NENDRAPAZHA HALWA, PAZHANURUKKU, PAZHAMPORI

     

Nendrapazham (Kerala plantain) is a favorite with Keralites. It is welcome any time in every household and is relished by the young and the old equally. It is used to make simple snacks for tea-time. 
                                    

I remember there was a friend of mine who would bring steamed nendrapazham for her lunch (when we were in College, mind you) and I demanded the same from my grandma. But my otherwise adorable granny would not hear of such a frivolous idea! Nendrapazham for a snack was fine - not for lunch! What I want to convey is nendrapazham has been a favorite with my home, then and now!

Keralites prefer eating them steamed! I remember my mother toasting nendrapazham in a 'kori' - a heavy-bottomed iron tava specially set aside for this purpose - oh this 'pazham chuttadu' would be so yummy - we'd patiently peel off the black toasted skin and enjoy the pazham with a topping of ghee and sugar. Those days we hardly cared for 'pazham puzhugiadu' and considered it a poor cousin of the former. But if mom had to cater to a larger crowd / during feasts, she'd steam the pazham pieces with a piece of jaggery and a pinch of salt. That is also called 'pazha nurukku'. My husband would narrate that as a boy, he'd grab a ripe nendrapazham from the nendrakolai (bunch) hanging in the corridor near their bathroom and put it in a 'kozhal' (iron cylinder), close it and shove it in the firewood stove used for heating water - before going for bath. When he'd be out of the bathroom, the toasted pazham would be ready!

I don't toast nendrapazham these days as it is a hassle to clean the tava. I steam them and I have come to relish them too.

My favorite item is the nendrapazha halwa (not exactly a halwa but an evening snack) - a delicacy my mom used to make and we simply loved it. My sons would lap it up too. But when it comes to my grand kids, the parents suggest the 'less sugar, less ghee' item of steamed nendrapazham! Let me begin with this tasty dish.

Nendrapazha Halwa

I make this once in a while as a special item for an evening snack to be consumed the same day or the next. 

                                                     

Ingredients

Nenrapazham ( Kerala Plantain) - 3

Sugar - 4-5 tbsp

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Method

Peel the plantains, slit each into half and slice them in thin semicircles.

Heat ghee in a thick-bottomed / non-stick pan.

Add the plantain pieces and fry on medium heat for about five minutes.

Cook covered on low heat for 2 - 3 minutes or till tender.

Add sugar and continue to fry on low heat till it turns a bit brown and crunchy.

Remove from fire and add cardamom powder and mix well.

Serve hot.

                                          

Tips

Jaggery can be used instead of sugar.

If the plantains are just ripe, the dish will have the pieces in shape.                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Nendra Pazha Halwa (Pazha varatti)


In case you have a bunch of over-ripe nendrapazham, you can utilize them to make it into halwa to be stored in the fridge for weeks (somewhat like chakka varatti) and also make yummy nendrapazha halwa cut in pieces. Remember they will cook very fast You can cut each into three pieces and steam them for 5-7 minutes and mash them.

Ingredients

Over-ripe Plantains - 3
Powdered Jaggery - 1 cup
Ghee - 2 tbsps
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Method

Cut each plantain into 3 pieces
Steam them for 5-6 minutes till cooked.
Mash well. 
Add 1 cup of powdered jaggery and cook on medium heat
Keep stirring. 
Add 2 tbsps of ghee and continue cooking till it leaves the sides of the vessel and rolls into a ball - to make into halwa form. This can be stored in the fridge for a month. This can be used to make 'nendrapazha pradhaman' on the lines of 'chakka pradhaman'. My sister-in-law had served us ice cream with this warmed halwa and it was really yummy. 

                                            

Nedrapazha Halwa Squares

If you continue to cook, adding a little more ghee, you can pour the thick ball on to a greased plate and flatten it with a greased ladle. After 5 minutes, draw lines with a greased knife to form squares. Press an almond slice on top of each square (optional). After 10 minutes, carefully cut out the halwa squares.

    

Pazham Puzhungiadu / Pazhanurukku

                           

Now let's us get back to the simplest of nendrapazha recipe - 'pazhanurukku' - it is still served as an item during feasts, especially during Onam / Vishu. This is a very easy-to-make and healthy snack for kids as well as adults. This is what I make with nendrazham these days. But some would shy away from this because of its texture and prefer to eat the plantain raw.

                                        

                                        
                                       
Ingredients 

2-3 Nendrapazham (Kerala Plantains)

Method

Cut each plantain into 3 / 4 pieces.

Heat 2 cups of water in a pressure cooker.

Keep the plantain pieces in a steel colander / idli stand and steam them in the pressure cooker without the weight - for 10 minutes (as with idlis).

