Homemade Kerala Mixture

Homemade Kerala Mixture

If you ever been to Kerala to visit any of your friends or relations, then there is every likelihood that you’ve tasted this mixture. Unlike the mixture you get in other part of the country. This one is very very spicy hot ( with an overdose of chilli powder, dash of hing ( asafoetida ) and curry leaves ). It is an excellent accompaniment with tea / coffee. Those who have tasted this will never like to miss it again. For Cochin GSB functions normally the breakfast is Idli or Upma (uppumaavu) and this mixture is an inevitable item. This is a basic recipe. You can add any deep fried items of your choice like deep fried cashew nuts, potato straws, deep fried nentrakkaya bits, pakavada, deep fried green peas, chickpeas , chana dal (Bengal gram dal)…

Serves: 8 - 10 serving bowls

Ingredients

1, For sev:

1/2 cup / 100 ml (Indian standard measuring cup of 100 ml / 4 oz capacity) Besan (gram flour / kadala maav / chone pitti)

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ teespoon hot oil

1 pinches turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon omam (ajwain) (optional)

1 1/2 tablespoon water) water for ajawain / omam

Extra 3 - 4 tablespoon water (to knead the gram flour)

Extra 1 teaspoon oil

300 ml oil to fry

Method

Sieve gram flour.

Soak ajwain (optional) in water for one hour and strain water. Reserve water.

In a wide bowl, mix sieved gram flour with hot oil, turmeric powder and reserved ajwain water. Mix well until all the ingredients well combined.

Add extra 2 - 3tablespoons of water and make a soft dough. Dough will stick while kneading. It’s a very soft and stick dough (not like chapatti dough). Apply little oil and make a perfect dough.

Put this dough in a murukku / chakali mould. Use sev plate / idiyappam mould / string hoppers plate (with lots of small holes) to make omapodi / sev.

Heat oil in a wide kadai / frying pan and reduce heat to medium. Fry directly in hot oil on a medium heat (give circular rotations with chakali machine) until light golden color and crisp in 2 batches (depending upon the size of the kadai / frying pan, maintain medium heat. Otherwise it will turn into brown color immediately). Drain and place on kitchen towel to absorb extra oil. Break into small pieces and store in an airtight container.

2, For kara boondi:

Please use same measuring cup to measure besan and water.

1/2 cup / 100 ml (Indian standard measuring cup of 100 ml / 4 oz capacity) gram flour (besan / kadala maav / chone pitti)

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon red chilli powder

¼ teaspoon hing (asafoetida)

¾ cup water

300 ml oil (to deep fry)

Method

For batter:

In a bowl, mix gram flour, rice flour (optional), red chilli powder, hing and salt with water and make a smooth batter. Batter should be slightly thinner than dosa batter and bajji batter / pouring consistency.

Boondi maker and flat ladle with big holes

Method

Heat oil in a frying pan / kadai. Reduce the heat to medium and pour the batter over perforated ladle (or boondi maker / boondi jara) and gently shake the ladle (or spread gram flour batter on the top of the boondi make with a thick tablespoon). Then the batter will fall through the holes of the ladle evenly into hot oil (Keep a safe distance from the stove). Fry till golden color and crisp. Boondis will be small and even size if you are boondi maker and boondis will be big if using perforated ladles. Drain out from oil and place on kitchen towel to absorb extra oil. These boondis are also very useful to make boondi raita. Keep aside for half an hour.

2, For peanuts

Ingredients

100 ml / 1 / 2 cup (Indian standard measuring cup of 100 ml / 4 oz capacity) peanuts

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon water

200 g oil

Method

Mix peanuts with salt. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon water and mix well. Keep aside for 20 - 25 minutes.

Heat oil in a frying pan. Reduce heat to medium and fry peanuts in batches (till golden color). Drain and place on kitchen paper to absorb excess oil.

For curry leaves:

Deep fry 15 – 18 curry leaves (gently wipe each curry leaves with a soft kitchen towel before frying) in hot oil until crisp. Drain out oil and place on kitchen towel to absorb extra oil.

Final mixing with spices:

Ingredients

½ teaspoon red chilli powder (or to taste)

¼ teaspoon salt (or added salt to boondi, sev and peanuts) or to taste

¼ to ½ teaspoon hing (kaayam / asafoetida)

In a wide bowl, mix all the spice ingredients together with deep fried sev, boondi, peanuts and curry leaves. Gently stir with a thick tablespoon. Keep aside until normal room temperature and later store in an airtight container. Serve as a snack with tea / coffee or with Upma (uppumaavu) ..