Maa,Pala,Vazhai,Then,Panikoozh - Mango, Jackfruit and Banana Icecream With Honey

                                       I am not fond of ice creams, if I were to choose between a cake and an ice cream, I would go for the former and I definitely loathe the combination of the two. I generally dislike food that is either too hot or too cold. I can never hastily eat an ice cream or very hot food when I am extremely hungry, as both the action infuriates me. I believe that our sense of taste will be null at these extreme temperatures and the food cannot be enjoyed to the hilt. For a long time my most preferred dessert was fruit salad with some vanilla ice-cream, later when I first tasted ice-cream with jelly, that became my favourite, now mostly I just stick to my all time favourite, mango ice cream. For the simple reason that, I don’t like teeth-rattling desserts, I have never made an ice cream at home, until now, that is, only if I can call this an ice cream! My thought was to make a pie with the fruits, instead, for some reason, (too lazy?) I proceeded to make this frozen dessert and I loved it. This will not taste like any of your regular ice creams, it has the taste of the fruit mixture, the caramel and with the honey, it gives a slight feeling like you are having frozen 'panchamirtham'.

 I adapted my mango pudding recipe to make this maa, pala, vazhai ice-cream. It's a hassle free dessert, as it involves no cooking, only, a little whipping and a little mixing. Unless told, no one will ever guess the flavour of the ice cream. But, I do warn that, people who do not have a sweet tooth, will find the taste a bit too strong.

How to make Dulce de leche - Caramelised Sugar in Milk

In the mango pudding recipe, I had used condensed milk, this time I tried with dulce de leche and cream. To make the dulce de leche, fill a tall cooking pot with water and place a small plate inside the pot and bring to a boil. Place the condensed milk can ( unopened can) on the plate, in the pot. Partially cover the pot, reduce the heat completely to low and leave it cook for about 2 1/4 hours. Let it remain in the pot until everything cools down. The can should be opened only when it is completely cool. Make sure that the water level is always a few inches above the can through out the cooking period. You can cook for a further 3/4 hour for a darker caramel and never try to open when it is still hot.

Maa, Pala, Vazhai Panikoozh - Mango, Jackfruit and Banana Ice cream

Ingredients
Dulce de leche             1 can (400 g)
Fresh cream                 2 cups (400 ml)
Mixed fruit                   1 1/2 cup ( I used 1 mango, 2 small bananas and more or less, 10 jackfruit kernels)
Grated coconut            1/3 cup

Vanilla                          1/4 tsp
Honey

Method
Blend the fruits and the coconut to a fine puree.( Should measure about 2 cups)
Transfer the fruit puree to a bowl and stir in the dulce de leche  and vanilla, until mixed.
Whip the cream until soft peaks form and fold in to the fruit mixture.
When everything is well mixed, transfer to an airtight box and freeze until set. Preferably overnight.
Serve the ice cream with a generous drizzling of honey. That makes the difference.

Note:

You can use condensed milk instead of dulce de leche.

I have used 1/3 cup of grated coconut, you can use more if desired and toast it for a rich coconut flavour.

You can adjust the quantity of all the ingredients, if you feel the taste of any of the ingredient is overpowering.

Maa,Pala,Vaazhai - Mukkanigalum, Thenum - Mango, jackfruit, Banana and Honey

                                    Tamil literature glorifies Maa, Pala, Vaazhai as the supreme fruits in terms of its taste, nutrient values and health benefits. Though all tamilians are aware of this, not many know the right intake procedure of these three magnificent fruits. I learn’t to cut a jackfruit, as a child, watching my father do it with poise and ease, the thorny fruit spread across a double layer of newspaper and a small bowl of oil beside and with a sharp and oil smeared glistening knife, he would cut through the fruit with such expertise and perfection, all the while narrating the story of his childhood days, extracting the kernels from the fruits grown in their farm, not just one fruit but as many as needed and how his mother would marinate the jackfruits in honey and leave it suspended from the ceiling in a closed pot, overnight. The next day the children would dig their hands in the pot, for those delicious honey soaked jackfruits every time they passed by. Besides his nostalgic moments, we were totally mesmerised by the taste when he taught us the first time his little family recipe.

                         Even now, when we sit down to cut a jackfruit, my uncle and my father don’t hesitate to throw in some in their mouth, even before the kernels are extracted completely, although they are diabetic. These old men still recall their childhood days of how each would finish a whole jackfruit on their own or eat as many mangoes as possible from their farm and forego their lunch.

