Pazham Pori | Ethakka Appam | Nendra Pazham Bajji

Pazham pori is a delicious banana fritters made with a special variety of banana know as Nendra pazham. Nendra pazham is a regional famous banana variety in the state of Kerala and it's known for its unique texture and taste.

Nendra pazham(both ripe and un ripen) is great for cooking and a lot of dishes can be prepared with it and this  Pazham pori is one of  dishes made with the well ripen nendra pazham.  

Nendra Pazham

As i said earlier, this fritters is only made with nendra pazham and you can't substitute other varieties of bananas for this recipe. In the states of Tamilnadu and Kerala, you can easily find this banana in most of the stores. Here (both in US and Canada), you can find them  in Indian Stores around the Onam festival time. 

Frying

I have used the Sunflower oil for frying but heard that coconut oil is used for this recipe for great flavor and taste. So you can try frying in coconut oil too if you want.

It's such an easy recipe and can be prepared in less than 20 mins. So it makes an idle chai time snack. Do give it a try and i'm sure that you will love it.

Pazham Pori | Ethakka Appam

Preparation Time : 5 mins | Cooking Time : 15 mins | Serves : 3 
Recipe Category: Curry | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Pazham Pori, Ethakka Appam, Nendra Pazham Bajji,Indian Banana Fritters Pazham pori is a delicious banana fritters made with a special variety of banana know as Nendra pazham.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients

Nendra Pazham(ripen) - 1

All purpose flour - 1/2 cup

Sugar - 1 tbsp

Salt - 1/8 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp

Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Baking soda - a pinch

Water - as needed

Oil - for frying

Procedure

First peel the skin of the nendra pazham and cut into thin slices in preferred length(as shown in below pic). Next in a bowl, add the all purpose flour, sugar, salt, turmeric powder and cardamom powder. Mix it all well together. 

Next add the water little by little and make a thick batter like the bajji batter. 

Heat the oil for frying. Once the oil is hot(check by add a drop of batter and it should come up in  3-4 secs) , take a slice of nendra pazham, dip it in the batter so that both the sides are well coated with the batter and then drop it in the oil gently. Do the same for the remaining.

Cook the pazham pori in the medium heat for 3-5 mins or until the outside layer is crispy. Once it's well cooked, remove it from the oil and place it on tissue paper.

Delicious Pazham Pori is ready. Enjoy it hot with a cup of chai !

Related : How to make Rava Appam

Notes:

• Don't add too much baking soda. Otherwise it will absorb a lot of oil.
• Here i have used crushed cardamom seeds instead of cardamom powder.

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Hara Bhara Kabab | Spinach Peas Cutlet

Hara Bhara Kabab,  a North Indian Patties made with peas and spinach. It's one of our recent favourite snacks and I often make it as a side for evening tea. They are super delicious and healthy too .

When i started to search for evening snacks which are healthy as well as tasty, this kabab/patties got my attention. Ever since i made this hara bhara kabab at home, it became a regular in our evening time.   

Making this kabab is super easy if you have boiled potatoes at hand. So if i'm planning to make these patties for the evening snack then i would probably boil a few extra potatoes while preparing the lunch itself , that way it comes handy in the evening.

The key to making these delicious kababs is to make sure that there is no excess moisture in any of the vegetables. Therefore drain the peas and spinach well before grinding and also make sure to remove the cooked potatoes from the water immediately once it's done because potatoes tend to absorb water if left it in water for a longer time. 

Now let's check out on how to make these delicious Hara Bhara Kabab.

Hara Bhara Kabab

Preparation Time : 30 mins | Cooking Time : 15 mins | Serves : 4 
Recipe Category: Snacks | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Hara Bhara Kabab, Spinach Peas Patties, Spinach Peas Cutlet Hara Bhara Kabab, a North Indian Patties made with peas and spinach.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients

Potato - 1 (Cooked)

Spinach/Palak - 1 cup

Peas - 1/3 cup

Green Chili - 2 

Ginger - 1/2 inch piece

Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tsp

Besan/ Kadalai Maavu - 1 & 1/2 tbsp

Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Cashew - 4(optional)

Oil - to pan fry the kabab

Procedure

First bring a pot of water to boil, then add the palak and peas(i'm using frozen peas). 