Remove the skin and enjoy eating!

If you don't count calories, add a dash of ghee and sugar after slitting open each piece - yummy!

They also taste good with a piece of pappadam / banana chips.
Those of you in some parts of the US can get 'plantains' in the US  / Chinese grocery stores. You can steam them in the microwave for 11/2 - 2 minutes to make 'pazhanurukku' - avid nendrapazha lovers will miss the little sourness in the US variety, that's all.

                            

Microwaved nendrapazham

Pazhampori

Another recipe with Kerala plantain is 'Pazhampori' (Nendrapazha bajji) available in small cafeterias all over in Kerala. I have posted this dish along with a variety of pakodas in the post 'Bajjis & Pakodas' in my blog cosmokitchen.blogspot.com. This is made by dipping thin slices of ripe Kerala plantains in 'bajji' batter and frying them in oil. 

                                           

Ingredients

Nendrapazham - 2

For batter

Gram flour (besan) – 1 cup

Rice flour – 1-2 tbsp

Baking powder – a pinch

Red chilli powder – 1 tsp

Coriander powder (optional) – 1 tsp

Asafetida – a pinch

Salt to taste

Hot oil – 1 ½ tsp
Oil for frying

Method

1. In a bowl, mix gram flour, rice flour, baking powder, red chilli powder, asafetida, coriander powder and salt.

2. Add ½ - ¾ cup of water and whisk well for at least 5 minutes to make a fairly thick batter and set aside for 5 minutes. (No big deal about the consistency of the batter - if the batter is thick, then you can enjoy a thickly coated bajji. If the batter is runny, the bajjis will have a thinner covering!)

3. Just before making bajjis, add a tsp of hot oil and mix well – this will add to its crispness.
4. Use 2 big ripe Kerala plantains. 
5. Peel and cut the banana in 2 parts. 
6. Make slices (5-6) of each half. 
7. Dip each slice till fully coated with batter and fry in oil till both sides are golden brown and drain off.

Tips

I mix 1 cup of gram flour, 2 tbsp of dosa batter, red chilli powder, asafetida and salt. Then I add ½ - ¾ cup of water and make a thick batter, blending it well with my hand and set it aside for 10 minutes. There is no need of adding hot oil. My bajjis are fluffy and soft and almost oil-free!
Instead of besan, maida can be used. Just add a pinch of salt and a tsp of sugar to maida and make the batter.

© Copyright 2011. Brinda Balasubramonian.

ADA PRADHAMAN

A speciality of Kerala, ‘Ada Pradhaman’ makes use of ‘palada’made from rice, jaggery and coconut milk. Traditionally it would be made at homes from scratch but nowadays you get very good ones in the market.

Ingredients

Rice palada – 100 gms (1/2 cup)

Jaggery – 1 cup

Coconut – 1 (extract milk)

Raisins – 2 tbsp

Cashew nuts / almonds – 2 tbsp

Cardamom powder – ½ - 1 tsp

Ghee – 2-3 tsp

Method

To prepare coconut milk -

Grate a big coconut.

Grind it with a tbsp of water, put it in a thin cloth and extract the thick milk and keep aside the 1^st milk.

Again put the same coconut in the mixer, add 2 tbsp of water and grind again.

Extract the 2^nd milk (thinner than the first one) and keep aside separately.

Again grind the same coconut with a little water and extract the thinnest 3^rd milk and set aside.

 To prepare ‘Ada Pradhaman’ -

Heat 1 ½ -2 cups of water in a thick-bottomed vessel and cook the palada on low heat, constantly stirring, till it gets cooked.

Dissolve 1 cup of jaggery in ¾ cup of water and make a syrup.

Add the cooked palada and stir well on low heat.

Add the 3rd coconut milk (dilutest) and boil for a few minutes.

Add the 2^nd milk and boil for 2 minutes.

Turn off the heat.

Add the thick coconut milk and stir.

Add cardamom powder.

Fry the raisins and nuts in 3 tsp of ghee and add them to the ada pradhaman.

Serve hot / chilled.

 Tips

If extracting coconut milk is too cumbersome, try coconut milk available in packs.

I would rather add regular milk because marketed coconut milk does not have the freshness!

 © Copyright 2011. Brinda Balasubramonian.

LEMON RICE

Lemon rice, also known as 'elumichambazha chadham' is a part of grand Palakkad feasts. It is an ideal packed lunch item many used to carry during train journeys. Nowadays many choose to fly and those who travel by train prefer to buy meals. 
This is a quicky. When I used to have leftover rice, my lunchbox would contain light yellow, tangy and tasty lemon rice which would disappear in no time with my friends yearning for more and suggesting that I bring the same everyday! If you want to tuck in some veggies, you are most welcome to do so!
At home, we call it 'nimbu chadham' (Hindamil) - that's how cosmopolitan our family is! Actually if you want to know the real reason, my family is more comfy with the term 'nimbu' than 'elumichambazham'. 

