NEYYAPPAM

A name derived from neyy, meaning ghee, and appam, meaning pancake — neyyappam has its origin in South India. It is a sweet dish originally meant as a teatime companion, but is also served as offering in Hindu temples in Kerala.

Ingredients

1 cup raw rice

1 cup grated jaggery

¼ cup grated coconut

2 bananas

¼ tsp cardamom powder

Pinch of baking soda

Ghee or oil for deep fry

Method

Rinse the rice and soak in water for 2 hours. After 2 hours, drain the water, grind the rice in a mixer. Until a fine paste is created. Do not add water while grinding. Now add coconut, banana, cardamom powder to the mixer. Grind it to a fine paste. Finally add jaggery, mix well. Let the batter rest for 1 hour. Heat oil or ghee in a pan. Pour the batter into the hot oil and fry the neyyappam on both sides until golden and crisp. Remove from pan. Allow it to cool. Neyyappam is ready to serve.

PALMAND COCONUT CAKE

Ingredients

1 cup rice flour

½ cup plain flour

1 cup ripe palm pulp

1½ cup sugar

1 cup scraped coconut

1 tsp baking powder

2 eggs

1 cup milk cream

1 cup palm oil

Pinch of salt

Method

Fry the rice powder slightly, as you do before cooking semolina. Keep aside to cool. Beat the egg thoroughly and mix all the ingredients except rice powder and flour, mix well. Now add rice powder and plain flour slowly and mix. Make a thick and smooth batter. Grease a mould of about 8-inch diameter with ghee. Pour the batter into a mould. Place the mould in the preheated oven. Set the temperature to 180 degrees Celsius and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick, when inserted, comes out clean. Once done, take it out from oven and let it cool. Cut into slices and enjoy.

ROASTEDCOCONUTLADDU

Ingredients

2 cup scraped fresh coconut

1 cup dry roasted flattened rice powder

2 cup jaggery

1 tsp ghee

Condensed

2 tbsp chopped nuts

Method

Heat ghee in a non-stick pan. Add scraped coconut and fry for 5 minutes on law flame. Add jaggery, cook for 10 minutes. When the water dries, add ½ cup flattened rice powder and condensed milk to it. Mix well and cook until it turns sticky and you can make laddu from the mixture. Now add mixed nuts and turn off the heat. Mix continuously for 2-3 minutes. Transfer the prepared mixture in a bowl and set aside to cool. Divide the prepared mixture into equal portions, shape them into laddus. Coat the laddus in the remaining rice powder. Store or serve.

MALAILADDU

Ingredients

500g cottage cheese

½ cup condensed milk

½ cup mawa

2 tbsp sugar, if needed

Few drops kewra essence

½ tsp cardamom powder

Method

Knead cottage cheese by hand till smooth and creamy. In a pan, mix mashed cheese and condensed milk. Cook on a slow flame, stirring constantly. Cook till the mixture thickens and stops sticking to the sides of the pan. Add mawa and cardamom powder, mix well. Pour this malai on a plate and allow it to cool. Make laddu of the malai and serve.

JAGGERYKALAKAND

The recipe is simple enough, but does take time. It is popular in India and is made by reducing milk and sugar.

Ingredients

2L full fat milk

Pinch of alum (phitkari)

4 tbsp jaggery

Pistachio, chopped for garnish

Method

Boil milk in a deep, thick-bottomed pan, on medium heat, till it thickens lightly. Add alum, stir continuously and cook till the milk becomes grainy and most of the moisture evaporate. Add jaggery, mix well, and cook for 5-10 minutes or till the mixture thickens again. Grease an aluminium tray with ghee. Pour the milk mixture in to the tray and level the surface. Sprinkle pistachios and keep the tray in the refrigerator until set. When completely set, cut into pieces. Arrange them on a serving platter and serve.

KHEERSHA PULI

Ingredients

1 cup rice flour

1 cup jaggery

1½ cup water

1 cup kheersha

1/8 tsp salt

Oil for deep fry

Method

Boil water and add jaggery and salt to it. Add rice flour to boiling water and keep stirring with wooden spoon to form a firm but soft and not sticky dough. Adjust accordingly. Kneed well for about 3-4 minutes. Take a portion of the dough and roll it out as thick tortilla. Cut out circles with a cookie cutter. Place a small amount of kheersha on each circle. Repeat the process with the remaining dough. Brush the edges with water and seal tightly to form a semi-circle. Heat oil in a pan. Fry the kheersha puli in medium heat until the dough is cooked through and golden. Serve warm or at room temperature

KOPRA PAK

This is a Gujarati coconut barfi. The sweetmeat is now commonly served in Hindu festivals.

Ingredients

3 cups freshly grated coconut

1 tbsp ghee

3 cups full fat milk

¼ cup mawa

1½ cup sugar

6-7 tsp cardamom seeds

For the garnish —

1 tbsp blanched and finely chopped pistachios

Method

Heat ghee in a deep non-stick pan, add cardamom seeds and sauté on a medium flame for few seconds. Add coconut and sauté on medium flame for 7-8 minutes. Add the milk and sugar, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 40-45 minutes, while stirring occasionally and scraping the sides of the pan. Add mawa and mix properly. Transfer the mixture into a greased tray and spread it evenly using a flat ladle. Garnish with pistachios, press it lightly and keep aside to cool completely for 1 hour. Cut the kopra pak into pieces and serve, or store in an air tight container.

GUJIYA

Made from suji (semolina) and maida (all-purpose flour), gujiya is a sweet, deep-fried dumpling popular in Hindu festivals.

Ingredients

For the dough—

2 cups refined flour

¼ cup clarified butter

Pinch of salt

Water to mix

For the filling—

1 cup mawa

1 cup sugar

½ tsp cardamom powder

2 tbsp almonds, finely chopped

Oil or ghee for deep frying

For the syrup —

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

Method

Pour ¼ cup ghee into the flour and knead into a stiff dough with water. Leave to rest for at least half an hour. Now sauté the mawa over medium heat till it looks slightly fried. Add sugar and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes. Add cardamom powder and almonds. Mix well and remove from heat. Allow the filling to cool. Shape the filling into ovals about 21 cm length and 1 cm thickness.

Make balls of the dough and roll out into small round roti. Take a round roti, wet the edges with water and place a piece of filling over one half. Fold the other half over and press the edges together to seal, make a design by pinching and twisting all along the sealed edges. Make all the gujiya in this way. Heat ghee or oil in a pan and fry the gujiya till golden brown on all sides.

Make sugar syrup by cooking water and sugar together, to one thread consistency.  Dip the gujiya into the sugar syrup. Lift and let dry on a plate. Serve or store in air tight container.

PERA SONDESH

Ingredients

2 cups of milk powder

½ cup milk

½ cup sugar

2 tbsp ghee

¼ tsp cardamom powder

Pistachios for garnish

Method

Heat milk in a pan. Add sugar and mix until dissolved. Stir in milk powder. Mix and mash on low flame. Add ghee and cardamom powder. Turn off the heat and mix well until smooth and soft. Let it cool. Create round balls with the mix, press down in the centre with your thumb, and place a pistachio in the centre before serving. Enjoy.

Photo: Sazzad Ibne Sayed

Food: Selina Parvin

Styling: RBR