Tag Archives: Jaffna

Vaalai Poo Varai

Today’s and tomorrow’s recipes are focused on the flower of the banana tree. In Tamil, the banana flower is called “vaalai poo.” The banana flower is considered to have medicinal value, particularly as it reduces sugar levels and possesses antioxidant properties. Given that the fruit and the tree plays an important role in Tamil cuisine and culture, the flower is also considered a special dish when cooked.

Vaalai Poo Varai/ Banana flower fry

Time taken: 30 mins

Serves 5

Vaalai Poo VaraiIngredients:

  • Vaalai Poo/ Banana flower – 1 cup, chopped
  • Carrot – ½ , chopped
  • Green capsicum or malu miris – 1 or green chillies – 2, chopped
  • Red chilli – 1, chopped
  • Onion – ¼ cup, chopped
  • Curry leaves – 1 sprig
  • Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
  • Low fat oil – 1 tbsp
  • Scraped coconut – 2 tbsp
  • Curry powder – 1 tsp
  • Salt, to taste

Method:

  1. Chop up the vaalai poo. Add some salt and keep aside.
  2. Chop up the carrot, green capsicum, red chilli and onion.
  3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and fry the fennel seeds and onion for a minute.
  4. Add the rest of the chopped ingredients and the curry leaves. Cover the pan and cook, for around 10 mins, on low heat.
  5. Stir in the freshly scraped coconut and curry powder and cook for another 2 mins, mixing the ingredients well, before removing pan from stove.
  6. Serve with rice.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Sippi Sohi

Today’s Jaffna specialty snack recipe is that of “sippi sohi” (sea-shells). The snack actually resembles sea-shells if made in the traditional way. However, my mother generally makes her own colourful version of the sweet.

DSC00761Sippi Sohi

Time taken: 45 mins

Serves 6 – 8 persons

Sippi SoyiIngredients:

  • Rice flour – 1 cup, roasted
  • Urad dhal/ black gram flour – ¼ cup, roasted
  • Coconut milk – 1 cup
  • Sugar – ¼ cup
  • Water – 4 tbsp
  • Food colouring – optional
  • Oil, for deep-frying

Method:

  1. Combine the roasted rice flour and the roasted urad dhal flour and keep aside.
  2. Heat 1 cup of coconut milk, with a little salt, over medium heat. Once cooked, remove from stove and cool.
  3. When the milk has cooled slightly but is still warm, stir in the rice flour to make the dough.
  4. Roll out the dough and cut into little pieces. Alternatively, the traditional way of squeezing the dough through the mold can be used.
  5. Heat the oil and deep-fry the little pieces “sippi sohi” and transfer the fried pieces to a tray lined with grease absorbing paper.
  6. Prepare the sugar syrup by heating the sugar with water in a saucepan over medium heat.
  7. Food colouring can be added to the syrup, while heating in the saucepan. My mother used red food colouring here to have a colourful twist on the traditional plain syrup.
  8. Soak the fried “sippi sohi” into the sugar syrup till they are well coated and dry up.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Paruthithurai Vadai

Theepawali Nalvaalthukkal! (Theepawali greetings)

For today’s specialty food, I would like to share a delicacy from my birthplace – the “Paruthithurai Vadai”. This vadai is generally prepared in Jaffna during festival seasons. While I have had the privilege of trying out this vadai in different places across Jaffna as well as at the homes of friends and relatives, the best, crunchiest “Paruthithurai/Thattai Vadai” that I have eaten to date has been that made by my mother. So, here’s the recipe for it.

Paruthithurai/ Thattai Vadai

Time taken: 1 ½ hours + 6 hours (soaking time)

Makes 50 – 60

DSC00782Ingredients:

  • Split urad dhal – 1 cup
  • Wheat flour – 1 cup, steamed
  • Wheat flour – 1 cup, regular not steamed
  • Crushed chillies – 1 or 2 tbsp
  • Onion – 1, ground
  • Curry leaves – chopped
  • Fennel seeds – 1 tbsp
  • Salt, to taste
  • Water, as required
  • Oil, for deep-frying

Method:

  1. Soak the split urad dhal for around 6 hours. Drain and peel the skin.
  2. In a mixing bowl, add the drained and peeled split urad dhal, wheat flour both steamed and regular, crushed chillies, ground onion, chopped curry leaves, fennel seeds, salt, bringing them together using a little water to make the ‘vadai’ dough.
  3. Divide the dough into 50 – 60 balls. Flatten each ball on a flat surface that will not stick. Alternatively, the dough can be rolled out and cut into thin circles using a cutter;
  4. Heat the oil for deep-frying. Do not let the ‘vadai’ dough sit out too long and transfer to the frying pan as soon as the dough has been made and the balls have been flattened into the thin ‘vadai’ shape.
  5. Deep-fry the vadai in batches until they are golden brown.
  6. Transfer the vadai to a tray lined with grease absorbing paper. The vadai can be stored, for many days, in an air-tight jar.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Payatham Paniyaram

With Theepawali coming up this weekend, it’s time for some traditional snacks at home. My mother made a few quintessential Jaffna festival snacks so I will be sharing their recipes here.

Today’s recipe is my great grandmother’s recipe for ‘payatham paniyaram’ (a spiced green gram snack) which is a traditional Jaffna specialty made at all the festivals and celebrations in the peninsula. Plus, people tend to make this and send out to relatives in other cities or abroad as it keeps for a relatively long time.

