Meen Puliyela Chuttathu/ Fish Roast in Tamarind Leaf Paste/ Fish Parcels in Tamarind leaf Paste

       Today i am going to share with you a very traditional Kerala Fish Recipe. I am so excited to share this recipe and i should say this is a absolute delicious fish recipe everyone should try. This recipe similar to Fish Pollichathu but it doesnot need oil while cooking. Just we need to cook in the heat. Traditionally the parcels are cooked inside the charcoal heat. No need to cook the masala like Fish Pollichathu. Just grind apply and roast in heat. So healthy as it requires less oil unlike fish fry.

       Regarding the taste i felt almost like a kebab. Perfect sourness from the tamarind leaves and the masala is just delicious to taste. When i think about the dish, my mouth starts to water. Generally small fish like Anchovies, Sardines are cooked in this way.

INGREDIENTS:

Fish- 350 grams (2 big pieces of King fish) You can make it with any firm fleshed fish
Tamarind tender leaves/ Imli ki patha- 1 1/2 cup
Coconut, grated- 1/2 cup
Jeera/ cumin seeds- 1/4 teaspoon
Pearl onion/ small onion- 2 small
Ginger- 1 inch
Green Chillies or Kanthari Mulagu- 8
Turmeric powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Coconut oil (or) cooking oil- 1 teaspoon
Banana Leaf- 2 pieces

PROCEDURE:

• Wash the tamarind leaves well in water to remove dirts and clay from leaves.
• In a blender add tamarind leaves, coconut, jeera, pearl onion, ginger, green chillies, turmeric powder, coconut oil and salt.

• Grind as a paste without adding any water. If you feel difficulty in rotating the blade add a dash of water and grind as a paste.
• Take banana leaf and show on the flame to slightly wilt the leaf (to avoid tearing the leaf while folding). If the leaf is flexible you can skip this step.
• Keep the fish on top of banana leaf and marinate the fish.
• Apply the tamarind marinade over both the sides of the fish and allow to soak in the masala for about 20-30 minutes. Fold the leaf to hold the masala inside. You can cover all four sides and make as a parcel or atleast fold two sides.

• Take a flat pan and heat the pan. Keep a banana leaf or aluminium foil more on the pan to avoid direct contact of the parcel and to prevent burning of the banana leaf parcel.
• Cook both sides without adding any oil. If needed you can add but i have not added any oil and the fish was perfectly cooked. It takes about 15 minutes to cook in above sim flame. Cook 10 minutes in a open pan and last 5 minutes cook the pan covered(optional). You can cook it totally in open pan too. 

• Drizzle some coconut oil over the fish and serve hot.

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Chakka Kumbil Appam/ Vazhana Ila Appam/ Jackfruit Kozhukattai

       Kumbil Appam is an authentic snack item of Kerala. The name 'Kumbil Appam' of this dish is because of the shape of the Appam. Kumbu meant for the 'cone' shape of this appam. This Kumbilappam is totally flavoured by the wrap used in this appam vazhana Ila/ Therali Ila/ Indian Bay leaf.
The strong smell of the leaves enter into the appam while steaming and gives a amazing flavour to this dish.

       We have this tree in our backyard so it is easy to prepare at any time we wish. Easy to make dish in a jiffy if you have appam podi/ roasted rice flour at your home. Purely a traditional dish with Jack fruit. You can keep this appam for 2 days if you prepare with fresh coconut. If you planned to used it more than that roast the coconut and use it for 5-6 days.

INGREDIENTS:

Chakka Varatti/ Jack fruit Preserve- 1/2 cup
Jaggery- 1/2 cup
Water- 1/4 cup
Coconut- 1/2 cup
Roasted Rice flour/ Appam Podi- 1 cup
Cumin seeds/ Jeera, crushed- 1/4 teaspoon
Dried ginger/ chukku, powdered- 1/2 teaspoon
Cardamom- 1/4 teaspoon
Vazhana Ila/ Edana Ila/ Indian Bay leaves- 7-8

PROCEDURE:

• Take Jaggery in a pan and add quarter cup of water and heat it and make syrupy consistency. (string consistency- If you drop the syrup from spoon last drop has to form string. If you touch the syrup inbetween fingers it should form a string)
• In a bowl take chakka varatti and add the warm syrup over the chakka varatti and mix well to combine without any lumps.

