Pancakes with banana and jaggery filling

 

I have never made pancakes at home before this; and the only combinations I have had is maple syrup and banana. This recipe uses bananas and jaggery, and ever-so-delightful combination for the filling and that's topped with freshly grated coconut. They work together like a dream.  This only takes minimal time to put together.

I did the find the pancakes a bit eggy (DUH!...2 eggs! ring a bell somewhere..I know, I know). But, if you're like me and don't like the 'eggy' taste, try adding  a few drops of vanilla essence/extract, as you like. It did ease out the taste quite a bit; or if you have any better suggestions, do let me know.

It's great for nice sunday brekkie for kids and adults alike, or a great snack for children. It did get wiped out at home. 

Pancakes with banana and jaggery filling

What you need

For the pancake

All purpose Flour - 50 gms

Eggs - 2

Honey - 2 tsps

Sugar - 1 tsp

Melted butter - 1 tsp

Milk - 150 ml

For the filling

Butter - 1tsp

Plantain/Banana - 1 (Chopped finely)

Sugar - 1 tbsp

Grated Coconut - 4 tbsp

Melted Jaggery - 2 tbsp

Cardamom powder - a pinch

Here's how

Add all the ingeredients for the pancake to your mixing bowl and after you combine it well, pass it through a sieve, and keep it aside (don't move the mix) for 10 mins

After you make your pancakes; keep it aside

Heat the butter. add the banana. Once, it's nicely toasted (for plantains, wait till it becomes soft), add the sugar and mix well.

Now, add the jaggery and coconut, and once it's mixed well, add the cardamom powder and remove from fire.

To assemble, put in a bit of filling in the pancake and roll.

Recipe Source: 'Vanitha' magazine

Swiss Roll - with Honey and cream filling and topped with praline

Swiss Roll is something most of us have been seeing in bakeries since childhood. A nice sponge cake with a jam filling rolled up finely, and cut into delectable pieces. The art, at least for most of us lies in rolling the delicate sponge to perfection. This time in addition to 'what to do'; I'll tell you 'what not to do'. (You're lucky I made mistakes, coz' now you don't have to...teehe)

Swiss Rolls, more popularly called 'Jam Rolls' in Kerala, it seems were introduced in the village of Kanjirapally here, as early as in 1931!!! (Wikipedia told me that you see). That reminds me, Kerala Bakers Association recently celebrated '100 years' of the opening of the first 'bakery' in Kerala. I obviously went for the 'cake cutting' (uninvited of course; unless you consider a public announcement in the state daily, as an unofficial invitation). I probably am one of sole reasons for quarter of the profits of a particular bakery here, whom I have been frequenting since childhood. 

Anyway, these swiss rolls, have a honey and cream filling. It's light,and allows you to enjoy the taste of the sponge as well, which I've often felt is completely overtaken by the jam. The rolls are then, covered with praline. Divine! It's easy to put together. You can make the filling and praline in advance, and do the sponge at the end. This is my first time with a swiss roll and I loved it. It is definetely not the best looking roll I've' seen, but it did taste nice and light. Do read 'what not to do'. You probably were never going to do it unlike me, but that section is for the benefit of the 1% like myself. 

Cream and Honey Swiss Roll

What you need

For the Swiss Roll

Eggs -3

All Purpose Flour - 75 gms (sifted)

Powdered Sugar - 75 gms

Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp 

Swiss Roll tin/ Rectangular Cake tin

Here's How

Break the eggs into your mixing bowl, add sugar and essence. Now beat well with an electric beater. Use the highest speed on your beater, and your egg mixture will puff up and increase in volume.

Now add the sifted flour and mix in gently till well combined. Pour this into your greased tin and  bake in a pre-heated oven (the recipe didn't mention the temperature. I baked it at 160 deg c)

Your sponge will be done in 12-15 mins

Once you take it out of the oven, turn  it over onto a tray lined with grease proof paper

For the filling

Cream  - 6 tbsp (50 gm)

Honey - 1 tbsp

Beat the cream for a bit and mix in the honey

Praline topping

Honey - 4 tbsp

Sugar - 4 tbsp

Cashew Nuts - 25 gms (Split/halved)

Water - 1 tbsp

Caramelize the sugar with the specified quantity of water. When the mixture turns dark brown, add the cashew nuts and stir well, pour the mixture onto a well greased tray. after this cools, break it into pieces and crush it in a mixer (Remember not to powder this finely, it should be crunchy)

Cover the surface of the roll with the praline

Assembling

After the sponge is turned over onto the greased sheet, trim the edges of the cake. 

Spread the cream filling evenly

Now Roll the cake with the paper, away from you, like you would fold a mat. When you reach the end, keep it held for 10 -15 seconds so that it stays in place well (You could also place it on a tea towel and roll)

Brush a bit of honey on the surface of the roll and sprinkle the praline over this.

Leave it in the fridge to cool for a bit and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

What not to do

My roll tin wasn't greased well enough I think; I had a hard time taking the sponge out without damage. Grease your tin well; it would also help to line it I think

Also grease the sheet onto which you are turning over the prepared roll

Remember only to crush and not powder the praline. I was happily pre-occupied and powdered it ever so finely!!

Recipe Source: Ummi Abdullah ('Malabar Pachakari Vibhavangal')

 

Mampazha puliserry -

You know what this means! It seems summer's here again and like every time, back with a vengeance, well at least this side of the globe it seems so. Summer thankfully also brings with it mangoes, jackfruit and well, more mangoes.....

