PAAL KOZHUKATTAI / KOLLUKATTAI (MODAKS IN CREAMY COCONUT SAUCE) - SNC CHALLENGE

South vs North Challenge is a brain-child of Divya Pramil of You too can cook Indian Food. This event started and organised by our lovely friend Divya Pramil. A great going event where recipe exchanges and two teams challenge each other with their authentic regional recipes. Each team gets the time of full month to prepare the recipe and publish on their spaces. Hats off to Divya for this great idea! Wish to join in SNC, no further delay, just mail to divya.pramil@gmail.com

 

This month Tamilarasi Sasikumar challenged Northern Team a yummy traditional dessert of Tamil Nadu, Paal Kozhukattai / Kollukattai and I have challenged Southern Team with a great Bengali delicacy, Green Peas Kachori with Spicy Dum Aloo.
For celebrating Valentine's Day, Pari of Foodelicious and CupoNation have organised a wonderful event as well as giveaway. Friends do participate by clicking Foodelicious's link above.

Paal kozhukattai is a traditional dish of Tamil Nadu. This is one of authentic chettinad recipes belonging to Karaikudi, which is a big hit in our family. Usually or traditionally thengai paal kozhukattai and sundal are made on Ganesha Chaturthi, offered to Lord Ganesha on that auspicious day. Actually, this is a festive food, which can be offered as neivedhyam to God. It is prepared in many ways, some use jaggery as a sweetner and some use sugar. Some use normal milk and some use coconut milk. The richness in the coconut milk with sugar, making the sauce so delicious, when small balls soaked in this sauce, truelly a delightful combination. I am very happy with this yummilicious dessert that I made, and everyone of my family liked as well as relished it too much. So, guess that's a bit of success for me.

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 Cup Raw Rice Flour
2/3 Cup Sugar
Coconut half Portion (grated)
3 Cardamoms
Salt to taste (I used 1/3 tsp)
Warm Water as required
Few Strands of Saffron (for garnishing & flavor)

METHOD:
Dry roast cardamoms.

Pound cardamoms coarsely in pestle and mortar. Set aside.

In a wide bowl, take raw rice flour, salt and use enough warm water to knead a smooth dough (like chapathi dough).

Keep covered with a wet cloth, until use to prevent it from drying. (Don't make rice flour dough hard, else it will hard to roll kozhukattai. If you made it sticky, can cover it with a cotton cloth to absorb the excess water from it)

Spread a cotton towel or a dhoti, grease hands with little ghee or oil, form small tiny balls or cylindrical shape (it is the traditional shape) from the smooth dough. Repeat the process to form all the balls and set aside on the cotton towel or dhoti. Allow the rice balls to dry in the room temperature and it will take 2 hours.

Now grind grated coconut with warm water.

Extract 1 cup thick coconut milk from it.

Grind again by adding more warm water to the coconut and extract 2 cups of diluted coconut milk from it. (You can use packed, dilute it for first process)

Now heat 2 cups of diluted or thin coconut milk in a heavy bottomed vessel and bring it to a boil. (Keep stirring, it may overflow now)

Add half of the rolled tiny rice balls and wait for 2 minutes until the milk boils again. Add the remaining balls now. Boil for 3-4 minutes on medium flame or until the balls float on the top. (It denotes they are cooked now)

Stir with a ladle occassionally, not frequently to avoid sticking.

Add sugar and mix nicely, until sugar gets dissolved. Allow it to boil for another 8-10 minutes to get a thick consistency, add cardamom powder now. Stir in between to avoid burning.

Now add the thick coconut milk in it and give a nice stir.

Immediately switch off the heat. Mix nicely. (Paal kozhukattai gets thickened after cooling)

Spinkle strands of saffron on the top to enhance the aroma and flavor of it. Serve hot or chilled as you wish. Enjoy this yummy delightful sweet.

TIPS: Some like to add jaggery in the place of sugar. Don't add jaggery directly to the milk when it is over the flame, it may curdle the milk. Strain jaggery syrup to remove impurities and then add to the coconut milk. 