Let them boil for 2-3 mins and then drain the water and let it cool. completely.

Next, in a blender jar, add the ginger & chili and grind into coarse mixture then add the palak and peas.

Grind them into a smooth mixture. Next mash the cooked potato  well .and then add the palak peas mixture along with garam masala, besan, sugar and salt.

Then add the palak peas mixture along with garam masala, besan, sugar and salt.Mix it all well together and keep it aside for 30 mins. 

At the time of making kabab, take a small amount of mixture and roll into a ball.And then flatten it a small disc and place a cashew(i have split a cashew in half and use it here) in the centre. 

Heat a thick bottomed pan and add the oil for pan frying. Once the oil is hot , place the patties and cook it on the low flame till both sides are nicely browned.

Delicious Hara Bhara Kabab is ready to serve. 

Related : How to make Hariyali Chicken Kabab

Notes:

• Adjust chili as per your spice level.
• For more flavor, you can add 1/2 tsp of cumin while grinding the mixture.
• If you're not able to bind it all together and make a ball, then add a little more besan.
• Try to squeeze the water as much as possible from the boiled spinach and peas.
• I have used frozen peas but fresh peas also work well for this recipe.

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Coconut Pastry, a delicious snack made with puff pastry and sweetened coconut filling. Whenever i crave for the Indian famous Dilpasand / Thengai Bun, this is my short cut to satisfy my craving. 

This coconut filling recipe is the same as the Dilpasand / Thengai Bun, but instead of making dough for the bun, i have used the puff pastry for the outer layer. It tastes so delicious and you can't stop by one.

Coconut filling 

In today's recipe, i have used fresh coconut because i knew that it would be gone in minutes and there would be no leftovers so i didn't worry about it going bad.

But you can very well use coconut flakes or desiccated coconut (see my coconut bun post where i used coconut flakes for the stuffing ). Make sure to adjust the sugar depends on  whether you're using sweetened or unsweetened coconut. 

Puff Pastry 

I have been using the "Tenderflake" puff pastry(not sponsored/ad) ever since we moved to Canada and so far it's good for making the savoury and sweet as well.  

When this coconut pastry is right out of the oven, it's crispy(i know which is totally contrary to the coconut bun) but still it tastes amazing.  But if you really want the soft outer layer like a coconut bun, just leave it for a couple of hours or overnight so that the outer layer of the pastry becomes soft. 

Shaping the Coconut Pastry

In today's recipe, i have just folded it in half (you can see it in the step by step pictures) and cut it into squares. But you can make it as bite sized pastry like how i did in this mini apple turnovers. So it all depends on how you want or what occasion you're making. 

I personally make bite sized pastries for a get-together or someone visiting our home or when i'm making more that last for a couple of days.

Ok, now let's check out on how to make this delicious coconut pastry. 

Sweet Coconut Pastries | Coconut Pastry

Preparation Time : 10 mins | Cooking Time : 30 mins | Serves : 4 
Recipe Category: Dessert/Sweet | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Coconut Bun, Thengai Bun, Coconut Pastries, Coconut Pastry Coconut Pastry, a delicious snack made with puff pastry and sweetened coconut filling.It tastes like coconut bun/Thengai bun.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients

Puff Pastry - 1 sheet

For Stuffing

Grated Coconut - 3/4 cup
Tutti frutti - 1/4 cup
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Cashews - 5
Raisins - 2 tsp
Ghee - 1 tsp
Water - 2 tbsp
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Procedure

First heat the pan with ghee, add the cashew and raisins, roast till the raisins are puffed up. 

Then add the sugar, coconut, and water. Mix it all together and cook till the sugar is completely melted.

Next add the tutti frutti and cardamom powder. Mix it all well and let it in the flame for 2-3 mins. Switch off the flame and let it cool completely.

Preheat the oven @ 420 F

Take a one sheet of puff pastry and roll into thin sheet with a rolling pin.

Then add the coconut stuffing on one side and close the puff pastry from the other side such that the coconut stuffing is sealed well. 

