Kyane Halvo (Banana Halwa)

Kyane Halvo is a very popular sweet in Kerala and Coastal Karnataka. It is generally made using a special variety of banana- 'Nendrabale'. This is abundantly grown in Kerala. This is our favorite halwa. My mother never made this at home as this is time consuming. So even I never thought of giving it a try.

Last year I bumped into this recipe by Red Chillies and was impressed. I tried it once when I had lot of over ripe bananas and they turned out very good. I reduced the sugar amount and added cashew for some texture. The halwa vanished within an hour. So now you know how it tasted. Trust me the effort is all worth at the end :-)

Ingredients:

• Bananas, big sized (over ripe)- 4
• Sugar- 1/3 cup (increase accordingly)
• Ghee (clarified butter)- 3-4 tsp
• Cardamom pods- 3
• Cashew nut- As desired (optional)

Procedure:

Take bananas that are really ripe. 

Now peel the bananas and put them in a pan (nonstick pan is better).

Then mash them using your hands or a fork. Add 1 tsp of ghee and start heating the mashed bananas on a medium heat (Initially there is no need to stir continuously).

After 15-20 minutes of cooking the mashed bananas slowly starts changing color. At this point add sugar and another tea spoon of ghee. Mix well and continue heating.

After 35 minutes of cooking, the mixture looks like this (light brown in color). Here onwards, the mixture needs continuous stirring. Add one (or two) more tea spoon of ghee, cashew pieces and cardamom powder. Mix well and continue heating.

When the mixture turns dark brown, everything comes together and forms a single mass (for me it took a total of 45 minutes. If you want firm, chewy halwa then fry it for little extra time. I made soft halwa).

Now transfer this mixture to a greased plate (I used loaf pan) and spread it evenly with a greased spoon.

Allow this to cool for some time and then cut it into desired shape.

Serve it at room temperature or store in an air-tight container. Above measurement makes six good sized pieces.

Note: The halwa I made was soft and not very sweet. You can add upto 2/3 cup sugar and also increase the ghee to match with the store bought ones. 

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Benda Bajo (Okra/ Lady's Finger Fritters)

Benda Bajo is a simple deep fried treat. In Konkani, benda bajo means okra fritters. I got this recipe from a cook book written by Jaya V Shenoy. This recipe is slightly different from the fritters we normally do using cauliflower, capsicum etc. I liked the idea of adding cilantro and cashew nuts. Hence gave it a try and they turned out very good. 

My mother used to make these fritters with slight variations. Sometimes the okras bought from the market would be little tough and chewy. Such okras cannot be used to make stir fries or gravies. But the fritters turn out very good. 

Ingredients:

• Okra/ Lady's Finger- 15
• Chickpea Flour (Besan)- 1/2 cup
• Cashewnut (or peanut)- 1/4 cup
• Cilantro (coriander leaves)- 7-8 sprigs
• Red Chilli powder*- To taste
• Salt- To taste
• Oil- For deep frying

*Original recipe called for green chillies.

Procedure:

Wash the okras and pat them dry. Then chop off  both the ends of each okra and cut them into thin discs. Chop the cilantro finely.

Now in a bowl, add chickpea flour, roughly chopped cashews, red chilli powder and salt.

Add water in small amounts and mix vigorously so as to get a thick lump free paste.

Then add the chopped cilantro and thin discs of okra.

Mix it gently such that every disc gets an even coating of the prepared paste. Meanwhile keep the oil for heating.

Once the oil is hot, drop the okra in small clusters (don't over crowd the oil). Fry it until it turns golden- brown and crispy on both sides.

Once done, transfer it on a paper towel to drain excess oil. Continue frying the rest of the batches. Benda Bajo is ready!!

Serve it hot as a side dish to rice. Above measurement serves 2-3 people.

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Karibevu Chitranna (Curry Leaves Rice)

Karibevu Chitranna is a flavorful rice dish. In Kannada, karibevu means curry leaves and chitranna means seasoned rice. I got inspired from Vah Chef to make this recipe. I made few additions to his recipe and it turned out very tasty. I am always thankful to him as he always inspires me to try new recipes.

Curry leaves are very flavorful and commonly used in seasoning South Indian dishes. It is very rich in Iron and hence this rice is very healthy. This recipe is simple and rich in flavors. Do try it and enjoy!!

Ingredients:

• Raw Rice- 3/4 cup
• Curry Leaves- 1/4 cup (packed)
• Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
• Grated Coconut, fresh/frozen- 3 Tbsp
• Green Chilli- 2-3
• Tamarind paste- 1/4 tsp
• Oil- 3 tsp
• Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida (hing)- A pinch
• Peanuts (groundnuts)- 2 Tbsp
• Chanadal (split chickpeas)- 1 tsp
• Salt- To taste

Procedure:

Wash and cook the rice (I cooked in a microwave oven). Let it cool for some time. The rice grains should be well separated, once cooked (I added few drops of oil in the rice- water mixture before cooking).

