Unni Appam

This one of my favorite next to Kuzhipaniyaram, I usually make this one for prasadam. Unni appam is very famous in Kerala which can be made easily with lesser number of ingredients.I made this one for the first day of navarathri pooja.

Ingredients

Ingredient	Quantity
Raw rice	1cup
Maida	1/4cup
Jaggery	3/4cup
Banana(ripe)	1no.(big size)
Cooking soda	a pinch
Cardamom(elaichi)	4-5nos.
Salt	a pinch
Ghee+oil	to cook

Method

           Soak the rice in the water for atleast 2 hours,grind it to a fine batter along with elaichi and a pinch of salt.Add the maida,melted jaggery to the rice batter and mix it well without any lumps.

Add a pinch of cooking soda,mashed banana and stir it.The batter should be in dosa batter consistency.

Heat the Paniyaram pan in a medium flame,add half a tsp of both oil and ghee.Once the pan is ready, pour in a spoon of batter to each mould and cook it.

Flip it to other side with a help of skewer or a spoon and cook it for a minute.Once its browned all the sides,take it out.

Unni appam is ready to serve.

• Chopped and ghee fried coconut pieces can be added to the batter gives an extra taste.
• Rice flour can be used and maida can be substituted with wheat flour.
• Cooking in the medium flame gives a nice brown colored appams.

Sending this to The Kerela Kitchen event hosted by Divya.

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Kati Roll

Kati roll is spicy mixture of veggies or meat ,topped with finely chopped fresh veggies, rolled in a chutney smeared flat bread(wrap). It is ideal for kids lunch box or on the go, which is a complete meal.Lot of variants in the stuffing can be made with veg and non-veg.The wrap can be made with whole wheat flour or all purpose flour.Today I used paneer for the stuffing and all purpose flour(maida) for the wrap.

Ingredients

For the wrap(outer layer)

Ingredient	Quantity
All purpose flour(maida)	2cups
Oil	2tbs
Salt	to taste
Water	to knead
Oil(to cook)	3tbs

For the Filling

Ingredient	Quantity
Paneer(cubed)	300gms
Onion(chopped)	1no.(medium size)
Tomato(chopped)	1no.(medium size)
Ginger&garlic paste	1tsp
Chilly powder	1tsp
Coriander powder	1tsp
Turmeric powder	1/2tsp
Garam masala powder	a pinch
Chat masala	1/2tsp
Kasoori methi	1tsp
Cumin seeds	1/2tsp
Coriander leaves(chopped)	to garnish
Lemon juice	2tsp
Oil	2tbs
Salt	to taste

For the Mint Chutney

Ingredient	Quantity
Mint leaves	1 bunch
Coconut(grated)	2tbs
Green Chilly	3nos.
Lemon juice	1tsp
Salt	to taste

To garnish

Ingredient	Quantity
Onion(thinly sliced)	1no.(small size)
Tomato(chopped)	1no.(medium size)
Green Chilly	3nos.
Baby Carrot(thinly sliced)	1no.

Method

               Knead the maida with oil and salt to a soft dough with water.Let it sit for 2-3 hours atleast, to get a soft outer layer.Grind all the ingredients given for chutney, together in a blender to a smooth paste.Slice the onion and tomato.

Heat oil in a pan,crackle cumin seeds, add the onion and saute it till it becomes soft.Then add the ginger&garlic paste follows the tomato,cook it until the tomato turns mushy.Now add in chilly powder.coriander powder and salt,saute it for a minute.

Add the cubed paneer and mix it well and keep it in a medium flame for couple of minutes.Finally add the Kasoori methi,chat masala,garam masala powder,coriander leaves,lemon juice and give a good mix.Turn off the stove.The stuffing is ready.

 Take a lemon sized dough ,roll into 8-9 inch diameter .Cook it in a griddle,both sides with a tsp of oil.Continue it for the rest of the dough.

 Take a roti(wrap),place it on a plate or clean countertop and smear it a with a spoonful of mint chutney.Keep a spoon full of stuffing and add top it with thiny sliced onion,tomato,carrot.

 Tuck in one side(as shown in the picture) and roll it tightly,as much as possible.The roll is ready.

 Heat the griddle with a tsp of oil ,arrange the rolls on the griddle and cook it for 2 minutes to get crispy(this step is purely optional).Take out from the griddle and wrap a foil or butter paper in the tucked end.

 Ready to enjoy.

Serve it warm.

• The taste will be slightly different if the whole wheat flour is used for the wrap.
• Tomato ketchup or hot & sour sauce can be drizzled on the top of the stuffing for an extra kick.
• Store bought tortillas can be used.
• Lemon juice,for the stuffing can be substituted  with amchur powder(dry mango powder).

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Kasi Halwa/white Pumkin Halwa/Poosanikkai Halwa

I had this halwa first time in my cousin's wedding reception and the color was so attractive(greenish orange)with lots of nuts and ghee. I was not familiar with that look and feel,with lot of confusions I had the first bite it tasted delicious and I could make out it is a halwa and not able to find out exactly with what it was made.Finally I came to know it is Poosanikkai Halwa and got the recipe from the chef.I was amazed a bland and watery vegetable turned into such a delicious and excellent halwa.It is easier to make with less ingredients.