• Powder the jeera and cardamom seeds. Roast the coconut till light gloden colour. (To avoid spoilage. If you are consuming on the same day rosting is not necessary).
• In another bowl add the rice flour, jeera and cardamom powder, dried ginger/ chukku powder and roasted coconut and mix evenly.

• Now add a tablespoon at a time rice flour mixture to the chakka varatti jaggery mixture and mix well.
• Likewise add the whole lot. Finally the mixture should not stick to your hands if you touch with fingers. If it is sticky add a tablespoon or two of roasted rice flour and mix well.
• Wash the Bay leaves and wipe them. Make a cone shape out of the leaves and pin it using coconut picks (Eerkil).
• Fill the cones with chakka mixture till top.

• Heat water inside Idli steamer and allow to boil. Keep the Idli base plate and spread the filled cones.

• Close with the lid and steam for about 15 minutes. Cooking time varies depends on the sizes of the cones.

Checkout my other Jack Fruit Recipes:
Chakka Varatti/ Jack Fruit Preserve/ Jack Fruit Concentrate/ Jack Fruit Jam
Chakka Unniyappam/ Jack Fruit Paniyaram
Chakka Pradaman/ Jack Fruit Payasam
Chakka Ela Ada/ Jack Fruit Ilayappam

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Chakka(Jack Fruit) Ada/Jack fruit Ela Ada/ Ilayappam/ Vazhayila Ada/ Ela ada with Chakka Varatti

       Easy to make evening snack with a traditional touch. I should say this Ela Ada/ Chakka Appam is so tasty and a must try dish. I love the banana leaf flavour in the outer covering and the jackfruits fruity taste combined with the cardamom and coconut really tastes delicious and a feels like a treat for a sweet tooth. You can have this as a snack or breakfast or even used as a dessert.

      Easy to make dish, if you have roasted rice flour at home. You can make this outer covering from boiled rice too. If you are planning to do in parboiled rice soak the rice for two hours and grind  as a thick paste by adding minimum water and add some salt and spread on the leaf and follow the same instructions.

INGREDIENTS:

Raw rice- 1 cup (or) Roasted Rice flour/ Appam powder- 1 cup
Salt- to taste
water- 1/2 cup
Banana Leaf/ Vazhanayila/wax paper- 6 pieces

Filling:
Chakka Varatti- 1/4 cup
Jaggery, grated- 1/4 cup
Coconut, grated- 1/2 cup
Cardamom powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Salt- pinch

PROCEDURE:

• If you are starting from  Rice flour soak a cup of raw rice for an hour or two and powder it and pass through appam podi sieve and get the fine powder.
• Roast the flour in a heavy bottom pan till you get the roasted aroma of the flour.

• In a bowl add the chakka varatti, grated jaggery and mix well with spoon without any small pieces jaggery exists.
• Now add the grated coconut and cardamom powder and salt; mix well and keep aside.

• In another bowl add a cup of roasted rice flour/ appam powder and add normal water little by little till you get the chapathi dough.
• Then add little more water to make a pliable dough (thick clay clay form but should not stick in hands)for easy spreading.
• Divide the dough into small 4-5 lemon sized balls.

• Cut the banana leaf from midrib around 15-20 cm length and width.
• Spread the balls into round shape on the banana leaves as a thin layer. Dip the fingers in water and spread if needed.

• Keep a tablespoon full of filling and lightly spread the filling on one side and close with the other side.

• Heat water inside the idli steamer and allow water to boil.
• Spread the ela ada evenly over the idli steamer base plate. If you think water enter inside keep onemore idli plate above and spread the ada.
• Close with a lid and steam for about 10-15 minutes till the ada cooks properly.
• The rice flour cooks and the colour of the white shade changes.
• If the ada cooks you can able to peel the banana leaf from the ada easily from both the sides.

