Ela Ada

Ela Ada (Patheli in Konkan / Saraswath Cuisine )

Ela Ada is traditionally a popular snack in all communities and regions across Kerala. Its taste at the same time simplicity makes it the best choice for all occasions when one think of a traditional snack. Ela ada can be made with a variety of fillings - like coconut and jaggery, flattened rice ( aval or poha) etc - each with minimum ingredients.

A simple variety of Ela Ada / patheli is featured here. All one need is raw  rice paste, jaggery and a banana leaf. It makes a dish which is very delicious in taste. Here’s new recipe of Ela ada !!

Makes: 7

For the  Coconut Filling (always make coconut filling first):

Ingredients

8 tablespoon grated coconut

4 - 5  tablespoon (or to taste) melted and sieved jaggery (jaggery should be thick in consistency). Please do not use jaggery syrup.

¼ teaspoon cardamom powder

Method

In a bowl, mix grated coconut,  jaggery  and cardamom powder. Mix well with finger tips and make a thick mixture.

For the outer covering:

Ingredients

1 cup / 200 ml / 8 oz  silky raw rice (ponni rice)

2 cups water

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon oil

Extra 3 teaspoon oil

1 big size banana leaf  or 2 small size

Method

Wash and soak rice in 2 cups in hot water for 20 minutes. Drain out rice and reserve water. In a mixer bowl, make a smooth of soaked raw rice with ½ cup water (just to cover rice). Transfer this paste into another bowl and mix it with remaining water (in which the rice is soaked), salt and oil. Consistency of the raw rice batter  should be thin in consistency.

Transfer this mixture to a wide non stick pan and cook on a low to medium heat for 12 - 15 minutes or until the mixture thickens / leaves from the sides of the pan / difficult to stir and form a soft ball. At this point switch off the heat. Keep aside to cool for 10 - 12 minutes.  Then knead well with 1 teaspoon oil and make a soft dough without any lumps. This rice flour dough is very soft and it’s very easy to make ada.  Divide this dough 7 portions and make   lemon sized balls. Cover rice balls  with a clean wet towel. Then it won't be dry and easy to spread it well (like a medium thick puri).

Clean banana leaf. Smoke this leaf on flame for a few seconds so that it becomes flexible and easy to fold.

Cut banana leaf into 7 - inch square pieces (required 8 nos).

Take a piece of banana leaf. Keep a lemon sized rice dough portion over it. Keep another piece of banana leaf smeared with oil (with oiled portion facing down) the dough. Press it evenly to form a thin circle (like a puri) of rice dough of approximately 10 - 12 cm diameter.  Carefully remove the leaf on top. Now one will see a thin circle of rice dough (One can make perfect round shape with the help of an inverted lid). Keep  1 tablespoon  (please do not fill too much) coconut - jaggery mixture in it length wise along its centre.  Fold it into semi circle and seal the edges tightly - such that the outer covering is the banana leaf which was placed initially.

Repeat this process for the remaining dough / filling.

Arrange these raw Ela ads / Patheli in a flat steel bowl and steam in a pressure cooker ( without weight) / steamer / pedavan / rice cooker  for 15 - 20 minutes on a low to medium heat or till done. One can notice a color change in banana leaf.

Serve hot / warm / cool.  Once the banana leaf is peeled, one will get a nice aroma of melted jaggery.

Diamond Cuts coated with Sugar Syrup

Diamond Cuts Coated with Sugar Syrup / Paindare Pankanthu Galleli Ronti – A deep fried sweet in Konkan cuisine of Cochin GSB’s !!

Makes: 160 - 175 g

Ingredients

Please use same measuring cup measure maida, sugar and water !!!

1 cup / 200 ml / 8 oz  maida (all purpose flour)

1/4 teaspoon salt

Water for kneading ( approximately 1/2 cup )

300 ml cooking oil for frying

Method

In a bowl, mix maida and  salt. Add ½  water and knead into a stiff dough. Knead again for 5 minutes and make a perfect dough.  Add extra 1 – 2 teaspoon water or  1 – 3 teaspoon flour if required to make a stiff dough.

Divide the dough and make 5 lemon sized balls. Make thin chapati using dry maida. Cut it into 1 - inch width strips. One can make 5 long strips from 1 chapati. Then cut 1 - inch diamond shape pieces from each strips (same preparation like ronti / tukdi).

Heat oil in a kadai / deep frying pan on high heat. Reduce the heat to medium  and  fry ‘’ Ronti’’ in batches (4 – 5 batches, depending upon the size of the kadai) till light golden color and crisp.  Drain out from oil and spread on a kitchen paper  / paper towels to absorb extra oil and then transfer it into another wide bowl.

For the sugar syrup:

Ingredients

1 cup sugar / 200 ml / 8 oz (Please pick very good quality sugar)

½ cup water / 100 ml / 4 oz

2 pinches cardamom powder

Method

In a bowl / sauce pan, mix sugar and water together. Boil sugar syrup on a low heat for 10 - 12 minutes. Sugar solution thickens (sugar fully melts) and a string appear between thumb and forefinger when testing. Sprinkle cardamom powder and mix well.

