Puddi Kollukate

Puddi Kollukate is more or less the same as steamed kollukate. The difference is the puddi kollukate is like mixing all the ingredients together and and pressing them with the fingers to form shape. It has the same ingredients except that black sugar (gula melaka is added into the mixture to give it a brownish color

Paal Appam

The Paal Appam an ethnic Kerala delicacy, enchants everyone with its rare taste. The Paal Appam is made from bater formed by grinding rice and coconut milk. The batter is cooked in a unique frying pan. The thick soft center of each paal appam thins out to form a crisp and thin outer border, making it tasty as well as unique. Paal Appam has a hint of sweetness in it and goes well with any vegetarian or non-vegetarian dish of your choice.

Normally people in Malaysia prefer to have the Paal Appam with sweetened coconut milk.

Sweet Kollukate

To make Kollukate - ingredients used are rice flour(well steamed to make a dough) Basically the filling is prepared using bengal gram, scraped coconut, sugar and cardamom. The dough will be made just like how we make the curry puff dough and the filling will be put in and then it is steamed. Normally this delicacies is prepared for all sorts of Indian festivals.

Shanthi has also came up with spicy kollukate using potatoes, and masala. When I took my first bite the filling just dripped inside my mouth.

Rava Putu

Rava Putu is a traditional Kerala and Tamilnadu traditional food. Rava Putu happens to be slightly sticky. Nevertheless it really taste good. It tastes good when you have it with Kadala Curry but I prefer to have it with salt fish bone curry. Here is a recipe for Semolina, Sooji and Rava Putu. It is best eaten with banana and sugar. The norm in every home.

Ingredients

2 cups Rava, Sooji and Semolina

Salt to taste

1 cup warm water

1 cup coconut scrapes

1 teaspoon Sugar

Preparation Method

Mix grated coconut and sugar and keep it aside. Dry roast the rava or Semolina or Sooji in medium low heat for 10 - 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat when its starts changing color lightly. Allow it to cool. Add salt to the roasted Rava or Semolina or Sooji. Sprinkle a little water and start mixing it using your hands. Keep on adding warm water little by little and mixing till the ingredients of your choice becomes wet fluffy and resembles bread crumbs. Use 1 cup of water to two cups of rava, semolina or sooji. Add 2 tablespoon of grated coconut and sugar into the bottom of the putu kutti (mould for putu) Add mixture half way inside the mould and seal with more coconuts shreds and sugar and then fill up the mould with more mixture and seal again with shredded coconut and sugar. After that steam the putu in the steamer for a delicious Rava, Semolina or Sooji Putu. Can be served with sugar and or curry.

Different Types of Putu

Shanthi makes various types of putu for you to savor. The following types are Rava Putu, Kevar Putu, Aata putu, Oats putu, Pandan putu, Sago putu, Rice flour putu, and nestum putu. I am personally hooked on Sago Putu. It is really tasty when you add in fresh grated coconut and sugar.

What is putu? Putu is a local traditional steamed cake of the South East Asia. Its soft and have a cottony texture. It is normally served hot in a banana leaf with grated coconut and sugar. Putu is famous over here in Malaysia. The ingredients are the same, the only difference is the mould. if you need to try the various types of Putu just add in the extra ingredients and you will have the putu of your choice.

More ways to enjoy your Idiyappam

Chicken Jeera Fry

Another recipe to enjoy your Idiyappam. This recipe goes really goes well with your favorite idiyappam.

Ingredients:-

450 grams chicken cut into small cubes

4 tabsp oil or wee bit more

1 tsp cumin seeds

ginger garlic paste as required

1 half cup onions chopped

3 dry chillies

Quarter teasp turmeric powder

2 tabsp chillie powder (adjust according to your taste)

Salt to taste

Method of Cooking:-

Clean chicken and keep it aside. Heat oil in a wok and add in the cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds splutter add in the chopped onions and red chillies to it. Wait till onions turn golden brown. Add the ginger garlic paste and sauté it for a minute. Add the turmeric powder and chicken into the wok and immediately add chilly powder and salt. Mix well and let the mixture cook till the water from the chicken evaporates and the chicken browns as shown in the picture. Try out this recipe and give me a feed back.

Different ways to have your Idiyappam

Normally Idiyappam is enjoyed with fresh scraped coconut and brown sugar but there are other ways to enjoy so says Shanthi . You can enjoy this delicacy with Sweet Banana Curry.

Ingredients for the Sweet Banana Curry:-

2 Bananas/ preferably Nenthrapazham

Enough Sugar

I cup thick coconut milk

2 Cardamom

2 shallots

2 teasp Ghee

Enough water to cook

salt

Preparation:-

Peel and chop bananas into small pieces. Cook it using enough salt and water. Mash it (not completely). Add sugar, crushed cardamoms and coconut milk for desired thickness. Heat ghee and fry chopped shallots and pour over the prepared curry. Enjoy it with noolappam

Method Of Preparation

Mix rice flour with hot water, ghee and salt. Kneed it into a smooth dough. Fill up in a idiyappam presser/sieve with the dough and press it onto banana leaves and steam or press it directly onto an idli steamer and steam for 5 - 10 minutes. Some people add a little grated coconut on top before steaming so as to give it a better taste. it also can be made using wheat flour and without added ghee as done in Sri Lanka

History about Idiyappom

Idiyappom or spring hoppers is a culinary specialties in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. it is also popular in certain areas in Sri Lanka. it is called Noolappam or noolputtu from the tamil word for string - nool. it is most commonly known as Idiyappom or String Hoppers. it is made out of rice flour or wheat flour, salt and water. It is generally served as the main course for breakfast or dinner with a curry (potato, egg, fish or meat curry) and coconut chutney. it is also served with sweetened coconut milk in Malabar region or with sugar and coconut flakes in the south region. Usually it is not served for lunch. Using wheat flour in preparation gives it a brownish hue