Pidiyum Kozhiyum, A traditional Kerala Christian food...

Ingredients :

For Pidi :

• Rice flour : 1 cup + 1 Tbsp
• Salt : as required
• Grated coconut : ¾ cup
• Crushed cumin seeds : ½ Tsp
• Crushed shallots : 5
• Curry leaves : few
• Water : 4 to 5 cups

Add salt, ¼ cup of grated coconut, crushed cumin seeds, crushed shallots and few curry leaves into the water and boil it. Then, pour the required amount of water into the rice flour and mix it well. Allow it to cool. Then, make it into a soft dough (same like kozhukatta or idiyappam dough). Add little coconut and required amount of salt at this point. Combine it well and make it into small balls. Keep it aside. 

Again, heat the rest of the water and when it starts boiling, add the above prepared rice balls, rest of the grated coconut, few curry leaves and salt  into it and cook well. Mix the 1 tbsp of rice flour with half cup of water. When the rice balls are fully cooked, pour the rice flour mix into it and make it thick. Remove it from fire. Serve it hot with yummy and spicy chicken curry.

View blog reactions

Kadachakka Mezhukkupuratty

Ingredients :

• Kadachakka (Bread fruit) : 1
• Crushed shallots : 10
• Crushed garlic : 10
• Crushed dry chilly : 6
• Turmeric powder : ¼ Tsp
• Curry leaves : few
• Mustard seeds : ¼ Tsp
• Oil : 1 Tbsp
• Salt : as rqd

Clean and cut the bread fruit into thin slices. Keep it aside. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add curry leaves, crushed garlic, shallots and required amount of salt. Saute it well. When it turns light brown, add the crushed dry chilly and turmeric powder into it. Combine all the ingredients well. Finally, add the sliced bread fruit. Sprinkle a little water over it. Cover and cook well.

View blog reactions

Pesaha Appam and Palu

This is a special traditional food made by Kerala Christians only on Maundy Thursday (pesaha vyazham). So, it is prepared with much reverence and care. The eldest member of the family prays, cuts the appam or the bread and distributes it to the rest of the family members.

Ingredients:
For Appam:
Rice flour 1 cup
Urud dal 2 Tbsp
Coconut 3/4 to 1 cup
Garlic pods 5 to 10
Cumin seeds 1/2 Tsp
Water 1 cup
Salt as required 

Soak urud dal for 20 mins. Pour boiling water and rqd amount of salt into the rice flour and mix well using a big spoon. Allow it to cool and keep it aside. First grind the dal, then grind the garlic pods, cumin and grated coconut (don't grind coconut into a paste). Add this grounded ingredients and cumin seeds into the rice flour mix and combine well using hand. Prepare the batter using little water (like idli batter). Pour it into a lightly greased pan (round pan) and put the cross made from palm leaf in the middle of the batter and steam it well using an idli steamer.

For Palu:
Thick coconut milk 1 cup
Semi thick coconut milk 2 cup
Melted jaggery 1 to 1 1/2 cup
Grounded cumin seeds 2 Tsp

Add the melted jaggery and grounded cumin into the semi thick coconut milk and mix well. Stir it continously till it starts to boil. Then pour the thick coconut milk and heat it in low flame for few mins. Do not boil the milk.

View blog reactions