Nuchhina Unde

Makes 30 Nuchhina Undes Cooking Time: 30

Nuchhina Unde is a healthy, filling snack, and quite versatile too. You could either serve it as is, or drop it in a curry to add zing to the dish. It is typically added to magige huli and sambars.

Ingredients: -

• 2 cups toor dal (or 1½ cups toor dal and ½ cup chana dal for added taste)
• 2 green chilies
• ½ cup grated coconut
• 3-4 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• 2-3 tbsp chopped dill leaves (optional)
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• ½ cup chopped onion (optional: This is usually skipped during festivals)
• A pinch of asafetida
• Salt to taste

Preparation Method :

1. Soak toor dal for 2-3 hours.
2. Add green chilies and grind it coarsely without water.
3. Mix in coconut, coriander, dill, asefotedia, ginger and salt.
4. Make oval patties about 2" in diameter and steam for 7-8 minutes on high heat.
5. Serve hot with ghee and curds.

Tip: Use an idli cooker for steaming the nuchhina unde, for ease and convenience

Aval Nanachathu

Aval Nanachathu is a sweet snack made of Aval (Poha), coconut and jaggery.

Ingredients :-

• Aval (Poha) - 2 cups
• Coconut grated - 1 cup
• Salt - a pinch
• Jaggery - 1/2 cup
• Elachi powder - 1/2 tsp
• Coconut Water - as required

Preparation Method :

1. In a vessel mix the poha (aval), salt, jaggery and coconut water.
2. Mix them very well.
3. Add the grated coconut and the elachi powder to the mix of aval and jaggery.
4. Keep them closed for about an hour and serve.

Vegetable Chips

An Yummy snacks made from vegetables.

Ingredients :-

• 2 to 3 - potatoes
• 1 - sweet potato
• 1 - plantain
• 1 - beetroot
• salt / pepper/ chilli powder for seasoning

Preparation Method :

1. Peel and slice the plantain in thin slices.
2. And garnish with spring onions/cilantro.
3. Peel and slice the beetroot the same way.
4. You can just cut thin slices with a peeler/knife.
5. I peeled the Sweet potatoes
6. Or you can use the Mandolin to slice all the veggies into thin slices.
7. Fry them in batches, seperately in a oil - med-high.
8. Beetroot usually takes v less time and has to be done in high heat and taken out faster otherwise it would absorb lots of oil.
9. Drain them in paper towels.
10. You can bake them too at 450F for 10-20min depending on your oven.
11. Season them as soon they come out hot.

Parippu Vada

Vada made with Dals.

Ingredients :-

• Black gram-1/2 cup
• bengal gram-1/2 cup
• red gram-1/2 cup
• salt
• curry leaves-few
• onion-1 big(cut small)
• green chilly-2(cut small)
• ginger-1" piece cut small
• chilly powder-1/2 tsp
• turmeric powder- a pinch
• oil

Preparation Method :

1. Soak the gram in water for atleast 2 hrs.
2. Grind these to make a thick paste.
3. Do not add water when grinding.
4. Now add onion,curry leaves,green chilly,ginger,chilly powder,turmeric powder and salt to this paste and mix well.
5. Wet your hands and make balls of the paste and make patties.
6. Deep fry in oil.

Bread Oothappam

Yummy bread snack.

Ingredients :-

• Bread slice - 8 nos
• Semolina(Rava) - 50 gm
• Green chilly - 1 no
• Curd(Thayiru) - 100 gm
• Ginger - 1" piece
• Salt - ½ tsp
• Coriander (finely chopped)- For flavor
• Soda - A pinch
• Onion(big) - 1 no
• Oil - 4-5 tbsp

Preparation Method :

1. Mix together rava, curd, salt, soda, green chillies, ginger and chopped coriander and keep aside for 2-3 hours. The paste should not be too liquid or too thick.
2. Add the finely chopped onions to the rava paste.
3. Heat a tava. Keep 1 slice of bread on the tava. Now spread the mixture on the slice. Simmer the gas and turn it over. Make it crisp by using oil on both sides.
4. Repeat the above procedure for all the breads. Serve hot with tomato ketchup and coriander chutney.
     

More Receipes.....

Onion-uthappam	Pathiri	Kumbilappam	Plain-pattiri	Kozhukatta	Milk-appam

Achappam

Achappam are a lovely cross between a rose and a snowflake and would be a beautiful addition to your Christmas table no matter where you live.

Ingredients :-

• 4 cups Rice 
• 1/4 litre Milk
• 2 cups Powdered sugar
• 3 nos. Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Cardamom powder
• Coconut oil As required

Preparation Method :

1. Wash and soak the rice for two hours.
2. Grind the rice with milk to a thick batter.
3. Beat the eggs thoroughly and add to the batter along with sugar and the cardamom powder.
4. Mix well.
5. Heat oil in a pan and dip the achchappam mould in it for a minute.
6. Dip the mould into the batter and then dip it in the hot oil.
7. Fry along with the mould.
8. Tap the mould for the appam to separate.
9. Repeat the same till the batter is over.