Note:

• You can make this outer covering from boiled rice too. If you are planning to do in parboiled rice, soak the rice for two hours and grind  as a thick paste by adding minimum water. Add some salt and spread on the leaf and follow the same instructions.
• Adjust the jaggery and coconut level according to your taste.

Checkout my other Jack Fruit Recipes:
Chakka Varatti/ Jack Fruit Preserve/ Jack Fruit Concentrate/ Jack Fruit Jam
Chakka Unniyappam/ Jack Fruit Paniyaram
Chakka Pradaman/ Jack Fruit Payasam
Chakka Ela Ada/ Jack Fruit Ilayappam

Chakka Kumbil Appam/ Jack Fruit Kozhukattai

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Chakka Pradaman/ Jack Fruit Payasam

       Now jack fruits are in season and i am now in my Native place where Chakka (Jack fruit) is so famous. So many varieties of Jack fruits we get on this season in our home when we were kids from our backyard. We all grownup and lazy to cut and clean the fruit. Another reason snacks from Bakeries, packed foods dominated our house too.

      This time i have planned to use this jack fruit to make various dishes prepared using jack fruit. I made 'Chakka Varatti' out of this Jack fruit and now i made this pradhaman using this Chakka varatti. Chakka Pradhaman can be made using fresh jack fruit carpels too. If you use fresh fruit for this recipe you require around half a cup of jaggery. As i have added Jaggery earlier in Chakka varatti here i am using lesser quantity of jaggery.

INGREDIENTS:

Chakka Varatti/ Jack fruit preserve- 3/4 cup
Jaggery- 1/4 cup
Thick coconut milk- 1 cup
Thin coconut milk- 2 cup
Dry ginger/ Chukku, powdered- 1/2 teaspoon
Cardamaom-3
Ghee- 1 tablespoon
Coconut, finely chopped - 1 tablespoon
Cashewnuts- 8-10
Raisins/Kishmish- 8-10
*If you use fresh jack fruit carpels take 1 cup carpels pressure cooked in 1/4 cup of water and use Jaggery 1/2 cup and follow the same instructions.

PROCEDURE:

• Dissolve jaggery in quarter cup of water and boil well and strain the dirt's if any.
• In a pan take Chakka varatti and the jaggery syrup and allow to boil.
• Stir well using a laddle and dissolve the chakka varatti without any lumps.

• Add thin coconut milk and cook well. 
• Add the powdered dry ginger, cardamom, jeera and mix well.
• Add the thick coconut extract and mix well.

• Add ghee in a pan and roast the coconut pieces till golden colour.
• Remove the coconut pieces from ghee and add cashew nuts.
• Once it becomes golden add the raisins, when it puffs up switch off the gas and pour it over the pradaman.

• Add the roasted cashews and coconut with the pradaman and mix well to combine.

Checkout my other Jack Fruit Recipes:
Chakka Varatti/ Jack Fruit Preserve/ Jack Fruit Concentrate/ Jack Fruit Jam
Chakka Unniyappam/ Jack Fruit Paniyaram
Chakka Pradaman/ Jack Fruit Payasam
Chakka Ela Ada/ Jack Fruit Ilayappam

Chakka Kumbil Appam/ Jack Fruit Kozhukattai

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Chakka Varatti/ Jackfruit Preserve/ Jackfruit Jam

       Jack fruit preserve is made from ripe jack fruits. Generally this preserve is prepared when jack fruits are in season and used when they are not in season. Best way to preserve the jack fruit as a paste form for later use.This Jack fruit preserve is used generally to make Jackfruit Pradhaman, Jack fruit Paniyaram/ Kulipaniyaram/ Neyyappam/ Appam/ Unniyappam, Jack fruit Ada/ Ilai Ada..etc.