Kozhukattais will not get fully cooked in coconut milk, so add atleast half coconut milk and half water atleast to make a diluted coconut milk first. Some even cooked kozhukattai in water, then add it to milky sauce to cook in better way. But I prefer to cook it in diluted coconut milk, as it is well blended with the sauce.

The kozhukattais or balls do taste little bland, but if you reduce the size and make tiny balls, it will help the balls to absorb more sugar inside and also will get cooked faster.

 

Instead of making balls, may add the dough in murukku press and press it to get nice small cylindrical shaped, but I prefer tiny balls, would look so cute for the pics... :)

I am very happy with this yummilicious dessert that I made, and everyone of my family liked as well as relished it too much. Thank you so much Tamilarasi Sasikumar to teach me this traditional and very delightful dessert recipe.

 

Thank you so much Divya Pramil to give me this great opportunity on SNC.

Linking to: Tamil's & Divya's space

Linking to: Cook Like a Celebrity Chef event by Food Corner

Linking to: Cooking For My Valentine @ Foodelicious

NARKEL POSTO BORA (COCO POPPY FRITTERS)

Posto bora is a rare delicacy cooked in the every Bengali household, made up with poppy seeds (posto), which is an integral and popular flavorful ingredient in any Bengali kitchen. Apart from its flavor, poppy seeds are a great source of fatty acids, calcium and carbohydrates. It enhances the enzymes too. Poppy seeds are really expensive, but these boras (small fritters) are trully yummilicious and mouthwateringly tasty. This time I added grated coconut in it, tastes really amazing! Can be eaten with steamed rice and plain dal.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Cup Poppy Seeds (khus khus / posto)
2 tbsps Grated Coconut
2 tbsps Rice Flour
2 tbsps finely Chopped Coriander Leaves
2-3 Green Chillies (as per taste)
4 tbsps Oil
Salt to taste

METHOD:
Grind poppy seeds and green chillies together by adding a little water to make a coarse paste. (this raw paste known as 'Kancha Posto') Transfer the paste to a bowl now.

Combine grated coconut, rice flour and salt with the poppy seeds paste now.

Add finelly chopped coriander leaves in it. Mix nicely and set aside.

Heat oil in a pan or wok. Take a small portion from the mixture, give a shape of flatten ball and put it on the hot oil. Add 3-4 fritters at a time.

Shallow fry till golden brown. Drain oil and remove those fritters on a papper towel to absorb the excess oil. Follow the same process for rest of the fritters.

Serve hot with steamed rice & biuli (urad) dal, or may serve as a tea time snack or appetizer.

ENCHORER DALNA (CURRIED GREEN JACKFRUIT)

 

Enchorer Dalna is a very popular dish of Bengal (Eastern India). Jackfruit or Kathal is called Enchor in Bengali, it is yummy and delicious after cooking. Bengalis are mostly non-vegetarians. Locally we called enchor as 'gaach pantha' that means vegetarian goat meat, so luscious it is.

INGREDIENTS:
800 gm Raw Jackfruit
3 Medium Sized Potatoes (peeled and parboiled)
2 Green Chillies, cut in slits
1 Large Tomato (chopped)
1 Medium Onion (finely chopped)
4 Pods of Garlic (minced)
1&1/2 tsps Ginger paste
1 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp Cumin powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli powder
1/2 tsp Dry Mango powder
1 tsp Garam masala powdered (1" cinnemon, 2 cloves and 2 green cardamoms)
1/2 tsp Sugar (for flavour)
1 Bay leaf
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
4 tbsps Oil
1 tsp Clarified Butter (ghee)
2 tbsps finely chopped Coriander Leaves/Cilantro
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Wash and peel the jackfruit. Chop it into 1" cubes. Cook jackfruit cubes in the pressure cooker till 2 whistles. Let it cool down naturally. Drain water completely. Keep it aside.

Cut each potato in 4 cubes. Set it aside.

Heat oil in a wok. Add cumin seeds and bay leaf in it. Saute for 40 seconds followed by adding chopped onion and minced garlic in it. Fry for 3-4 minutes on medium heat now add ginger paste in it, mix well.

Add chopped tomato, green chillies and salt in it. Fry for another 4 minutes till tomato gets mushy.