Pour this hot sugar syrup carefully over fried rontis (diamond cuts) and gently stir well with a thick steel  ladle until sugar syrup well combined / coated on diamond cuts (ronti).  Keep aside for 1 hour. A shining sugar coating will form later. Store it  in an airtight container.

Spicy Chicken Lollipop Fry (made of Godrej Real Good Chicken Lollipop)

Spicy Chicken Lollipop Fry (made of Godrej Real Good Chicken Lollipop, Price Rs90/ packet) – A tasty side dish with Rotis / Pulao / Brown bread …

Serves: 2

Ingredients

For the chicken lollipop:

1 packet / 11nos Godrej Real Good Chicken Lollipop (wash and clean chicken lollipop. Drain out water thoroughly)

2 teaspoon thick ginger – garlic paste

½ teaspoon red chilli powder

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon salt

4 teaspoon oil

Method

In a bowl, marinate  chicken lollipop with all the ingredients (except oil)  evenly. Cover and keep aside for one hour.

In a pan, heat 2 teaspoon  oil on  a medium heat. Arrange marinated chicken lollipop and shallow fry until golden color and crisp on both the sides. Sprinkle remaining 2 teaspoons of oil when frying the other side (approximately 10 – 12 minutes for each side).

Final preparation:

1 tablespoon oil

2 -3 onions, thinly sliced (separate each layer)

6 curry leaves

3/4 teaspoon red chilli powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

Shallow fried chicken lollipop

½ teaspoon pepper powder (or to taste)

½ teaspoon salt

Method

Dilute red chilli powder and turmeric powder in 2 tablespoon water. Make a smooth paste and keep aside (spice mix).

In a pan, heat oil on a medium heat. Add thinly sliced onions and fry on a medium to low heat until golden brown and crisp.

Add curry leaves and fry for 1 – 2 minutes.

Add diluted spice mix. Stir well on a low heat for 2 – 3 minutes until raw smell goes and water dries up / well combined with onions.

Add shallow fried lollipop, salt and pepper to taste. Mix all the ingredients well. Cover with lid and cook on a medium to low heat for 10 – 12 minutes until done / lollipop well coated with spicy  onions.

 Open the lid and stir well continuously for 2 – 3 minutes. It should be  dry in consistency. Serve this dry curry as a side dish with rotis / bread / pulao / ghee rice ..

Ethakka Kalan / Kaalan

Ethakka Kaalan - A very popular traditional dish in Kerala. This is a must have during social events like ona sadya, marriages, festivals etc ... An excellent combo with rice and other accompaniments (like avail, thoran , pappadam…). No added red chilli powder.

Serves: 3

Ingredients

For the  coconut paste:

75 g  (5 / 6 tablespoon) grated coconut

1 teaspoon jeera (cumin seeds)

1 green chilli, chopped (1 big size or 2 small size)

Method

Make a paste of grated coconut with jeera and green chilli in a small mixer bowl.  Add 1 - 2 tablespoon water when making the paste. It should be thick and smooth in consistency. Keep aside.

Other main ingredients

1 raw banana / ethakka (big size)  (or 250 g Elephant foot yam / chena / soornu)

100 – 150  ml water

1 teaspoon pepper powder (dilute 1 teaspoon pepper powder in 4 teaspoons of water. Strain it through a fine sieve and use clear pepper water to cook)

½ - 3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

2 pinches turmeric powder

200 ml thick curd (whisk curd until creamy)

1/4 teaspoon uluva podi / methi powder

Method

Wash and clean ethakka (raw plantain). Peel off the skin, wash well and cut into 1/2 - inch cubes. In a bowl, boil ethakka cubes in water (enough water to cover ethakka, up to the level of ethakka) with salt, turmeric powder and clear pepper water. Mix all the ingredients well. Cover and cook on a medium to low heat for 12 – 15 minutes until ethakk tender / almost cooked.

When ethakka cubes are well cooked, add coconut paste.  Do not add extra water. Mix it  well and cook on a very low heat for 5 - 7 minutes until it boils well.  

Now add whisked creamy curd.  Stir all the ingredients well.  Please try this method - Cook over a double boiler ( double boiler -a pair of saucepans, one of which fits above and partly inside the other: food is cooked in the upper one by water boiling in the lower and it helps even cooking and curd won’t curdle / thayir pirinju pokathilla). Cover with a lid and cook on a low to medium heat for 12 minutes. See the photo given below. Switch off the heat and  sprinkle uluva podi and mix well.

For the  seasoning:

Ingredients

2 teaspoon oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds / uluva / methi seeds (optional)

1 spring dark green curry leaves or  6 nos

2 dried red chillies, halved

Method

In a pan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add curry leaves, fenugreek seeds (uluva) and halved red chillies. Saute on a low heat for 1 -2  minutes or until crisp. Pour the seasoning over kaalan and serve with rice and other accompaniments like sambar, rasam , avial  …