For the Appam:

To make 10 to 15 appams, you would need:
2 teacups raw rice
1 coconut
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teacup cooked rice
1/2 teaspoon dry yeast
Ghee or oil for frying
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash the raw rice 3-4 times and soak it in 1lt. water for at least 5 hours.
Now, grate the coconut with about ½ lt. water and strain to extract the coconut milk.
Drain the soaked raw rice, add to it the cooked rice and grind both with a little coconut milk. Now, add the sugar, salt and the rest of the coconut milk.

Dissolve the yeast in a little warm water and add to the rice-coconut milk paste.
Mix thoroughly, cover and let ferment for about 3 hours.
Now coat a deep frying pan with 1 tsp oil. Pour a big spoon of the batter in the middle and rotate the frying pan so that the batter spreads to the side and forms a thin layer. Cook covered for about a minute.

FOR THE COCONUT STEW

To make 3 cups you would need:
2 cups mixed boiled vegetables (carrots, potatoes, french beans, cauliflower)
1 onion, chopped
2 cardamoms
2 cloves
2 small sticks cinnamon
2 slit green chillies
1 coconut
1 teaspoon cornflour
1 tablespoon oil
Salt to taste

Method:

Grate the coconut with about ½ lt. water and strain to extract the coconut milk. Add the cornflour.
Fry the onions, spices, chillies and salt.
Add the rest of the ingredients, cook for about a minute and remove from the flame.

Note: In an appam the sides are thin and crisp and the center a bit soft and fluffy. It is served hot with coconut stew and coconut chutney.

AVIAL

You will need:
½ cup drumsticks, cut into 1" pieces
1 cup French beans and Brinjal, diced
½ cup cauliflower florets
½ cup potatoes, cubed
½ cup green peas
2 tablespoons oil
Salt to taste
½ cup fresh coconut, grated
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
5 cloves garlic, crushed
3 whole dry red chillies, broken
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon tamarind pulp

Method:

Heat oil and add the coriander seeds, garlic and red chillies.
Add this to grated coconut, turmeric powder and tamarind and grind to a smooth paste. Use a little water if need be.
In a separate pan, heat some oil, add the drumsticks. Sauté and add some water. Cook covered till the drumsticks are nearly done.
Add the remaining vegetables, salt and cook covered till tender.
Add the prepared coconut paste and 1 cup of water. Simmer for 5 minutes and serve hot.

FISH THORAN

You will need:
Fish (small pieces) ½ kg
Fenugreek powder ½ tsp
Salt 2tsp
Kodampuli (garcinia) a small lump
Oil 2tbsp
Curry leaves
Onion 1 medium
Ginger ½” piece
Garlic 8
Green Chillies 4
Coconut 1 (grated)

Method:

Clean and cube the fish.
Soak the Kodampuli (ordinary tamarind will do just as well) and extract the pulp.
Grind the coconut, onion, ginger, garlic and green chillies coarsely.
Marinate the fish in this paste and the kodampuli pulp for about 30 min.
In a thick bottomed vessel stew the marinated fish in water.
Add curry leaves and fenugreek powder.
Add coconut oil and cook on low flame till the gravy dries.
Serve hot with rice.

CHICKEN BIRYANI

You will need:
Basmati Rice 2 cups
Chicken pieces ¾ kg
Milk ½ cups
Milk ½ cup
Yogurt (curd) 1cup
Thinly sliced onions 3
Ginger paste 1tsp
Garlic paste ½ tsp
Green Chilli paste 1tsp
Tomato puree ½ cup
Red chilli powder 2tsp
Turmeric Powder 1tsp
Roasted Cumin powder 1tsp
Garam Masala pow. 2tsp
Green Cardamom pow.1/2 tsp
Saffron a pinch
Coriander pow. 1tsp
Green coriander leaves 2tbsp (chopped)
Salt to taste
Ghee

Method:

Wash and soak rice for 30 min. Drain.
Soak the saffron in warm milk.
Mix the tomato puree, ginger-garlic-green chilli pastes, the powdered spices, salt and marinate the chicken pieces in this for about 4 hours.
Heat the ghee in a thick bottomed pan. Add the onions. Sauté till golden brown.
Add the chicken with marinade and cook till the oil separates.
In a pressure cooker add the rice, 4 cups water, milk-saffron, chicken and cardamom powder. Pressure cook for about 20 min.
Separate gently using fork and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

BANANA CHIPS

You will need:
Unripe Bananas 6
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder ¼ tsp
Oil for frying

Method: Slice bananas into thin wafers in salted ice water. Mix in the turmeric powder. After about 10 minutes, spread on a thin cloth to remove moisture. Heat oil and fry till crisp. Remove on tissue. Store in air-tight containers.

PARRIPU PRADHAMAN

For 6 cups you would need:
Green Gram 1 cup
Jaggery 1cup
Cardamom 5 (powdered)
Cashew 15
Raisins 15
Milk 1cup
Water 2cups
Ghee 2 tsp

Method:

Fry the cashew and raisins in ghee.
Cook the gram in water till soft.
Add the jaggery and stir well.
Add milk slowly while on a low flame and stir.
Remove from flame and garnish with cashew, raisins and cardamom powder

Last Updated on 27 May 2011

Kerala Food

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