                                  Maa, pala and vazhai,(mango, jackfruit and banana) the sweetest of all fruits gains another dimension of taste when soaked in honey. This is exactly how the three reigning fruits maa, pala and vazhai should be had, as it not only enhances the taste, but infused with honey the health benefits doubles up.

                                Generally these three fruits, maa, pala and vazhai, rich in calories and marinated in honey is suggested for those who wish to gain weight and with all that nutrients in these fruits and combined with honey, they sure make one super healthy food for all, but off course in moderation.  If not with all the three fruits, try it with jackfruit alone and taste the difference, you will be addicted.

                           
                               Take equal quantities of the mukkanigal - chopped mango, jackfruit and banana in a bowl, (or just jackfruit without the seeds and veins) add honey till the fruits are completely immersed. Let it marinate for several hours or overnight. I prefer to eat it early in the morning as it helps to sooth my stomach.

Note:
Use only half the amount of honey if you do not want it to be too sweet.
A wonderful ice-cream recipe with maa, pala and vazhai follows.

Thinai Urundai - Foxtail Millet Balls

                  I think I have kickstarted a village feast with corn oothappam and I can promise you that in the following weeks, you are going to see an extravaganza of village delicacies in kitchen Rhapsody. Since the present generation is used to only rice based food, I would suggest to incorporate millets in their diet in a sweet form in the beginning. Whether it is thinai or kambu or ragi, I am not going to say it tastes extraordinary, because it’s more of an acquired taste, something that you will like eventually, by eating regularly in some form or the other.

                              My father who has been eating ragi for more than thirty years, still calls ragi a black monster, every time he is served a ragi dosa or kali. Anything introduced new will be detested initially, but in course of time, we will  get accustomed to it. Thinai Urundai (Foxtail Millet balls) is a healthy snack for kids and well liked by grown ups too. If you are prepared to welcome millets in your food, then you will love this. These healthy balls reminds me of my neighbour, a childless couple, who used to share this with us almost every year when she makes and I must say,  I loved her version more than my mother’s. Now, I only carry the memory of her delicious food, her sweet mangoes, green lemons, and her family, as she has moved away and there stands a huge flat in the place of a lovely house that was once surrounded by trees and garden. Everything keeps changing, just like our food. Pathetic!

 Ingredients
Thinai(foxtail millet)              1 cup
Grated Jaggery                        1 cup
Cardamom Powder                 1/4 tsp
Coconut                                     1/2 cup (chopped into small pieces )
Ghee                                          1 tsp
Water                                        2 cups

Method
Roast thinai on low-medium heat, stirring continuously, for about three minutes.
Let it cool.
Grind the roasted thinai to a fine powder. Now the powdered thinai will measure about 1 1/2 cups. keep it aside.
Add water to the jaggery and melt on low heat.
Strain the melted jaggery and bring the jaggery water to a boil. Add the cardamom powder.
Add the Thinai powder and the coconut pieces and stir on medium heat, continuously until the mixture gathers to a ball. ( The consistency at this stage will be like a kali, keep stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens)
Let it cool.
Greese your palm with a little ghee and make small balls.
Place the thinai balls on a greased idly plate and steam cook for about 10 minutes.

Note:
If you do not want the Thinai urundai to be too sweet, use only 3/4 cup of jaggery, especially if making for old people.
If you like a strong cardamom flavour, use 1/2 tsp of cardamom powder.

Makkachola Oothappam, Verkadalai Chutney - Corn Oothappam and Groundnut Chutney

                   The only oothappan that I am familiar with, since childhood is this onion oothapam, but of course, made with left over idly batter. But I am too astonished at the variety of oothappams that are available today, ranging from carrot, tomato, capsicum and what not. I even had the misfortune of having to taste oothapam with cucumber in a restaurant in Italy and wondered with disgust, how far a man’s imagination has gone, only to mar the taste of real oothappam.  Oothappam is actually the most sought after food in south indian restaurants next to Rava dosai. While eating out, its pretty common that kids always ask for ghee roast and I have seen most of the old people ask for either oothappam or rava dosai. It’s quite interesting that the food that is ridiculed as much as uppuma in every household happens to be their favourite, but, it’s still the onion oothappam that still reigns supremacy over the other varieties and I guess that’s because onion oothappam must have been the authentic dish that originated, when our ancestors decided to give a transformation to the plain and sour, left over idly batter. I chose to make the oothappam with Broken corn batter because it tastes the same like the  oothapam made with rice batter and moreover, it gives a lovely golden colour to the ooothappam.

