ingredients. Now add the left over marinade into it.Fry it till you get that aroma of ginger and garlic.Now add the fried Brinjal into it.Fry it for some till till it mix well with the seasoning ingredients...Now finally add the whisked curd slowly.Lower the flame..Cook for a minute or two...(You could reverse the process and add the seasoning last).Dahi Baingan ready!

A few side dishes for Chappathi/Paratha

Thottakoora Pappu
 














Baingan kothameer
 
















Kozhi Kurumulakittathu-Nadan style
 
















Chemmeen Mulakuvaratti-Nadan style
 

It is one of the simplest prawn recipes that I make quite often at home...I thought it was quite a very common recipe in Kerala...I was feeling too silly to write out the recipe for this until I found a few queries on this item...so I thought I'll share my simpleton chemmeen...It is one prawn dish that I love to have with a hot steaming 'kanji'(rice gruel) and pappadam or with chappathi or with kerala porotta.

Here's how I make it....

Ingredients:

Cooked Prawns-250g
Red chilli powder-3/4 tbsp(depends on how hot u can bear!!)
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Garlic/Garlic powder-1 tsp
Tamarind paste-1/2 tsp
Curry leaves-1 sprig
Oil-as reqd
Salt-as reqd

Method:

Heat Oil(I take oil slightly more than what is usually required for a shallow fry).When the oil is hot, add curry leaves. Once it has spluttered, add all the spice powders. Heat on a low flame for a minute. Now add the cooked prawns( cooked in a little salt water)into the masala. Add the tamarind paste and salt as required. Mix well. Let it cook for a few minutes until the masala coats it well.Serve hot with kanji/chappati.