Banana Halwa ( Kele / Nenthrampazham Halwa )

Banana Halwa (Kele / Nenthrampazham Halwa )

Serves: 2 - 3

You will need

3 well ripe plantain ( Kerala banana / ethappazham )
1 tablespoon ghee
3 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon raisins
2 pinches cardamom powder

Method

Cut ripe banana into very small circles.

Heat ghee in a wide frying pan. Add banana pieces and saute for 5 minutes.

Add 3 tablespoon sugar and mix all the ingredients well. Mash well banana pieces.

Add raisins. Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for 20 minutes or till the mashed banana well mixed with sugar and ghee / banana mixture dries up.

Open the lid and stir well continuously for 5 minutes. Sprinkle cardamom powder and serve warm or cool.

Tawa Roti

Tawa Roti

Makes 6 rotis

You will need

1 cup whole wheat flour ( gehun ka atta )
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oil
Ghee for topping ( optional )

Method

Combine the flour and salt and knead into soft and pliable dough with sufficient water ( 150 ml warm water required for 350 g atta to make soft dough and you can make 7 rotis ).

Add the oil and knead again till the dough is smooth and elastic.

Cover and keep aside for 10 to 15 minutes.

Divide the dough into 6 equal parts.

Use a little flour to roll each portion into circles of approximately 150 mm ( 6 - inch ) diameter.

Dust off any excess dry flour and place the roti on a hot Non Stick Tawa ( griddle ).

Turn over in a few seconds and cook this side till the edges begin to curl slightly and small blisters appear on the surface.

Cook the other side for a few more seconds.

Tong

Lift the roti with a pair of flat tong and roast on both sides over an open flame till it puffs up.

Flatten the roti and apply some ghee ( optional ) on top.

Repeat to make 5 more rotis.

Serve hot with any gravy dishes or dal or kebabs of your choice.

Excellent cookery books in Konkani & Mangalorean Cuisine

Magalorean cuisine ( Author - Saranya . S. Hegde )

Dakshin Bharath Dishes ( Author - Jaya . V. Shenoy )

Rasachandrika ( Saraswat Mahila Samaj, Mumbai )

Pumpkin Thawseli

Dudhi Thawseli Bajjile ( Delicious sweet ( steamed ) in Konkani / Saraswat cuisine )

Dudhi Thawseli ( Pumpkin Thawseli )

Makes: 1 steel thali / bowl

You will need

1 cup ( 100 g ) raw rice
1 cup ( 100 g ) grated coconut
1/4 cup water ( for grinding )
150 g grated pumpkin ( bright yellow or light red color )
3/4 cup to 1 cup melted jaggery ( or to taste )
2 pinches cardamom powder
2 bay leaves ( tej patta )

Method

Wash and soak raw rice for 5 - 6 hours.

In a mixer, make a fine paste of raw rice with grated coconut. Do not add more water during grinding. Transfer this batter to another container and mix with grated pumpkin and jaggery. Add cardamom powder and mix well.

In a steel thali or bowl, grease 1/2 teaspoon oil and place one bay leaf. Pour batter and place another bay leaf over the batter.

Steam this batter in a steamer or pressure cooker ( without weight ) for half an hour or till done ( reduce heat to medium after full steam and steam for 25 minutes ).

Open the cooker and allow to cool for sometime. Cut into desired shape and size.

Thawseli Bajjile:

In a frying pan, heat 1 teaspoon ghee. Arrange thawseli pieces and fry on a medium heat till golden color on both the sides. Serve hot.