Next, take a fork and press it on the outer edges of the pastry(it helps to seal the edges well and also make a nice design on the border.) Then transfer the pastry sheet into a parchment lined baking sheet and cut the pastry into squares as shown below.

Brush the top of the pastry with some milk and put it in the oven and bake it for 15- 20 mins or until the top turns golden brown.

That's it, Delicious Coconut Pastry is ready to serve.

Related : How to make Bakery Style Vegetable Puffs 

Notes:

• Depends on the sweetness of the coconut add more or less of sugar.
• Adding tutti frutti truly enhances the taste of the pastry. You can use store bought or home made tutti frutti

 

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Tutti Frutti Bun | Bakery Style Sweet Bun

Tutti Frutti Bun, a mildly sweetened bun that tastes great with a cup of tea/coffee. It's more or less similar to the sweet buns that are available in South Tamilnadu tea/bakery shops. When i made tutti frutti from watermelon rind,  had few recipes in mind to try it out and this sweet bun is one among them.

 Watermelon tutti frutti tastes so similar to the traditional ones made with raw papaya and couldn't find any difference in taste and texture in baked goods. As for the buns,I have used the Tangzhong method and it never fails to impress me. As expected,the bun turned out soft and fluffy.To know more about Tangzhong method, check out my pav bread where i had explained a little more. 

Jump To Recipe

During this quarantine time, i have been baking a lot and trying out all the baked goods that i had wanted to try and also from the bookmarks that are left untouched over years. It's been a while since i had bought a loaf of bread from store. Baking all the time seems overwhelmed at times, but most of the time it's so relaxing. More than cakes and muffins, i love to bake bread, buns and savory bakes, typically anything with yeasted dough !!

Ok, coming back to today's recipe, you can bake this bun without tutti frutti also, but keep in mind that the bun is very mildly sweetened so adding tutti frutti helps to enhance the sweet flavor a bit more, so i would highly recommend to add them. Now let's check out how to make this super fluffy sweet bun !!

Sweet Bun | Tutti Frutti Bun

Preparation Time : 1.5 hr | Cooking Time : 20 mins | Makes : 8 
Recipe Category: Sweet Bun | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Sweet Bun, Tamilnadu Sweet Bun, Bakery Sweet Bun, Tutti Frutti Bun,Bakery snack Tutti Frutti Bun, a delicious and mildly sweetened bun that tastes great with a cup of tea/coffee. It's more or less similar to the sweet bun that are available in South Tamilnadu tea/bakery shop.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients
All purpose flour - 1 cup 
Sugar - 2 & 1/2 tbsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Instant yeast - 3/4 tsp
Butter - 1 tbsp
Warm Milk - 2 to 3 tbsp
Cardamon powder -1/4 tsp
Tutti Frutti - 1/4 cup
For the flour roux
All purpose flour - 1 tbsp
Milk - 1/3 cup
* See Notes section at the end if you're new in baking

Procedure

Measure and take one cup of flour, take one tbsp of flour from that and put it in a sauce pan for making roux.

Add 1/3 cup of milk into the sauce pan and place it on heat, stir it continuously until it's thick. Remove from the flame and let it cool a bit.

In the remaining flour, add the yeast, sugar, cardamon powder & salt  and mix it well. Then add the butter and the prepared flour roux, mix it well with hands. Next add milk little by little and make a soft dough.

Knead the dough for 10 mins or until it's smooth and place it on the bowl and cover it with cling wrap and set aside for 1 to 1.5 hrs or until it's doubled.

After 1.5 hrs, punch out the gas from the dough and then add the tutti frutti & mix it well with the dough.

Divide the dough into eight equal parts and take each pieces of dough in between your palm and roll it smooth. 

Place it on the baking tray.Do the same for the all the dough and cover it with cling wrap and set it aside for 30 mins.

Preheat the oven @ 400 F. After 30 mins, brush the top of bun with milk sugar mixture(add 1 tsp of sugar in 2 tbsp of milk and use it for brushing).

Place it in the preheated oven and bake it for 20-22 mins. 

Tasty and fluffy Sweet Bun is ready !!!