       It is a finger licking preparation when i prepared this i finished almost by eating as such at the time of preparation itself. I followed easy pressure cooker method and cooking further in the same vessel. Generally it is prepared in a heavy bottom vessel called 'Uruli'. I did not find any difference by making it in pressure cooker. I have prepared this within 30 minutes.

INGREDIENTS:

Jack fruit- 25 pieces (I used thick fleshed medium sized pieces. Use 50 nos if the flesh is thin)
Jaggery- 1 cup
Water- 1/2 cup+1/2 cup
Cardamom, powdered- 4 cloves
Cloves, powdered- 3
Dry ginger/ Chukku, powdered- 1 teaspoon
Ghee- 1/2 teaspoon

PROCEDURE:

• Cut the Jack fruit and take the edible carpels and remove the seeds from that.
• Pressure cook the Jack fruit with half a cup of water till three whistles on medium flame.

• In a pan add the grated jaggery and water and allow to dissolve and make  a syrupy string consistency; Set aside. (If you drop the syrup from spoon last drop has to form a string while dropping from spoon. Otherwise you can check by dropping some syrup inside water if  you can able to make ball out of it)

• Once the pressure releases mash the fruits with masher or backside of a ladle as a paste.
• Keep the pressure cooker on top of stove and allow to evaporate the water by stirring.
• Once the water content almost evaporates add the jaggery syrup by staining through a sieve to collect dirt's from the syrup.

• Allow to cook and reduce by constant stirring to get a jam like consistency.
• When the water content almost evaporates add ghee, cardamom, cloves, dry ginger powders and stir well.

• Cook till the water content totally evaporates and gets the flavour of the spices added.
• Allow to cool and refrigerate till you use.
• Can be stored for months in refrigerator can be used when jack fruit is not in season.

Checkout my Jack Fruit Recipes using Chakka Varatti:
Chakka Unniyappam/ Jack Fruit Paniyaram
Chakka Pradaman/ Jack Fruit Payasam
Chakka Ela Ada/ Jack Fruit Ilayappam

Chakka Kumbil Appam/ Jack Fruit Kozhukattai

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Vettu Cake/ Kerala Tea Stall Fried Cake

This cake has been our family favourite from when i was kid. As my both parents were working when we return from school we get some snacks from tea shops daily evening as a snack. Other than the savoury items like Parippu Vada, Ulunthu Vada we love this Sweet Vettu cake, we call this cake as Cabbage. Because in some teashops they make round in shape and it resembles cabbage.

Its really a yummy cake can be made without oven or even without much effort. Perfect snack for the evening teatime. Can be made in minutes for the guests at home. I feel this cake can be eaten without any guilt as it has no preservatives. My kids also love this cake so i have planned to make this cake for his snack box too.You can make this cake egg less version by adding two tablespoon of curd or add a small banana mashed well in the place of egg as a substitute. If you are making say 2 cups double all the ingredients and follow the same recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

Egg-1
All purpose Flour/ Maida- 1 cup
Baking Soda- 1/4 teaspoons
Turmeric powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Sugar, powdered- 1/2 cup
Cardamom- 3 pods
Oil- for frying

PROCEDURE:

• Powder the sugar with the seeds of the cardamom in a blender  as a powder.
• Mix Baking soda and turmeric powder with all purpose flour.

• Beat well an egg in a bowl with spoon.
• Add the powdered sugar with cardamom and mix well till combined.
• then add the all purpose flour an mix well and form a smooth pliable dough.
• If the dough sticks to your hand add a teaspoon or two of all purpose flour till you get a non sticky dough. Keep aside for 5-10 minutes.

• Shape the dough into two small rectangular logs.
• Slice then into 1 1/2 inch slices.
• Give two deep cuts at the middle of the dough on each sides. Likewise do for all pieces.
• You can make small balls also and cut the top to get round shaped cakes.

• Heat the oil and deep fry the dough till golden colour appears and the outside of the cake gets hard.
• Note: Do not fry the cake on high flame the inside of the cake will not get cooked.
• Cook the cake on low flame, first the cake becomes soft then it becomes hard on outside and become golden colour.

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