Wash the curry leaves and pat it dry with a paper towel or cloth. Then heat a pan and add few drops of oil. Once hot add cumin seeds. Once it starts to sizzle, add the curry leaves and mix well. Fry for a half a minute and turn off the heat. Allow it to cool.

Once it comes to room temperature, grind it along with grated coconut, green chillis and tamarind paste.

Add little water while grinding, to get a paste.

Now prepare the seasoning. First heat oil in a kadai. Then add mustard seeds. Once it starts popping, add asafoetida, peanuts and chana dal. 

Once it starts to turn slight brown, add the ground paste and salt. Fry for a minute.

Finally add the cooked rice and mix gently. 

Once everything comes together, turn off the heat. 

Karibevu Chitranna is ready!!

Serve it hot. Above measurement serves 1-2 people.

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Lemonade Using Coconut Water

Lemonade Using Coconut Water is a simple summer drink. I got this recipe from a food group (posted by Nandini). This is a totally new recipe to me but my husband told that he had tasted it couple of times. Hence got a Thai coconut to try this recipe. The coconut water was good but not as tasty as the one we get in India. We had a hard time opening it too:-) At the end it was a good cool drink for us, on a hot summer day. Do try this variation and it tastes so much different from the usual lemonade.

Ingredients:

• Tender Coconut, big sized- 1
• Lemon- 1/2 (or as desired)
• Sugar- To taste
• Ice cubes- As required

Procedure:

Cut open the tender coconut (I used Thai coconut) and collect the water in a bowl.

Now squeeze in the lemon juice and sugar. Mix well. Add ice cubes and garnish with coconut meat. Lemonade is ready!!

Serve it immediately. Above measurement serves two people.

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Bhindi- Pepper Fry ( Okra- Peppercorn Fry)

Bhindi- Pepper Fry is a simple side dish. I got this recipe from Sanjeev Kapoor's website. Sanjeev Kapoor needs no introduction. He is one of my favorite chef. The first time I made it, we were just amazed. Just felt that with just few ingredients, less time, one can surely turn it into a beautiful side dish!! This has become one of our favorites now :-)

I Just loved the combination of okra and pearl onions. The coconut oil and peppercorns just takes this dish to a different level. Trust me when eating this you will really think that the effort put in peeling the onions was worth :-)

Ingredients:

• Okra (Ladies Finger)- 30-35
• Pearl Onions (small onions)- 250g
• Peppercorn, freshly ground- To taste
• Green chilli, chopped- 1-2 (I skipped)
• Coconut Oil- 1-2 Tbsp
• Tamarind paste- 1/2 tsp
• Salt- To taste

Procedure:

Peel the pearl onions and cut them into half (soak it in water for an hour for easy peeling).

Wash the okras and pat them dry. Then chop off  both the ends of each okra and cut them into strips.

Now heat coconut oil in a pan and then add cut onions and fry it for a minute. 

Then add the sliced green chillies and okra. Mix well. Fry this mixture for five minutes. 

Finally add salt, crushed peppercorns and tamarind paste. 

Mix well. If the okras looks cooked, then turn off the heat. Bhindi- Pepper Fry is ready!!

Serve it hot with rotis or phulkas. Above measurement serves two people.

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Pineapple Jam

Pineapple Jam is a recent experiment in my Kitchen. We love pineapple and hence get it often. But it always happens that we struggle to finish it. Once it so happened and hence I thought of trying to make jam out of it. The process of cooking it down was messy and time consuming but the end product was really tasty. I really liked the freshness of the jam.

If you are a pineapple lover, then try making it and I am sure you will fall in love with it. Once the jam was done, I served it with cold Vanilla ice cream. Trust me this hot- cold combination is out of this world :-) or have it with rotis or dosas or spread it over a piece of bread. The uses are endless..

Ingredients:

• Fresh Pineapple, Chopped- 4 cups
• Sugar- 1/2 cup

Procedure:

First remove the tough skin and cut it open. Then discard the core. Then chop it roughly to get 4 cups.

Then blend these pineapple pieces to get a paste (I used a hand blender).

Pour the puree in a thick bottomed pan (I used nonstick). Select a pan which has a lid, as the mixture is going to splutter once it comes to a boil. Start heating the mixture along with sugar, on a medium flame. When it comes to a boil, close the pan with its lid (as it starts to splutter) 

Continue cooking for half an hour until it reduces to half or until all the moisture gets evaporated.

Allow the mixture to cool and then transfer it into a clean glass or plastic container.

Store the jam in refrigerator and use it as a spread for bread or an accompaniment to dosa, chapathi. Above measurement makes nearly two cups of jam.

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