Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Chakka Pradhman &Olan

Jackfruit Payasam/Chakka Pradhaman:

Pradhaman is usually prepared with lentils, or fruit like banana, mango and ripe jackfruit. This chakka pradaman is a dish I make for naivedhyam for Vishu. In tirnelveli dist some villages are near to kerala border.Since our both villages( Me & my husband) are near to kerala border.. So most of the food related to kerala & tirnelveli combination.Pradhaman is one of the dish often made in My family.. The payasams or pradhamans prepared out of jaggery, coconut milk and fruits like jackfruit, bananas and Palada Pradhaman, which is made of rice, sugar, and dried rice flakes or ada ,rice adais require elaborate procedures which are simplified a lot. To prepare this chakka pradhman , it’s necessary to use only ripe jackfruit.

Ingredients:

1. Jack fruit pieces- 10.

2. Nendram Pazham-1

3.coconut - 1( big) .

4. Jaggery- 2cups.

5. Ghee - 2 tablespoons.

6. Cardamom- 4 or5.

7. Cashews - few (handful)

8. Coconut milk 1 ½ cup thick

Method:

1.Cut the jack fruit and NendramPazham and cook for about 10 minutes. Allow to cool. In the meanwhile, dissolve the jaggery in 1cup of water and melt it, filter and continue to heat in low fire.

2.Now mash the cooked jack fruit pieces into a paste in a mixer and saute it in 1 spoon of ghee in a thick bottomed vessel, in which the payasam is to be made. Add the liquid jaggery to it and continue to cook it in low flame till both items blend together into a semi solid consistency. Put off the fire.

3.Grate the coconut and extract the milk by adding 1 cup of water in a mixer and keep aside . Add 1and a 1/2 cups of water to the gratings (from which milk has already been extracted) and extract coconut milk again and keep this diluted coconut milk separately.

4.Add the second extract of coconut milk first, stir well , and bring to a boil on low fire. Now turn off the heat and add the first concentrate milk. Note that after adding the first concentrate, the payasam should not be heated.

5.Heat the remaining ghee in a frying pan, fry the cashews and cardamom powder and add to the payasam for garnishing.

The jack fruit payasam is ready to be served for the feast.


Recipe forChakka Varraty/JackFruit Halwa Here:
Olan:

Olan, a traditional Sadya dish preparation which is enriched with coconut milk. Olan is the simplest and a unique dish with no spice at all in it(except green chillies) flavoured with coconut milk and coconut oil and fresh curry leaves. Yet, when made with the right ingredients in the right proportion, it tastes heavenly. usually It is made with with white pumpkin (ash gourd/winter melon) or the yellow variety and cowpeas/moongdal which makes it a very healthy diet. And it has a unique, pleasing and inviting aroma which itself make you crave for the dish




Ingredients:

YellowPumpkin – 1/4kg

Colocasia (seppankilamgu)-50 gms

Green Chillies - 4nos

MoongDal/cowpeas- 2tbs

Coconut milk-11/2 cups

Curry leaves-5-6 nos

CoconutOil-1tsp

Salt as per taste

Method:

1.Cook the seppankilangu and keep aside. Grate coconut Squeeze out 1/4cup of the milk from the coconut without adding water. Take one more cup of milk from the coconut.

2. Cook the vegetables and moongdal in water.

3. Add enough salt and the green chillies.

4. When it is done, Then add seppankilangu with 1cup coconut milk and boil.

5. When it thickens well, add 1/4cup coconut milk.

6. Bring to a boil and remove from fire.

7. Add 1tbs coconut oil and the curry leaves and mix well.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Thalipeeth

Thalipeeth:

Thalipeeth is a type of a savory pancake which is a popular dish of Maharashtra.. It is spiced pancake with flavor and nutrition.. It is a tasty and quick-to-make snack once you have made and stored the flour.. The recipe can be accessorized as per your likings and it makes a delicious breakfast, quick lunch or for dinner. I always made this thalipeeth with so many flour(Ragi, Jowar, Bajra, wheat,besan,rice,) and many different types of grains...dal, and spices, all roasted and ground into a wonderful aromatic flour.. Traditional way to serve thalipeeth is with green chutney and either some plain yogurt or a dollop of butter.

Ingredients:

Jowar (Sorghum) flour-1/2cup

Ragi (millet) flour} -1/2 cup

Nachani (finger millet-1/2 cup

Besan (chickpea flour)- 1/2 cup

Bajra-1/2cup

Rice flour-1/2cup

Wheat flour-1/2 cup

Cumin powder-1/2 tsp

1 tsp coriander powder-1 tsp

Onion-1cut into small pieces

Green chilies, minced-4-5

cilantro-2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Water to knead

Oil to cook

Method:

1 .Mix all ingredients (except oil). Add water as required, a little at a time and knead to form, a soft dough.

2 .Divide dough into 7-8 equal portions. Flatten each portion on a grease (with oil) banana leaf or a thick polythene sheet, into a round shape.

3 . If you are using plastic sheet apply some oil to the sheet. Then take one ball, flatten it in your palm & then place that flattened ball on sheet. Press that ball with your fingers evenly. Make sure thalipeeth should be just size of your palm because if you make it bigger it will break while lifting it. Dip hand in water in between, if it is not spreading properly.

4 . Heat non-stick tava or griddle. Apply some oil. Remove thalipeeth from sheet gently & place it on the tava.

5. Spoon a little oil on the sides and cook on a low heat till it turns crisp and golden brown.

6. Turn the thalipeeth and cook the other side, as above. Cook till it becomes crispy, brown on both sides.

7 . Serve hot with ,chutney, yogurt or homemade butter.

Green Chutney:

Cilantro- 1 bunch

Green chilli-2

Lime juice- 2 tsp

RoastedPeanuts- handful

Salt to taste

Grind all ingridients to fine paste.thens dd lemon juice mix well and serve.This chutney goes along with all dishes.