Ice apple rose coconut milk shake recipe

I know I am getting carried away with these ice apples and the dried rose petals .. Been thinking of trying something new, refreshing and healthy with these ingredients and came up with this. This is one of the best drinks to be had in a summer afternoon, chilled or at room temperature.

Alright, following is the recipe

Ingredients

Ice apples/ nongu - 2

Dried rose petals - 1/4 cup ( may use rose syrup instead)

Coconut milk - 1 cup

Sugar 2-3 tsp

Water - 1 cup

Method

Blend the ice apples and coconut milk well, add the dried roses and let it soak for sometime. Add the water and strain.

Garnish with chopped nungus and dried rose petals and serve chilled.

Just as simple as it is !:)

Tips

I made fresh coconut milk at home, you could use store bought one.

May replace sugar with jaggery syrup.

Thanks 

Chaithanya

Rice (unpolished) dumplings in coconut milk

Just while I started typing this recipe and wrote 'rice dumplings' my dear husband barged in and said these are kozhakattas :) Yes that's how it is called back in Kerala which is soaked in thengapal( coconut milk) and sugar while eating. Not sure why this is a breakfast item ..for me this is more like a dessert or sweet. and we totally relish eating this !

Anyway coming to the recipe I used unpolished rice flour for this recipe and mind you its not ragi, though my ragi loving darling daughter thought its ragi( finger millet ) and I had to correct her :)

Ingredients 

Rice flour - 2 cups

Hot water - as required

Salt - 1.5 tspns ( or as per taste)

Oil - one tspn

Cardamom powder - a pinch (optional)

For the coconut milk

One med sized coconut 

warm water

Method

Dry roast well the rice flour in a huge thick bottom vessel/ kadai.
Remove from heat and place the flour in a huge flat bowl.
Add the dalt and oil to the flour.
Slowly add the hot water stirring the flour with a fork slowly. Keep pouring until the dough is soft.
The flour keeps absorbing water so dont worry if you find the dough a little sticky in the begining. Once the dough is cool enough to handle work on it , knead it thoroughly to make  soft dough.
Make small balls from this dough and steam the dumpings for about 20 - 25 mins or until cooked.

For making coconut milk, scrape /grate the coconut and grind it  with warm water in the mixer and strain. Repeat it until all the milk is removed from the coconut.

So while serving place the dumplings in a bowl, pour the coconut milk, add sugar and cardomom powder and enjoy it warm :)

Cook and enjoy!
Thanks!

Pumpkin payasam

I need to agree that making a payasam out of pumpkin has not been my idea at all, this was given by a person who sells vegetables. But I did honour him agreeing that I might try this, I tried it and I did inform him about this trial and its success. This is a very healthy sweet made using coconut milk and jaggery. Its not very difficult either. You can also give it a try.
Following is the recipe

Ingredients
Pumpkin - 500 gms
Coconut milk - 2 cups ( not very thick )
Melted jaggery - 3-4 tbspns or according to your taste
Cardamom powder - a pinch
Cashews fried in ghee - as required

Method
Chop pumpkin and steam until it is cooked.
Remove it into a vessel in which we would bring the payasam together.  Mash the pumpkin with the back of a wooden spoon, You might not want to mash it completely, it will be nice to get a bite or two of the pumpkin.
Pour in the coconut milk and the jaggery syrup , add water if required.
Bring it to boil and remove from the flame. Garnish with cardamom powder and fried cashews and serve hot or cold.
Enjoy!!

Dates and Banana payasam in coconut milk

This payasam/sweet/dessert is made using all natural sweeteners. Its easy to make , healthy and delicious and my kids relished it as their evening drink, following is the recipe for the same.

1.Pitted dates- 20
   Ripe Kerala banana ( Nendrapazham)- 2
   Water 1/2 cup
2.Grated coconut - 2 cups
   Hot water -1 cup
3.Cardamom powder - a pinch
   Cashew nuts - 2 tspn
   Ghee/clarified butter- 2 tspn

Pressure cook pitted dates and chopped bananas in half cup of water for 2 whistles or until it is cooked.
Remove the milk from the grated coconut using hot water in a blender and keep aside
Mash or blend the cooked dates and banana mixture and add the coconut milk and cook until the milk boils or bubbles.
Remove from flame, add a pinch of cardamom powder and fry cashew nuts in ghee/clarified butter and garnish over the payasam.

Note: Hope you would have noticed that I have not used any sugar or jaggery , all the sweetness comes from the dates, so if you want the payasam more sweet , please feel free to add more dates.

Serve hot or cold and enjoy!

Aval payasam with jack fruit flavour

Regret to inform that I have not clicked a picture of this invention, but when the verdict came from my family to be good , I thought I should be saving the recipe for future use and moreover my mother in law kept praising about it and my heart jumped with joy . So following is the recipe for the same and before entering to the recipe we need something called as 'chakkavaratiyathu' for this recipe which is similar to jam made with jack fruit pulp cooked and reduced in jaggery to a thick consistency.

Ingredients
Paper aval ( very thin beaten rice flakes) - 2 cups
Chaka varatiyathu - 3-4 tbsps
Coconut milk - of one full coconut 
Jaggery water - (  jaggery melted in 1 cup water and sieved to remove impurities )
Water - 2 cups
Cardomom powder - a pinch
Nuts - as required
Ghee - 2 tbpsn

Note : the amount of jaggery depends on the sweetness you prefer and sweetness of the chakka varitayathu

Method
Mix beaten  rice flakes, jaggery water, coconut milk and the chakka varatiyathu and  required amount of water in a pan and cook it until the contents are cooked this may not take long since beaten rice cooks very fast, sprinkle the cardamom powder for flavoring. Fry the nuts in ghee and add into the payasam for additional flavor 

Your quick jackfruit aval payasam is ready! 

Mushroom capsicum masala in coconut milk

Had made some hot and sour soup the previous night to remove the heaviness in head due this weather :) A reason to make the soup too and for breakfast I was making idiyappam and when I thought of a side dish to go for it, thought of making use of the half pack of mushroom and half cut capsicum.What better way to utlise it sooner than spoiling it or terribly waiting for its exit from the refrigerator . Hence this curry, was sure yum and dear husband kept praising the curry and we all enjoyed it with idiyappam. Following is the recipe

Mushroom capsicum masala in coconut milk

Mushroom - 200 gms

Capsicum- 1 med size

Onion - 2 med or 1 large one

Tomato - 2 med ones

Ginger - garlic paste  1 tbspn

Green chillies - 2 - 3 no.s

Curry leaves- few strands

Oil - 1 tbspn

Coconut milk - 1/2 cup ( thick milk)

Masalas : Pepper powder, Turmeric powder, Chilli powder, Garam masala powder, Coriander powder - 1/2 tspn each or to you taste buds 

Salt - as reqd

Method

Heat oil in a kadai or a thick bottom pan and saute the onion, ginger and garlic paste and chillies. Add in the tomatoes when the onions turns translucent. Throw in the chopped mushrooms and squarely chopped capsicums. Saute for a while . Add in the masalas. Cover and cook for sometime. Pour in the coconut milk and cook for another five minutes stirring continuously. Garnish with curry leaves and serve hot with Idiyappam :) or rice, rotis