Ethakka Sukian

Ethakka Sukian is a very tasty snack made of Banana (Ethakka), grated coconut and sugar.

Ingredients :-

• Ripe bananas (medium size) - 4;
• Grated coconut - 1 cup
• Sugar - 3 dsp
• Ghee - 1 dsp
• Rice flour - 1/2 cup
• Flour - 1/4 cup
• Salt water - 1/2 tsp
• Soda bi-carb - 1 pinch
• Dalda or coconut oil for frying

Preparation Method :

1. Boil bananas, peel and remove middle cord. Cut into pieces and take 2 cups full.
2. Put the bananas, two dsp, sugar, quarter cup grated coconut and one spoon ghee, in a pan and place on fire.
3. Stir well for sometime till it is dry. Sift together the rice flour and the flour through a fine sieve and keep in a bowl.
4. Add half cup water to the remaining coconut and take one extraction. Strain and add it to the remaining coconut and take one extraction.
5. Strain and add it to the flour with one dsp. Sugar and salt. Make a thick batter.
6. Add only very little bicarbonate of soda, otherwise the batter will absorb a lot of oil.
7. If the batter is too thick, add a little more water. The banana mixture when cold, should be formed into lime sized balls.
8. Heat oil in a deep frying pan, and when it boils, dip each banana ball in the batter and deep fry golden brown.

Pazhampori

A yellow, yummy savoury dish .

Ingredients :-

• Banana   4
• Refined flour    100 g
• Yellow colour 4 drops
• Cumin seed  1 pinch
• Sugar 100 g
• Refined oil 1.5 ltr

Preparation Method :

1. Peel ripped banana and cut it into long pieces. 
2. Prepare a batter with flour, sugar, cumin seeds and yellow colour. 
3. Dip the slices of banana in batter and fry it in the refined oil. 
4. Serve hot in a dish.

Ari Unda

Delicious and easy to make North Kerala snack.

Ingredients :-

• Rice - 2 cups
• Jaggery(Sharkkara) - 3 slabs
• Grated coconut - half a coconut
• Ghee - 2 tbsp
• Cardamom(Elakka)(powdered) - A pinch

Preparation Method :

1. Heat a pan or a kadai.
2. Fry the rice, till it turns brown and crispy.
3. Boil the jaggery with some water to make a thick syrup.
4. Powder the rice very finely in a mixie.
5. Mix together the rice powder, jaggery syrup and the scraped coconut.
6. Add ghee and cardamom powder into the mixture.
7. Make small balls off the mixture.

Potato Fry

Time pass snack

Ingredients :-

• 2 or 3 Potato, cut into round slices, 5mm thick
• 1 tsp. Chile powder
• ¼ tsp. plain flour
• oil, salt

Preparation Method :

1. Mix the potato slices with chile powder, plain flour, and salt
2. Heat the oil and fry them (like you fry fish) in low flame. That is it! It is so yummy!!

Ethakka Upperi / Banana Chips

         Banana chips is one of the most popular snacks in Kerala. It holds a very important place in a traditional Kerala sadya. In fact there is no onam without banana chips!! When we were kids we used to call it ‘zero upperi’ and jack fruit chips as ‘one upperi’ The peels of the plantains can be used to make plantain peel thoran.

Ingredients :-

• Raw Banana - 4 kg
• Salt - 1 tbsp or as required, dissolved in 1/2 cup water, for sprinkling
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 - 3/4 tsp
• Coconut Oil - To deep fry

Preparation Method :-

1. Peel off the plantains and put them in turmeric water(mix 1/2 tsp turmeric powder in enough water), for about 15 mts. Drain the excess water and leave to dry or pat dry with paper towels. Heat oil in an uruli or a deep, wide mouthed  pan at a medium high flame. Be sure not to fill oil more than half - 3/4 th of the pan you are using. The oil should  be really hot.( You can test the oil by adding a slice of banana, it would immediately come to the surface bubbling). Slice the plantains to thin rounds.  While slicing, remember to apply some oil in your palms to prevent black stains.



2. When the oil is hot enough, bring down the flame to medium and add the sliced bananas carefully to deep fry. Stir immediately for a few seconds, then bring back the flame to medium high. Do not overcrowd, fry them in batches. (You could also slice them directly into the hot oil using a slicer.) Let the sliced bananas cook for 15 - 20 mts (this time depends on the type of pan you are using. We used an uruli and fried them in 2 batches). You can stir it occasionally using a slotted spoon  flipping on both sides but be really careful otherwise the banana slices might break. 