 It's amazing how a mango transports most grown ups back to their childhood. Of 'those better days', of friends, of endless banter, of summer holidays, of wonderful grandmothers, of times everyone loves to go back to. 

The Mango has a star role in all these precious and timeless tales. Sliced raw mangoes with chilli powder and salt, or chilli and oil, as you like it; mangoes chopped to just the right size glistening in coconut oil (We love our coconut oil, this side of the world - Let's just say, what olive oil is to the Italians, coconut oil is to Malayalees. ) with just the right pinch of chilli and salt in every mouthful and ripe mangoes with their wonderful juices seducing the taste buds. 

Mampazha curry/pulissery, however you would like to call it has always been a favourite with any mango lover in Kerala. It’s a double bonanza, have the mangoes for lunch/dinner with rice and more mangoes for dessert. So this time we went to Ottapalam for the Chinakkathur pooram (I have to have a whole new post on that), J’s amma, made mampazha pulissery. It’s a family favourite. You can never have enough of it. So I thought, why not kick off the summer with the ‘King of Summer times’

Mampazha Pulissery

What you need

Mangoes (Puli Manga) - 6 to 8

Turmeric Powder - A pinch

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Salt - To taste

Jaggery - 2 to 3 pieces

To Grind to a fine paste

Grated Coconut - 4 to 5 tbsp

Peppercorns - 4 to 5

Jeerakam/Jeera - 1/2 tsp

Curds - 2 tbsp (optional - If the mangoes are not too sweet and a bit sour, avoid the curds)

For the Tempering

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard Seeds - 3/4 to 1 tsp

Red Chilli - 1to 2

Curry Leaves

Here's How

Peel the skin of the Mango, and boil the mangoes in water enough to immerse it. Also add turmeric, chilli powder and salt

After the above mixture has boiled well and the mangoes seem to have been cooked; add the jaggery, and leave to boil again.

Now add the ground paste to the mango mixture and let it boil. Remove from fire.

For the tempering - Heat oil. Add mustard seeds. After it crackles, add the red chilli/s (broken into half) and curry leaves. Add this to the Mango curry.

Serve with Rice

Recipe Source: Parvathy Pathy (J's Mum)

Dhokla - Gujarat's delicious Ambassador

Dhoklas are a staple in every Gujarati household as I understand. A steamed gram flour snack for guilt-free indulgence. I have personally tasted it only once at my Gujarati friend’s place. The taste intrigued me; it is light and fluffy, with a bit of sweet and a bit of spice. It’s been so long now, that I don’t distinctly remember. That is all I could recollect.

I have been wanting to make Dhoklas for a while now; the desire to have them rekindled, ever since I saw Ms. Madhur Jaffrey make it on a TV show. I didn’t have a pen at hand to note doen the recipe and I couldn‘t find the video or the recipe on the internet. So I have been on the hunt for a good recipe since.

That’s when the most recent issue of ‘BBC Good Food India’ carried with it a booklet on popular Gujarati cuisine, published by the Gujarat Tourism Board, also featuring who else, but our good ol’ friend ‘the dhokla’.  Dhoklas are usually served  with tomato/chili sauce or coriander chutney. I ran out of

coriander, so the sauce it was. It may seem a bit incomplete without the sauce/ chutney;  it did to me.

Fruit Salt, as per the recipe is absolutely essential to add sponginess to the end result. I didn’t quite know what Fruit Salt is. It is available in India under the very popular brand name ‘Eno’. It is an antacid; The batter fluffed up in an instant on the addition of the fruit salt. I suppose it does work in ‘6 seconds’ as the makers claim!

These are indeed as the Gujarat tourism Board says, ‘Gujarat’s delicious ambassadors’.

What you need:

Gram Flour (Besan) – 100g

Semolina (Rava) – 15g

Sugar – 40g

Ginger-green chilli paste – 5g

Citric Acid – 2.5g

Salt – To taste

Fruit salt – 10g (I used ‘Eno’ - regular)

Mustard Seeds – 5g

Sesame Seeds – 5g (I used white)

Green Chillies – 5g

Asafoetida – 1g

Water – 200ml

Curry Leaves – 3 (As you please)

Here’s How:

Combine Besan, Semolina, sugar, ginger-green chilli paste, citric acid and salt along with a little water (approximately ¾ cup) in a bowl and mix  well with the help of your hand to get a smooth and thick batter

Divide the batter into 2 equal portions and keep aside

Add 1 tsp of fruit salt to a portion of the batter and mix gently. Pour the batter immediately into a greased 125mm diameter thali (think approximately pan pizza size) and spread evenly by rotating the thali clockwise.

Steam in a steamer for 12-15 minutes, or till the dhoklas are cooked. Keep aside.

Repeat steps 3 to 5 to make one more thali of dhoklas.

Heat 3 tsp of oil in a small pan and add the mustard seeds. When the seeds crackle, add the sesame seeds. Next, combine the green chillies, asafetida and curry leaves; mix well and sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds

Remove from the flame and add 1 & ½ tbsp of water and mix well. Pour this tempering over the dhoklas. Cool and cut into pieces. Garnish with coriander and serve hot.

Recipe & content Source: ‘State on a Plate’ – Gujarat Tourism Board (Pamphlet with ‘BBC Good Food India); Wikipedia