Serves 4

Ingredients

Rice – 1 glass

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Urad dal – 1 tsp

Chana dal / chutney dal – 1-2 tbsp

Asafetida – a pinch

Green chilli – 2 – chopped

Curry leaves – 10

Coriander leaves – 1-2 tbsp

Juice of 1- 11/2 big lemon

Oil – 4-5 tbsp

Cashew nut pieces / roasted peanuts – 2 tbsp

Method

Cook the rice, making sure it is not overcooked. 
Spread it on a plate and allow it to cool.

Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a nonstick pan add mustard seeds, urad dal and chutney dal followed by a pinch of asafetida. Add chopped green chilli and curry leaves and turmeric powder and stir.

Lower the stove and add the rice. Add salt and stir gently.

Turn off the heat.

After 5 minutes, add chopped coriander leaves and the juice of 1 lemon and mix well.
Garnish with roasted groundnuts or roasted cashews.

Serve hot / cold with papads / fryums.

Tips

Traditionally sesame oil is used. But if you are not used to its taste you can use your regular oil.
Basmati rice / Kolam rice / any good quality rice can be used - it should not be overcooked or squishy.
Lemon rice comes in handy for travel – pack it after it is cooled to room temperature.

© Copyright 2011. Brinda Balasubramonian.

THAYIR CHADHAM

'Thayir chadham' (curd rice) is a must in South Indian homes where  yogurt is a part of every meal. It is a great item to carry during travel - soothing and easy-on-your-stomach. It  tastes good with 'thayir molagai' / maangakary / pickle. 
The recipe given below is for 'thayir chadham' to be used after some 5-7 hours, so more milk is used than curd (the hours in between will see that the milk will get fermented). If you want to prepare this item for immediate consumption, add more curd and less milk and check its taste.

.

Ingredients

Rice – 1 cup

Curd – 1 cup

Milk – 3 cups

Sugar – ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Green chilli – 2 (chopped fine)

Ginger – 1” – chopped fine

Mustard seeds – 1 ½ tsp

Urad dal – 1 tsp

Asafetida – a pinch

Oil – 2 tsp

Method

Cook the rice. Cool it a bit.

Mash it a bit when still hot and allow it to cool.

Add the curd, salt, sugar and 1 1/2 - 2 cups of milk and mix well.

Add ginger pieces and mix well.

If you are going to use the curd rice soon, add more curd.

If it is for later use (after 4-6 hours), add more milk – it will have the right taste by then.

Heat oil in a small pan, add mustard seeds, urad dal, asafetida and green chilli pieces and add it to the curd rice.

Mix well.

Check the taste and serve with pickle / thayir molagai.

Tips

If you are packing curd rice for travel, just add 2 tbsp of curd and add enough milk to make the curd rice – it will turn sour and tasty with the passing hours.

It will also turn thick and solid in due course – you can add buttermilk / water later to loosen it to the right consistency.

© Copyright 2011. Brinda Balasubramonian.

ELAI ADAI

‘Elai adai’ is a delicacy – a rare one at that! My mother was very fond of it – and her mother too - not to forget me too! And banana leaves were aplenty in our garden! So whenever I’d visit my mom at Madras this would be on the top of the charts on the 'must-prepare' list! Whenever I manage to get banana leavesand have a stock of ‘chakkavaratti’, I spare no efforts to make them! You guessed it - yes, it is a laborious recipe.
What surprised me was that I found that ‘Elai adai’ is sold in some Indian stores in some parts of the US – frozen ones, of course! Taste-wise, they are definitely not a patch on the home-made ones!

(Makes 10 elai adais)

Ingredients

Banana leaves – cut in 9" x 7" rectangular pieces - 10

Raw rice – 1 glass

Coconut – 1 big (grated)

Jaggery – 1- 1 ½ glass

Chakkavaratti (Jackfruit halwa) – 2 tbsp

Cardamom powder – ½ tsp

Method

Wash and soak the rice for 2-3 hours and grind to a fine paste in the mixer. Add 1 tsp of powdered sugar and 2 tsps of oil and make a fairly thick batter (adding water if necessary).

Melt the jaggery in required water, strain off impurities and boil the syrup till thick.

Add the grated coconut and jackfruit halwa and stir well. Continue to heat till the water has evaporated.

Add cardamom powder and mix well.

Wash the banana leaves and warm each of them by holding them above the gas flame turning back and forth till they become soft and foldable.