Ingredients
Corn Oothappam
Broken Corn                            1 cup ( see glossary for image)
Urad dal                                   1/2 cup
Idly rice or par boiled rice    1/4 cup

For tempering
Oil                                       2tsp
Onion                                  1 large
Green chilly                       2
Mustard +urad dal           1tsp
Bengal gram                      2tsps
Curry leaves                      few
Salt
More finely chopped onion and green chilly to spread on the oothappam (optional)

Method
Combine broken corn, urad dal, rice and soak for about 2-3 hours.
Grind the mixture to a fine batter. Leave it to ferment for about 5 hours. The batter ferments quickly during summer, so if you are leaving the batter to ferment overnight, make sure to refrigerate the batter, once fermented, if you want to use it later.
Add a tsp of salt to the batter, mix well and keep it aside.
Heat oil and add mustard+urad dal, when it splutters, add curry leaves, bengal gram and when the dal begins to change colour, add the finely chopped onion and green chillies and sauté until soft and pink. Add salt and stir.
Add the sautéed onion mixture to the fermented batter, stir well.
Make a thick dosai, sprinkle some chopped onion and green chillies and a tsp of oil. Cook on medium heat until it is golden and crisp on the bottom, flip it over and cook the top side as well. Serve with ground nut chutney.

Note:
Since I made a oothapam, rice, corn and urad dal were processed together. To make idly, make sure to grind the urad dal ( soaked separately) first to a fine paste, before adding the rice and broken corn soaked together. Follow the same rule, even when making kambu idly. ( kambu dosai recipe given)

Ground nut chutney
Roasted groundnuts/peanuts      1/4 cup
Grated coconut                               1/8 cup
Dried red chilly                              1 big
Salt                                                   1/4 tsp
Tamarind                                        pepper sized ball
Mustard + urad dal                       1 tsp
Oil                                                    1tsp
Curry leaves few
Method
Combine everything from groundnuts to tamarind and grind to a fine paste.
Heat oil and add the mustard + urad dal and curry leaves. Add to the chutney.

Summer Mango Pudding With Raspberry Jam

                            I don’t know about others, but I love to eat mangoes, 'the king of all fruits' with bare hands, ripping the skin apart, biting into the juicy flesh of the ripe fruit, the juice dripping down the arms, mouth smeared with bits and pieces of the yellow pulp, clothes getting messy and no matter how big or small, stopping with just one always seems impossible to me. It’s a pleasure that can never be replaced by a bowl of sliced fruit and I am particularly talking about mangoes from Salem, that tastes sweeter and luscious, than what we get here in chennai and it is best, eaten this way. But, I am surprised by kids of this generation who prefer to eat the fruit, cut into cubes, stylishly presented in a bowl and their lack of interest in eating the fruit unless they are told to!

                               Besides my preference of eating mangoes in a particular style, I still try to present the fruit in many avatars , that surely draws the attention of the lazy, who care less to eat the fruit. This mango pudding is one such classic avatar that you will wish to make every mango season. Topped with the slightly tangy and sweet raspberry jam it compliments well with the sweet and creamy 'summer mango pudding'.

                                   I have never seen a raspberry fruit in my country, it is the jam that always comes handy, so use raspberry compote if you can find fresh ones. Though, even strawberry will work fine, to get strawberry and mango together seems to be elusive, as mangoes arrive only when strawberry season gets over and by chance, if I ever, ever get these two together, I know exactly the dessert that’s in my mind and one that I have always wanted to make, using these fruits.

                            I have already made this mango pudding twice this week, but with different flavours, which was served to a bunch of kids. But the cardamom flavour did not go well with one kid, while others left back clean bowls. The following one with vanilla flavour was super delicious and the silky consistency confused me a bit and I was wondering if  I should name it a mango pudding or  a mango mousse!  It’s a super easy dessert that requires no effort and even a kid can make it without any help.

Ingredients
Mango puree               1 cup
Thick coconut milk    1 cup
Condensed milk          1/2 cup ( about 200 gms)
Vanilla                          5 - 6 drops
Raspberry jam             2 tsp

Method
Combine condensed milk and coconut milk, stir and add in the mango puree and vanilla.
Whisk until everything is well mixed.
Divide the mixture into 4 ramekins and bake in a preheated oven, at 140*c for about 15 minutes.
Whisk the jam until smooth and spread it on the baked pudding.
Let it cool. Chill the pudding for 3 - 4 hours. Serve cold.