Related: How to make Thengai Bun / Coconut Bun / Dilpasand 

For more baking recipe, check out here

Notes:

• While preparing the roux, make sure to stir it continuously, it tends to clump together at the bottom quickly.
• Cool the roux completely before use it in the dough.
• Kneed the dough well  to get that soft , smooth & non-sticky dough. 
• Add more or less of tutti frutti as per your liking.
• For more sweetness, you can add extra 1 tbsp of sugar.
• Adding little sugar in the milk for brushing the top of the bun helps to get that dark color on the top.
• While brushing the top of the bun with milk, don't over do it, otherwise, the milk drips and make the bun sticks to the pan and it's hard to remove from the pan once baked
  

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Karupatti Kuzhi Paniyaram | Sweet Paniyaram Using Dosa Batter

Karupatti Kuzhi Paniyaram, a delicious and quick to make sweet/snack with dosa batter. Traditionally,  separate batter is prepared to make the kuzhi paniyaram, but here in this recipe, we 're going to use the regular dosa batter. Still it tastes as awesome as the traditional one. 

More than kara kuzhi paniyaram, this sweet version of kuzhi paniyaram is my favorite. Amma makes this often for breakfast in addition to dosa and we grew up eating this alone for breakfast in the weekends, it was like our kind of donut breakfast. 

But now a days, i'm not making this often mainly because of the rare availability of karupatti in the places that i have been living for the past few years. Whenever i have seen them in grocery store, immediately i would grab them for making this karupatti paniyaram and karupatti coffee.

Sometime the flavor and taste of the karuppati that are available here would slightly differ from taste and flavor that i'm used to, so making this paniyaram is a very rare sight at my kitchen now a days.

A few months back, bought the karupatti from the local indian store and it's flavor and taste are so much like the one that i'm used to, so i have been using that in ration and try to keep it as long as i can :-), already made this paniyaram twice in the last one month.

 If you haven't tried this sweet version of paniyaram do give it a try, no need to make any special batter, dosa batter simply works fine, make sure that the batter is thick. Now let's check out the recipe.

Karupatti Kuzhi Paniyaram

Preparation Time : 5 mins | Cooking Time : 20 mins | Serves : 2 
Recipe Category: Curry | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Karupattai Kuzhi Paniyaram, Sweet Kuzhi Paniyaram,Kuzhi Paniyaram, Jaggery Paniyaram,Palm Kuzhi Paniyaram,Chettinad Kuzhi Paniyaram Karupatti Kuzhi Paniyaram, a delicious and quick to make sweet paniyaram with dosa batter. Traditionally, separate batter is prepared to make the kuzhi paniyaram, but here in this recipe, we 're going to use the regular dosa batter.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients
Dosa Batter - 1 cup
Karupatti/Palm Jaggery - 1/2 cup
Water - 2 tbsp
Grated Coconut - 1 tbsp
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
Oil/ghee - for frying
* See the notes section at the end for all tips to get perfect fluffy paniyaram

Procedure

Take the dosa batter from the refrigerator(if you have to) and let it come to room temperature. In a sauce pan, add the karupatti(you can use regular jaggery also here) and water and heat it in low flame.

Let the karupatti melt and then the strain the karupati syrup in to the dosa batter, next add grated coconut and cardamom powder.

Mix it all well together. Heat the paniyaram pan with little oil in each hole.

Pour the batter in each hole and cover cook(optional) it for few mins.

And then gently flip into the other side with small wooden stick/skewer and cook till it's golden brown. Remove on to the plate.

Tasty Karupatti Paniyaram is ready. 

Related: How to make Karupatti Coffee 

Notes:

• Don't add more water for making karupatti syrup, it will make the batter dilute.
• Instead of palm jaggery, regular jaggery can also be used
• Cook it in low flame, otherwise it's easily get burnt in the bottom because of the sugar in it.
• No need to check for any syrup consistency here, just let it melt is enough.
• Crush the karuppati in hand motor and pestle and then add into sauce pan for easy melting.
• Personally i like to use sesame oil for this paniyaram more than ghee. Use ghee if you prefer that flavor.
• Instead of grated coconut, you can used coconut bits also if prefer some crunchiness in between.
• Serve it hot or cold, it tastes good in either way. But i prefer to have it straight from the stove.
  

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