Plantain Fritters / Pazham Mukki Porichathu/ Pazham Pori

This is a standard item on the menu in any restaurant in Kerala, from thattukadas (dhabhas/streetside cafes) to resorts. The only difference is that thattukada serves it cold (sometimes it is hot)and the antiquity of the oil used in frying it determines the condition of our stomachs. I used to love buying it at the railway stations, enticed by their hot smell. Back home, it's the quickest tea snack when there are impromptu guests. Here, with the bananas not so readily available in their correct state of ripeness, it is a preordained dessert.
Annita has described how to find and ripen the bananas we get in US. My workshop also has posted a similar recipe. This is the Mappila version of the fry, hence the slight differences. You could even squish or mash the bananas into the batter if it is too ripe to slice and fry lumps of it.

You will need:
Fully ripe plantains-2
Enriched Flour (Maida)-1 cup
Rice flour (optional)- 2 tbsp
Sugar -1tbsp
Black sesame seeds- 1/4 tsp
Baking soda - 1/8 tsp
Water - 1/4 cup
Salt -a very small pinch.
Oil - for frying

Preparation Method:
1. Peel and cut the banana into 2 sections.Then cut them lengthwise into 4 pieces of equal thickness.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients together and then add water slowly while stirring to make a smooth paste. It should be lump free and not too watery. If it does become watery, add a little more flour.
3. Heat oil in a pan.
4. Dip each banana slice in the batter to coat it on both sides and slide it into the oil.You could fry 4 or 5 at a time based on the size of your pan. Deep fry on medium heat till it turns a golden brown. Drain onto paper towels and serve.
Just don't burn your tongue.

Ten Things I Miss Most From Mom’s Cooking

This is my first meme and I am not sure I know the process.Thanks a lot, RP of My Workshop for tagging me. I guess this is like a relay where I get to take off from where RP left.
10 things seems so little to encapsulate my mom's cooking. I grew up on mom's food and all through my school years, I yearned to eat out for a change. But the moment I left home for undergraduation, everything I took for granted became a luxury only to be sampled insatiably during vacations and holidays. Even now, when I go home, I start nagging her to make something or the other.

So here is my list of 10 things of mom's cooking:
1.Mutton Biryani....everyone's mom makes the best biryani or so they think. She makes it the traditional "dum" way, with the rice and meat cooking together.It just infuses the rice with so much flavour.
2. Her cakes. Just plain old vanilla cake, but so light, you block out the calories as you eat. Made from scratch, using good old elbow power. When I was home, my father and I were the egg beaters and mixers.
3. Tapioca payasam with plantains.
4. Beef curry. The kind that has a layer of oil floating on top. Do I hear "eews, gross"? That curry with crusty bread.
5. Fish curry. Any kind.
6. Mango pickle. Not kanni manga, but the one with the mango chopped into tiny pieces, tempered with mustard seeds.
7. Wheat porridge (Godambu Varatiyathu). Eaten hot with sugar and ghee.
8. Lentil (Parippu) curry.
9. Stuffed mussels (Kadukka Neruchathu)
10. Last , but not the least beef samosas.
Maybe we should follow this up with things you miss from your grandmother or favourite aunt.I am not sure who has not yet joined the meme, so please feel free to post. Its nostalgic to read everyone's posts.

Its raining.....

Till I have the pictures for my next note, I decided to just post an image of Calicut during the monsoons. Rain evokes the smell of wet earth, muddy roads, slush, long afternoons spent at home, movies and ...of course food. And I am sure everybody has their favourite rain food. Endless appetite fuelled by the cool winds outside. Something fried, something spicy and something hot with a hot cuppa of tea or coffee. Pakodas or Samosas anyone?

Mango Memories

Mangoes in my parents house. Now all thats left of these would be their well licked seeds. Nothing can quite compare with the smell and flavour of a warm freshly picked mango. I wish there were mango farms here too, not just apple and berry ones. There was a giant mango tree (maavu) in my father's ancestral house(naadu) which had the juiciest mangoes ever. The branches were so high up that we couldn't climb it, and twice in a season, we had someone harvest the mangoes. One of my earliest memories of our vacations there, is competing with my cousins to wake up early to run out and pick the mangoes which fell in the early morning. They were still unbruised and had escaped the birds. The skin was dark green and inside it was golden yellow and pulpy. I could easily eat 3-4 at a time before my stomach hurt. The technique was to squeeze the mango from all sides (similar to releasing the lemon's juices) till it was softened. Then make a incision at the top and suck the juice out before peeling and eating the rest. A very messy way of eating, but that's what is different about childhood.

Contact Me

One of my favorite things about having this website is hearing from all of you. Your personal stories and your adventures in the kitchen is heartwarming and endearing. It makes me feel less like I am talking into the Grand Canyon and that there are other crazy foodies like me out there who measure the weight of certain memories in food. I read every single email and appreciate the time taken to write every single word.

I’m unable to spend the time answering every emails in lots of detail. I would love to sit and correspond with each of you and become pals, but that would leave zero time in my day to be with my young kids, cook, practice my hard-won career skill and of course, take photos and write contributions for this site whenever possible.

So if I do not respond to your email immediately, please understand. And please know that the I do appreciate any response from you.

Warm Regards
Mallugirl

Your Name
Your Email Address
Subject
Message
Image Verification Please enter the text from the image: [ Refresh Image ] [ What's This? ]

Mango Sweet and Sour/ Kadu Maanga

You will need:
Raw mangoes -2
Red chilli powder -2 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
Salt- to taste
For seasoning:
Oil-1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 10 nos

Preparation Method:
1. Cut the mangoes into long slices.
2. Heat oil in a pan. Splutter mustard seeds.Add curry leaves.
3. Add the mangoes, chilli powder, turmeric, salt and 1 cup water.
4. When the mangoes turn soft, the dish is done.
Serve sprinkled with sugar. The mango should be mixed in with the sugar.