Young parents these days are increasingly opting for homemade dishes. Whether it is a simple snack or an elaborate breakfast, they are on a hunt for traditional recipes that are healthy and easy to make. The mouth-watering crunchy snack Kuzhalappam is an all-time favourite. The same goes for traditional Kerala-style Varutharacha Chicken. A thick flavoursome gravy that can be clubbed with anything from rice to roti. Then comes the wholesome item Pazhankanji.
Pazhankanji can be called the traditional breakfast of Kerala. For me Pazhakanji is a nostalgia. When I used to visit my native place as a child, Pazhankanji was served to the labourers as breakfast before they went to the paddy field. The workers used to consume it to stay energetic throughout the day during hard labour. I used to love it so much that I used to ask the workers for a bowl of Pazhankanji, which is fermented kanji made from leftover rice.
Pazhankanji
Ingredients
One large bowl of leftover rice soaked in water overnight
For mashed tapioca
Tapioca-3 (thinly sliced)
Grated coconut ½ cup
Garlic pods 5
Green chillies 2
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Curry leaves 1 sprig
Turmeric ½ tsp
Red chilli powder ¼ tsp
Salt, to taste
For Pulissery
Grated coconut ½ cup
Shallots 3
Ginger, one small piece
Green chillies 3
Cumin seeds ½ tsp
Turmeric ½ tsp
Black pepper powder
¼ tsp
Sour curd 1 cup
Water ½ cup
Mustard 1 tsp
Dry red chilli 2
Curry leaves 1 sprig
Fenugreek powder ¼ tsp
For 1st Chutney
Coconut ½ cup
Curd chilli (round and green) 4 pods
Ginger ½ inch
Shallot 1
Salt to taste
For 2nd Chutney
Shallots 8 or 9
Kanthari (bird’s eye
chillies) 7
Coconut oil 2 tsp
Method
Wash the thinly sliced tapioca and boil it twice, separately in salt water for 3-4 minutes.
Remove from heat and drain. Mix ground coconut and mash it. Add an extra sprig of curry leaves.
Pulissery
Coarsely grind coconut with all the ingredients.
Cook it in a pot for 2-3 minutes. Keep stirring and don’t boil mix.
Once done, remove from heat. After it’s cooled down, pour curd and mix well.
To garnish, add mustard seeds, curry leaves and dry red chilli to 2 teaspoons of hot oil.
After it splutters, turn off heat. Add 1/4th teaspoon fenugreek powder, mix well. Pour over Pulissery.
Method for 1st chutney
Grind coconut along with the other ingredients in a mixer.
It should be thick
Method for 2nd chutney
Smash shallots in a pestle and mortar. Add kanthari chilli and mash it
Add salt and a dash of coconut oil. Mix well with hands.
Method for the final mix
Take the bowl of fermented rice . Pour it into an earthen pot. Add salt and mix well. Add one big dollop of mashed tapioca, a small dollop of the 1st chutney, half cup curd, 1 tsp of the second chutney.
Into this pour Pulissery as required.
Mix it well with hand or spoon before consuming.
Naadan Varutharacha chicken curry
Ingredients
Chicken 1 kg
Coconut oil 1 tsp
Fenugreek 1 tsp
Cardmon 4
Cloves 4-5
Fennel seed 1 tsp
Cinnamon stick 2
Curry leaves crushed (as per taste)
Green chilli 2
Garlic 10-12 pods
Ginger 1 piece
Kashmiri red chilli powder ½ teaspoon
Turmeric powder
1 tsp
Coriander powder
1 tbsp
Garam masala ½ tsp
Salt as per taste
Onion 3
Shallots 11
FOR GRATED
COCONUT MIX
Grated coconut 3/4th cup
Shallots 4
Fennel seeds 1 tsp
Black pepper 1 tsp
Curry leaves 1 sprig
Turmeric 1/4 tsp
Kashmiri chilli powered 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder
1/2 tsp
Garam masala 1/4 tsp
For tadka
Coconut oil 1 tbsp
Shallots 4 sliced
Fennel seeds a pinch
Dried red chilli 2
Curry leaves 1 sprig
Red chilli powder
1 pinch
Method
Put 1 kg chicken into a iron sauce pan
Add 1 teaspoon of coconut oil, fenugreek, fennel seeds, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon stick. Also add the crushed ginger, garlic and green chilli.
Into the above mix add chopped onions, coriander powder, turmeric, and garam masala.
Add one cup of boiling water and mix well. Let it cook.
Take another iron bowl. Add grated coconut, chopped shallots, crushed fennel seed, crushed black pepper. Mix them well. Keep stirring till it turns light brown. Into it add turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chilli, coriander powder and garam masala. Saute for 5-6 minutes. Turn off heat and let it cool down before grinding it to paste.
Check on the chicken. Give it a stir. Close the lid and let it cook for about 20 minutes. Stir it in between.
Grind the roasted coconut with 1/4 cup of water. Pour the paste into the boiling chicken. Add salt to taste. Let it cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat.
Tadka
Pour coconut oil in a hot pan. Add in the chopped shallots, fennel seeds, dried red chilli, curry leaves and a pinch of red chilli powder. Once done, pour the tadka over the chicken curry.
Kerala Kuzhalappam
Ingredients
For coconut mix
Grated coconut 3/4 cup
Shallots 10-12
Cumin seed 1 tsp
Water 1/4 cup
For the dough
Rice powder 2 1/4 cups
Butter or coconut oil 1 tbsp
Water 500 ml
Black sesame seeds 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Method
Grind coconut, shallots, and garlic with cumin seeds together into a fine paste. Add 1/4 cup water and grind. Set aside.
Boil 2 cups of water in a pan. Add salt to taste.
Add butter or coconut oil into it. Pour the ground coconut mix into the boiling water.
Add sesame seeds and mix well. Bring to boil.
Reduce flame and add the roasted rice flour in parts. (You might not need the entire 2 1/4 cups of flour)
Mix it well.
Cover the mix and keep aside for 5 minutes
Transfer the dough into a large flat plate and knead it into a smooth dough.
Grease your fingers in oil and make balls of dough the size of golf balls. With a rolling pin, roll the balls into small circles. (Ensure the dough is not rolled out too thick or too thin)
Use the mouth of a steel glass to cut small circles out of the flattened dough (for uniformity)
To shape it into the kuzhalappam — Wrap the cut out dough around your pointer finger and slightly seal the open edges. It will be in a cylindrical shape (kuzhal)
Deep fry the dough till they turn golden
Once they cool down, store in an air-tight container.
— Sameera Nizarudin runs a Silver play button winning Youtube channel named ‘Salu Kitchen’