Now add potatoes, jackfruit pieces and all dry spices in it. Mix nicely, add sugar in it. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes, till spices are well cooked.

Pour 1/2 Cup of water in it. When it starts to boil, lower the heat now. For the right flavor, add chopped coriander leaves and clarified butter before turning off the heat. Stir nicely. 

Keep it covered till you serve it. Enchorer Dalna is ready to savor. Serve hot with plain rice and rotis.

TIPS: Before cutting the jackfruit, apply mustard oil on your hands to avoid black
          colour.

METHI PARATHA

Fenugreek or methi leaves are easilly found in India, so oftenly I end up making lots of dishes from it. Fenugreek leaves are rich in vitamins, iron, potassium, a good source of diatery fiber, antioxidant and very beneficial to diabetic patients also. Methi paratha is a very healthy and flavorful substitute of plain paratha and simply melts in your mouth. Try this easy Indian flat bread, it is truely delightful.

INGREDIENTS:
4 Cups Fenugreen Leaves (methi saag)
2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour (atta)
3 tbsps Oil
1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Roasted Cumin seeds (powdered)
Salt to taste
4 tbsps Oil for frying.

METHOD:
Wash fenugreek leaves. Drain all water from it.

In a large bowl, combine whole wheat flour, fenugreek leaves, red chilli powder, roasted cumin powder, 3 tbsps oil and salt in it.

Knead it nicely (without any water) to make a smooth dough. Cover it with wet cloth and set aside for 30 minutes.

 

Now make 10 equal balls from the dough. Place a ball on the rolling board. With a rolling pin, flatten the ball and give a shape of circle like chapathi. (if you face any difficulty, use  little whole wheat flour at the time of rolling)

Heat non-stick tawa/griddle. Place a paratha in it.

Flip when one side is done.

After 2 minutes, add 1/2 tbsp oil and spread it on the both sides of paratha.

Continue the same process for the remaining parathas.

Serve hot methi parathas with chilled yogurt or butter or pickle or any spicy curry.....choice is yours.

SORU CHAKULI - AN EASTERN INDIAN DOSA

Valentine's Day is approaching, Pari of Foodelicious and CupoNation have organised a wonderful event as well as a giveway. Friends do participate by clicking Foodelicious's link above.

Food Loving Bengalis prepare fingerlicking delicacies throughout the Winter, that is called Pithe-Puli. From Makar Sankranti onwards every household prepares different kind of sweet or savory delicacies. One of the yummy delicacies is SORU CHAKULI. It is not only famous in Bengal, but same popular in Orissa and Assam.

 

This is very similar with South Indian Dosa. My hubby's favourite, but this time I made it specially for my Mum and MIL. Because mostly they like traditional food. We enjoyed it too much. Can't resist myself to wait for another Winter. Hope you enjoyed this traditional pithe, serve hot with nolen gurer rass (date palm jaggery syrup) or spicy dum aloo. Now back to the recipe here:

INGREDIENTS:
1&1/2 Cups Rice
1 tsp minced Ginger
1 Cup Skinless Black Gram Lentil (urad dal)
A pinch of Salt
1/2 tsp Freshly grounded Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Roasted and crushed Fennel seeds
50 ml Oil
Water as required

METHOD:
Soak skinless black gram lentil and rice seperately for 2 hours.

Grind black gram lentil and rice by adding water little by little to make a smooth paste. Add little more water to prepare a thin batter (dosa batter consistency).

Add minced ginger, roasted fennel powder, black pepper power and salt in it. Mix nicely.

Keep it covered for 1-2 hours. Heat few drops of oil in a non-stick tawa or griddle. Spread it well and wipe it off with a wet cloth. Pour a ladleful of batter on the tawa and spread it to make a thin round.

Turn the pitha upside down after 2 minutes. Let it cook for another 2 minutes. It should leave the bottom of the tawa easilly when done.

Remove it from tawa.

Serve hot with date palm jaggery syrup (nolen gurer rass) if you like sweets or may serve with spicy dum aloo as a delicious snack.

Sending to: Jagruti's Pancake Day celebration.

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