KINNATHAPPAM- A TRADITIONAL KERALA SWEET SNACK

Kinnathappam is a traditional Kerala ‘palaharam’ .Kinnam refers to a shallow copper or steel vessel in malayalam.Kinnathappam can be called as a steam cooked rice cake . Kinnathappam are of two types, one made with jaggery and the other with sugar. Here I have made sugar kinnathappm.Dont be confused with Kinnathappam and vattayappam.Unlike kinnathappm the latter is prepared with fermented rice batter. This is a delicious sweet snack  with smooth and soft texture.

Recipe by Lakshmi Nair

 Ingredients

1.      Raw rice( pachari)-1 cup

2.      Sugar-1cup

3.      Egg-1no

4.      Thick coconut milk-1cup

5.      Thin milk-2 ½ cup

6.      Cardamom powder-1/2tsp

7.      Jeera (cumin seeds)-1/4tsp

8.      Little oil or ghee for greasing the plate

Method of preparation

1.      Soak rice for 3 or 4 hours. Grind this into smooth paste by adding required amount of thin coconut milk. When the rice is fully grinded, add egg, sugar and cardamom. Grind again till sugar dissolves completely.

2.      Add remaining thin coconut milk and thick coconut milk. Mix well .Sieve this mixture through a fine cloth .This sieved batter will look like frothy milk.(see the pics below)

3.      Grease a shallow steel plate. Pour this batter. Fill only ¾ th of the plate. Steam cook this for 45 minutes .When it is half done, open the steamer ,sprinkle few jeera seeds over the top. Keep the lid on and cook again till it is done. Even after the mentioned time, the appam may look like uncooked and sticky on touch. But it will solidify upon cooling. So try not to cut while it is hot.

 Once it has cooled, cut into desired shapes and serve.

Notes: Kinnathappam is a thin cake .So always use a shallow vessel, preferably a steel thali plate. The batter should not be thick. With the above quantity two Kinnathappams can be made.

Sieved batter

 

SPECIAL CHENA MEZHUKKUPURATTI (ELEPHANT YAM STIR FRY)

Ingredients

1.      Chena (elephant yam)-2cups,peeled off and cut into small cubes

2.      Onion-1no,thinly sliced

3.      Chilly powder-1/2tsp

4.      Coriander powder-1 ½ tsp

5.      Garam masala- 1/2tsp

6.      Pepper powder-3/4 tsp

7.      Soya sauce-1tsp

8.      Salt

9.      Oil-3tbsp

10.  Mustard seeds-less than 1/4tsp

11.  Curry leaves- a few

12.  Water-just enough to cover the vegetable.

Method of preparation

1.      Combine cubed chena,onion,salt  and water. Cook until yam turns soft. Do not overcook it. Drain the excess water after cooking.

2.      Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds. Add curry leaves. Now reduce the flame. Add all powders except pepper powder. Stir for a minute. Add the cooked yam. Mix well. Now add the soya sauce. Give a nice stir. Keep in medium flame until it is well roasted .Stir in between. Lastly add pepper powder.

Serve hot with steamed rice…

Notes : While cleaning and cutting the yam, try to wear gloves or  oil your hands since it causes itching.

CHEMMEEN THEEYAL (PRAWNS IN TANGY ROASTED COCONUT GRAVY)

Ingredients

1.      Prawns-  1 ½  cup, shelled and deveined

2.      Ginger-1tsp,chopped

3.      Curry leaves-1sprig

4.      Kudam puli(cocum)-2 or 3 nos

5.      Green chilly-2nos,cut length wise

6.      Grated coconut-1 cup

7.      Turmeric powder-1/4tsp

8.      Coriander powder-3 1/2 tbsp

9.      Chilly powder-1tbsp

10.  Perumjeerakom(saunf)-3/4tsp

11.  Salt

12.  Water-1 1/2cup

13.  Coconut oil-1tbsp

14.  Mustard seeds-less than 1/4tsp

15.  Curry leaves- a few

16.  Pearl onion- 2nos,cut into thin round slices

Method of preparation

1.      Wash kudampuli 3 times and soak in ¼ cup of water and some salt.

2.      Heat a pan without adding any oil-roast the grated coconut by continuous stirring. When it turns brown reduce the flame, add in all powders and perumjeerakom.Stir again for 2 minutes. Switch off the flame. Once it has cooled completely, grind this into smooth paste by adding little water.

3.      Transfer kudampuli along with the water, roasted coconut paste, chopped ginger, prawns, curry leaves, green chilly ,salt and water into a meen chatty or in a deep bottomed pan . Cook until prawns are well cooked.

4.      For seasoning-heat coconut oil in pan. Splutter mustard seeds; add curry leaves and pearl onions. Fry till onions turn lightly brown. Pour this over the prepared curry.

Chemmeen theeyal is a very delicious curry and it goes well with rice…

PARIPPU PAYASAM

Ingredients

1.      Cherupayar parippu( moong dal)-200gm

2.      Jaggery-400gm

3.      Thick coconut milk-1 cup

4.      Thin coconut milk-4 cups

5.      Ghee-4tbsp

6.      Cardamom -4nos

7.      Chukku podi (dry ginger powder)-1/4tsp(optional)

8.      Sugar-1tbsp

9.      Cashew nuts and raisins-a few

10.  Thenga kothu(coconut pieces)-1tbsp

Method of preparation

1.      Fry dal till light brown without adding any oil. Once it has cooled ,wash it and cook in a pressure cooker by adding 1 cup of water till it becomes soft

2.      Mean while, remove the skin of cardamom ,take out the seeds and powder it in a mixie by adding sugar.(addition of sugar helps in  getting fine powder)

3.      Grate jaggery. Melt this in a Uruli or thick bottomed vessel. Add little water while it is melting. Add cooked dal .Mix well. Add 2tbsp of ghee into this. Stir well. When the dal and jaggery combined well, add thin coconut milk. Bring it to boil.  Stir in between. Once the payasam thickens, add thick coconut milk, powdered cardamom and chukku.Heat for a while. Do not let it boil.

4.      Heat remaining ghee in another pan. Add the coconut pieces and cashew .Once it slightly browned add the raisins. Fry till the raisins puffed up, and the cashew –coconut pieces turned brown. Pour this over the prepared payasam…

 Enjoy the delicious parippu payasam…

Notes: If the payasam is too thin, add a tbsp of corn flour or rice flour dissolved in little water .Then boil the payasam for sometime.

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