3. Meanwhile keep aside 1 tbsp salt and a pinch of turmeric powder in 1/2 cup water(adding turmeric powder is optional, we didn’t add it). When the chips are almost done(you can hear a crisp sound and the oil will stop foaming, you can also taste check whether its done or not), reduce the heat and sprinkle a little salt-turmeric water(you do not need to add more than 1-2 tsp) into the oil carefully. Move away from the pan after sprinkling since the oil might come up and splash making lots of bubbling noise. You can cover it with a lid immediately after sprinkling salt-turmeric water, remove it when the oil stops splashing. When the bubbles stop coming, stir well and drain on to a colander(do not forget to keep a container or plate below the colander to catch any oil drippings). (If you do not wish to add salt water into the oil, you can sprinkle it immediately when they are drained onto the colander. Just make sure to mix well after sprinkling it.)

4. Now transfer the chips into a paper towel or newspaper spread in a muram(wide bamboo tray) or any plate. Repeat for the next batches. Remember to sprinkle less salt water for the next batches as the oil already contains some salt that you added before. Cool and store them in an airtight container.

Sharkkara Varatti / Sharkkara Upperi

Here’s the recipe for the sweet jaggery-coated version of banana chips called sharkkara upperi, yet another inevitable part of a Kerala Sadya.

Ingredients :-

• Raw banana - 1 kg (Around 4-5 bananas)
• Jaggery -1 cup
• Dry ginger/ chukku and cumin seeds, powdered - 2 tbsp
• Cardamom powdered - 1/2 tbsp>
• Rice flour - 1-2 tbsp (optional)
• Sugar - 1 tbsp or to taste (optional)
• Coconut Oil - To deep fry

Preparation Method :-

1. Peel off the plantain skin and immerse in turmeric water (mix 1/2 tsp turmeric powder in enough water)  for around 20 minutes. Strain off the excess water and leave to dry or pat dry.
2. Cut each banana into half, lengthwise and then into pieces, of quarter inch thickness.
3. Heat oil in a wide deep pan or an uruli at medium high flame. Be sure not to fill oil more than half - 3/4th of the pan you are using. The oil should  be really hot.( You can test the oil by adding a slice of banana, it would immediately come to the surface bubbling.) When the oil is really hot, bring down the flame and slowly add the banana pieces.  Now increase the flame to medium-high. Stir occasionally with a slotted spoon flipping them to the other side so that the chips wont stick to each other. It will take at least 30 - 45 mts to fry them. When they are done, you can hear a crisp sound and the oil will stop foaming. You can also taste check whether its done or not. Strain them on to a colander, with a plate or any dish underneath to catch any oil drippings. Spread them on paper towels or newspaper to cool.  Let them cool completely.

4. Melt the jaggery in  2 - 3 cups of water and strain it.

5. Heat the jaggery in a deep pan or uruli. Bring this to a boil stirring in between. To check the consistency, put one drop of the boiling jaggery in cold water. If it is of the right consistency, it won't dissolve. You can also see thin threads of jaggery syrup when you stir it (nool paruvam). Bring down the heat and add the fried banana pieces. Mix well and stir continuously. It will be really difficult  to stir them. Once the chips are covered with jaggery, add the cumin, cardamom and dry ginger powder. Switch off the flame. Mix and stir well in order to prevent the chips from sticking to each other. Transfer to a wide plate, allow it to cool down completely and then store in an airtight container.

Tips: :-

 If the jaggery is not properly coating the raw banana pieces, add rice flour to thicken the syrup (around 1-2 tbsp depending on the consistency of the syrup) and mix well. You could also add sugar ( around 1 tbsp) for thickening the jaggery syrup or if the chips are not sweet enough. You wont need to add either of them if the jaggery syrup has the right consistency.





              

Unniyappam

  Unniyappam (literally means small ricecake) is a popular snack in Kerala and is usually made using rice flour, jaggery and banana. They are usually offered as prasadam at Ganapathy temples. You need a special mould(unniappa chatti) to make these round-shaped unniyappams. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients :-

•  Raw rice flour(pacha aripodi) - 2 cup or soak idli rice for 4-5 hrs and grind it in a mixer to form a batter
•  Small banana - 2 ripe, mashed well (kadhali pazham or palayam kodan)
•  Jaggery - 1/2 - 3/4 cup
•  Cardamon powder - 1/4 tsp
•  Black sesame seeds - 1 tsp  
•  Coconut bits(thenga kothu) - 3 tbsp (Fry them in oil or ghee until golden brown)
•  Ghee - to fry the coconut bits
•  Salt - a pinch
•  Coconut oil or ghee- For deep-frying

Preparation Method :-
 
1. Melt the jaggery in little water(around 1/2 - 3/4 cup). Strain to remove any impurities. Mix the rice flour, mashed banana, cardamom powder, fried coconut bits, melted jaggery and salt together to form a thick batter. You can mix it with your hands. Keep it aside for  about 4 - 5 hrs ( or until it ferments. It takes only 1-2 hrs during summer). If the batter is too thick add little water or milk. Consistency should be similar to that of an idli batter.

2. Heat the unniyappam pan and fill it with oil. When the oil gets hot, fill  3/4th of each depression with the batter and fry them at medium heat, uncovered. When one side is cooked, flip over using a fork and fry until golden brown on both sides. Remove and drain onto a tissue paper. Serve warm.