Note:
In this summer mango pudding with raspberry jam, cream can be used instead of coconut milk and only if desired, cardamom can be used instead of vanilla, but, if making for strangers, I would suggest using vanilla.

Steamed Chocolate Pudding with Chocolate Sauce

                 No oven, no baking, this 'steamed chocolate pudding with chocolate sauce' is a sinfully delicious cake, that you will no longer yearn for an oven baked cake. Almost everyone loves to bake a cake at home and I say this from the requests that I get from people I know on how to make a cake without an oven. To all those cake lovers, this pudding cake will eliminate the disadvantage of not owning an oven and you can proudly flaunt your home made cake and surprise your loved ones. This is a gorgeous cake that everyone must give it a try, irrespective of whether you have an oven or not.

             
              Last week, we were an hour earlier to watch MIB III at Inox and as we always do, we buried ourselves in books in Landmark. Just minutes before leaving the store, I pulled out a battered and torn book on chocolate recipes and the first thing that caught my attention was a pretty picture of steamed chocolate pudding with chocolate sauce and I was wondering,"steamed"? as that picture did not look anything like it was steamed. Though skeptical, but mostly intrigued, quickly scanned the recipe and there I was sitting in the theatre, writing down the memorised recipe in a piece of paper during the break and I guess that also pretty much explains how entertaining (?) the movie was!

           
                       I can’t eat food that smells eggy, the reason why I don’t like danish cookies and biscotti. Steamed puddings are no excuse, as I have made steamed bread puddings and fruit cakes before, but never had the desire to eat more than a morsel because of the egg smell. Knowing fully well that steamed food with egg will surely smell eggy, I decided to use egg whites which was a sensible thought, as the Steamed chocolate pudding tasted nothing but, ‘chocolate’. To me, the cake tasted like a moist brownie, while my son thought it tasted like the fudge cake I made for his birthday last year, yet, the only difference is, this time it was baked. What more can I ask say?

I heavily adapted the recipe and made some major changes in the ingredient list to make it more delicious and as expected, it was!
To make this steamed chocolate pudding with chocolate sauce, two things are a must, good chocolate and lots of patience. Prep yourself and go surprise everyone!

Ingredients
Chocolate pudding
Butter                           50g
Light brown sugar      50g
Egg whites                   2
Almond flour               50g
(ground almonds)
Cocoa Powder             1tbsp
Baking powder            1/4 tsp
Chocolate                     50 g
Milk                              1 tbsp
Vanilla                          1/2 tsp
Walnut                         1 tbsp chopped  and 8-10 halved nuts

Chocolate sauce
Chocolate                     50 g
Cream                          3 tbsp

Method
Combine almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and whisk or sift until everything is mixed well. Keep it aside.
Combine chocolate and milk and melt it in a double boiler. ( Bowl placed over a pan of simmering water without touching )Keep it aside.
Grease a pudding bowl with butter and arrange few whole walnuts on the bottom of the bowl.
Combine butter and sugar, beat until the mixture is soft.
Add the egg whites and beat. At this stage the mixture might appear curdled, nothing to worry, keep mixing.
Fold in the flour mixture smoothly.
Add in melted chocolate, chopped walnuts, vanilla and stir gently, just until mixed.
Transfer to the greased pudding bowl. Cover the bowl with a double layer of baking paper, tie it around  and cover the bowl with a plate so that no moisture enters the pudding while cooking.

Take a wide cooking pan or say, Idly cooker, place an inverted plate on the bottom of the pan. ( This is done to prevent the pudding getting burnt at the bottom)
Place the pudding bowl on the plate and fill the pan with boiling water, half way up the pudding bowl.
Cover the pan and on low heat, cook for 1-1/2 hours. ( check the water level in between, which should remain in the same level).
Let the pudding remain in the pan for another 30 minutes, later take it out and let it cool completely.
Invert it onto a plate and pour the chocolate sauce before serving.
Chocolate sauce
Combine chocolate and cream and melt in a double boiler. Use it on the pudding.

All food tastes better if it rests for a while after cooking. So resist temptation and give it a few hours before diving in. This rule applies to even biriyanis and curries, the reason why, fish curry made the previous day tastes delicious, than a freshly made one. Test it yourself, by putting away a piece of cake (any cake) in a refrigerator and taste it the next day to know the difference. The flavours will soak into the cake and make it taste richer.
You can use plain flour( maida) instead of almond flour, 1 whole egg instead of egg whites if you are ok with the eggy smell and use white sugar instead of light brown sugar, but make sure to powder white sugar before using it.
Write to me, if I have not made myself clear.