Ingredients

Ingredient	Quantity
White pumkin(grated)	2cups
Sugar	1cup
Ghee	5tbsp
Cardamom	3nos.
Food color(orange and green)	a pinch
Cashews(broken)	2tbs

Method

                  Peel the skin and grate the white pumpkin with the grater.Heat a tbs of ghee in a pan and saute the grated white pumpkin for a minute and cover it with the lid to cook for a while.Put the cooked one in the mixie jar and grind it to a smooth paste.

Heat the pan with a tablespoon of ghee, add the ground paste and sugar till the sugar melts.Now add in the colors and the remaining ghee.

 Stir it continously till the halwa leaves the sides of the pan.Turn off the stove, add the cardamom powder and fried cashews,mix it well.

Kasi halwa is ready to enjoy.We had it  along with a scoop of ice cream.

• Grinding Part is purely optional
•  Edible camphor or Saffron can be added for extra flavor.
• The original recipe had lot of melon seeds in it.
•  Since its a watery vegetable,the yield will be less.
• Chayote(chow chow)halwa can be made in the same way.

Sending this to Celebrate Sweets September 2011 sweets/desserts with fruits and vegetables hosted by Raks kitchen,started by Nivedita's Kitchen.

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Arachivitta Sambhar

This is a flavorful  and tasty sambhar which is made out of freshly ground masala and veggies.It goes very well with rice as well as tiffin items such as idly,dosa and pongal.My mom has a tradition of making this sambhar on auspisious days and vratham days and uses toor dhal  to make this one for rice,moong dhal for tiffin sambhar.I used fresh drumsticks only it can be with mixed veggies too.

Ingredients

Ingredient	Quantity
Toor dhal	1/2cup
Onion	1no.(medium size)
Tomato	2no.(medium size)
Drumstick(fresh)	2nos.
Tamarind paste	11/2-2tsp
Turmeric powder	1/2tsp
Asafoetida	a pinch
Mustard seeds	1tsp
Urad dhal	1tsp
Cumin seeds	1/2tsp
Curry leaves	1sprig
Coriander leaves(chopped)	to garnish
Oil	2tbs
Salt	to taste

To Roast and Grind

Ingredient	Quantity
Red chilly	5-6nos.
Coriander seeds	1tbs
Channa dhal	2tsp
Black pepper	6nos.
Cumin seeds	1/2tsp
Coconut(grated)	2tbs

Method

                   Pressure cook the toor dhal with turmeric powder and asafoetida ,keep aside.Chop the onion,tomato and veggies and dry roast the ingredients which is given in"to roast and grind" and grind it to a coarse powder.

Heat oil in a pan or pot,saute the onion ,tomatoes and drumsticks add in the cooked and mashed toor dhal to it and let it boil till the drumstick gets cooked.Now add the tamarind paste and cook it for one boil.

Finally add in the ground masala and boil it for 5 minutes.Crackle the mustard seed,urad dhal,cumin seeds and curry leaves in a pan and add it to the sambhar.Turn off the stove and garnish it with coriander leaves.

Sambhar is ready to have it with piping hot rice.

• Other veggies such as Capsicum,brinjal,white pumkin can be used.
• Tastes even better with shallots are used.
• While dry roasting the ingredients,coconut need to be added in the end.
• Frozen drumsticks needs to be cooked with a pinch of salt separately.

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Pepper Chicken Fry

This is a spicy dry chicken preparation with the flavor of pepper,which goes very well with rasam and curd rice.Most of our Sunday's lunch would be either chicken or mutton.On one such day, I made this chicken and it was a big hit in my family.Since then I started making this one regularly in my kitchen and it is easier to make with less ingredients.

Ingredients

Ingredient	Quantity
Chicken(with bone)	1lb
Onion	1no.(medium size)
Tomato	1no.(medium size)
Ginger&garlic paste	2tsp
Chilly powder	1tsp
Coriander powder	11/2tsp
Garam masala powder	1/2tsp
Turmeric powder	1/2tsp
Black pepper	11/2tsp
Fennel seeds(sombhu)	1/2tsp
Curry leaves	1sprig
Coriander leaves(chopped)	to garnish
Oil	2tbs
Salt	to taste

Method

                 Marinate the chicken with 1 tsp of Ginger&garlic paste,chilly powder,coriander powder,turmeric powder and salt for atleast 30 minutes.Keep oil in the pan,season it with sombhu and saute the chopped onion,curry leaves.Then add in the remaining ginger&garlic paste and tomato,cook it for a while.

Add the marinated chicken,saute it till the color changes and add 1/2 cup of water,keep it covered in a medium flame till it gets cooked completely.

Crush the black pepper in a mortar to a coarse powder and add it to the cooked chicken,mix it till all the chicken coated with the ground pepper.Turn off the stove and garnish it with coriander leaves.

Enjoy it with rasam rice or pulao.

• The pepper needs to be ground coarsely and after adding pepper no need to fry it for long time otherwise it may turn bitter.
• Bone less chicken can be used for this fry.

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