Make a ‘dosa’ on the banana leaf with the rice batter. Fill half of it with a thin layer of coconut-jaggery stuffing and fold along the center.

Make all the elai adais like this.

Arrange 5-6 carefully in a colander at a time and steam it for 15 minutes.

Remove after 10 minutes and serve the ‘elai adais’ along with the banana leaf on a plate.

Tips

If you are adding more ‘chakkavaratti’, add less of jaggery.If you don't have 'chakkavaratti', just add more jaggery - of course it will lose its authentic flavour!
 

It is laborious - prepare the stuffing one day before to offer you some respite.

© Copyright 2011. Brinda Balasubramonian.

UPPITTU & BOLI

UPPITTU –

‘Uppittu’ is made on religious occasions. It used to be more common than 'boli' with our ancestors – mainly because they were not experts at rolling out ‘parathas’. 'Uppittu' is made by spreading with the hand. The ingredients are slightly different; also the dough and of course the taste! Also you will require a couple of banana leaves to make them.

Ingredients

For the dough

Maida – 1 glass

Saffron color / turmeric powder – a pinch

Oil – 2 – 3 tbsp

For the filling

Kadala paruppu (Chana dal) – 1 glass

Jaggery – 2 glasses

Grated coconut – 2 tbsp

Cardamom powder – 1 tsp

Ghee / oil for making the ‘uppittu’

Method

Mix the maida with a pinch of turmeric powder and 2 tbsps of oil and then add water little by little to make a loose (not stiff) dough. Add some more oil if required and blend well and set aside.

Wash the chana dal, soak it in water for half an hour and pressure-cook it for 3-4 whistles.

On cooling, drain off the water and grind to a fine paste along with grated coconut in a blender / food processor.

Heat ½ glass water in a kadhai and dissolve the jaggery and strain off impurities.

Bring the jaggery syrup to a boil and add the ground chana dal paste and keep stirring.

Turn off the stove when the water has completely evaporated.

After 10 minutes add cardamom powder and mix well.

Make 10 balls – the size of a big lemon.

Take a couple of banana leaves (9”x8” each), wash and wipe them dry.

Smear them with oil and use each one for making an ‘uppittu’.

Smear your hand with oil and take a lemon-sized ball of maida dough and spread it into a small circle with your fingers.

Place the dal filling, cover from all sides and start spreading it out with your oily fingers and hand carefully till it is evenly spread out into a 5” diameter circle.

Make two more ‘uppittu’ like this and then start cooking it on the tava.

Heat a ‘tava’, grease it with ghee / oil and then place the banana leaf over the tava and gently transfer the ‘uppittu’ with a ladle on to the tava. Keep aside the banana leaf for reuse.

After 2 minutes, turn the ‘uppittu’ and add ghee.

Turn again and add ghee – till it is cooked well on both sides.

Repeat with the rest of the ‘uppittu’.

Serve hot / cold.

Tips

You will need only 2 / 3 banana leaf rectangles as you can reuse them for making ‘uppittu’.

As the banana leaf will be touching the hot tava while transferring, it is not advisable to use plastic sheet instead!

Rolling out as ‘boli’ is easier for the ‘paratha-experts’!

BOLI

‘Boli’ is the more popular cousin of ‘Uppittu’ these days as we are in the habit of making stuffed parathas. And we don’t have to go hunting for banana leaves!

Makes 10-12 bolis

Ingredients

Maida – ¾ glass

Wheat flour – ¾ glass

For the filling -

Chana dal – 1 glass

Sugar – 1 ½ glasses

Cardamom powder – 1 tsp

Saffron strands – a few (dissolved in a little warm milk)

Ghee

Method

Mix maida and atta well. Add 2-3 tsps of melted ghee or oil and mix well.

Add required water and knead well into a soft dough. Set aside for an hour.

Pressure-cook chana dal (for 3 whistles) till tender.

Strain off the water and allow to cool.

Add sugar to it and blend together in a food processor to a fine paste.

Transfer the paste to a kadhai and heat, stirring well.

Add the saffron-in-milk and continue to heat till the water has completely evaporated and the dal mixture is dry. Add a tsp of ghee and cardamom powder and stir well.

Allow to cool and make big lime-sized balls (around 12-15).

Divide the dough into balls slightly smaller than the dal balls.

Roll each atta portion into a small puri, place the dal ball and fold from all sides and seal the edges. Roll out like aloo parathas.

Heat a tava and cook the puran boli, adding ghee on both sides till golden brown.

Serve hot with more ghee (if desired).

Tips

Instead of using sugar entirely, you can use half jaggery and half sugar. 
Some add grated coconut also to the cooked chana dal and grind.

 © Copyright 2011. Brinda Balasubramonian.