Payatham Paniyaram

Time taken: 35 mins

Makes 20

Payatham paniyaaramIngredients:

  • Green gram – 1 cup, roasted flour
  • Red rice flour – 2 tbsp, roasted
  • Sugar – ½ cup
  • Cardamom – 6, crushed
  • White raw rice flour or wheat flour – ½ cup
  • Salt, to taste
  • Cumin powder, pepper powder, toasted coconut flakes – optional

Method:

  1. Combine the roasted green gram flour and the roasted red rice flour and keep aside.
  2. Melt ½ cup sugar in ¼ cup of water in a saucepan over low heat.
  3. When the syrup starts bubbling in a couple of mins, add the crushed cardamoms.  The optional cumin, pepper and toasted coconut flakes can be added now, if required. I prefer not to have the cumin or pepper added.
  4. Quickly add in the roasted green gram and red rice flour mix into the sauce pan, continuously stirring for a few mins, until the mixture is well-combined and easy to form into balls.
  5. Remove from stove and make about 20 balls of the spiced mixture.
  6. Make the dipping batter by combining the white raw rice flour (the preferred flour) or wheat flour with a little salt and water. Coat the balls in the batter.
  7. Heat the oil for deep-frying. Fry the balls until golden-brown on all sides. Transfer the ‘payitram paniyaram’ to a tray lined with grease absorbing paper.
  8. Serve when cooled. If coconut flakes are not added, the ‘paniyaram’ can be stored for many days.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Vaalakkai Varuval version 2

Today’s recipe is a slightly different version of vaalakkai varuval. I like ash plantains so I enjoy the different ways it is cooked, however slight the difference might be.

Vaalakkai Varuval/ Ash plantain fry version 2

Time taken: 30 mins

Serves 3

Ash plantain fry 2Ingredients:

  • Ash plantain – 2
  • Dried red chillies – 1 or 2, chopped
  • Shallots – 4 or 5 , chopped
  • Garlic – 2 or 3, chopped
  • Curry leaves – 1 sprig
  • Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
  • Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
  • Salt, to taste
  • Chopped coriander – ½ or 1 tsp
  • Low fat oil – 1 tbsp

Method:

  1. Boil ash plantain with skin. Remove peel and chop the boiled unripe fruit up.
  2. Add some salt and turmeric powder to the ash plantain pieces and keep aside.
  3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and fry the fennel, chopped dried red chillies, shallots and garlic for a few mins, until the aroma of the fried onions and garlic comes out.
  4. Add the marinated, chopped pieces of ash plantain and curry leaves and cook for about 10 mins, until sufficiently cooked.
  5. Garnish with chopped coriander or curry leaves.
  6. Serve with rice.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Vendhaya Kulambu

Today’s recipe is Vendhaya Kulambu/ Fenugreek curry, a Jaffna curry that is regularly made at home.

Vendhaya Kulambu

Time taken: 30 mins

Serves 3 or 4

Vendhaya kulambuIngredients:

  • Onion – 1 cup, chopped
  • Fenugreek seeds/ Vendhayam – 2 tbsp
  • Curry leaves – 2 sprig
  • Coconut milk – 1 cup
  • Tamarind juice extract – ½ cup
  • Curry powder – 1 ½ tsp
  • Salt – ¼ tsp
  • Low fat oil – 2 tbsp

Method:

  1. Soak the fenugreek seeds in water for about 10 mins. Drain and keep aside.
  2. Heat a tbsp of oil in a pan and fry the soaked and drained fenugreek seeds for a couple of mins.
  3. Add the curry leaves and chopped onion to the pan, along with another tbsp of oil.
  4. Saute till the onion changes colour and the aroma of fried onions wafts about.
  5. Add ½ cup of tamarind juice and ½ cup of coconut milk along with the curry powder and salt to the pan. Mix well.
  6. Increase the heat and let the ‘kulambu’ cook for about 5 – 10 mins. Do not let it dry up.
  7. Add the remaining ½ cup of coconut milk and let it simmer for another 5 mins before removing from stove.
  8. Serve with pittu or rice.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Sundal

Today is the last day of the Navarathri, the third day of the Saraswathie poosai. Dedicated to Goddess Saraswathie, the goddess of learning, wisdom and the creative arts, it is a special day.

SaraswathieThis day is when a special ‘poosai’ is held in my home. Besides the ‘poosai’ itself and the food, we also used to keep a symbol of an area of learning that we wished to strengthen during the coming year on the ‘poosai’ table. I remember as a child that I used to be excited about this aspect of the ‘poosai’ and particularly selecting the area of education I wished to strengthen. I always used to be the one bringing several school books plus my creative writing notepads to the table. It used to be my hope that my school grades for that year would improve astronomically along with writing and turning out globally acclaimed fictional masterpieces, by having been blessed during the ‘poosai.’ I have retained a fondness for this ritual.

DSC00671After the ‘poosai’ and after the musically inclined in the family had sung a few devotional songs and played a couple of pieces on their flute or violin,  we would quietly read our respective chosen book for the hour. As a kid, I used to be quite impatient towards the end of the book reading hour anticipating the ‘prasadam’ that would finally be served.

For today’s Navarathri recipe, I would like to share my mother’s recipe for sundal, the quintessential ‘poosai’ food that is always made in Hindu homes and temples during festival or special ‘poosai’ days.

Sundal

Time taken: 35 mins + 6 hours (for soaking)

Serves 4 or 5

SundalIngredients

  • Chickpeas – 1 cup
  • Onion – 1 tbsp, chopped
  • Dried red chillies – 2
  • Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
  • Coconut chips – 1 tbsp
  • Curry leaves – 1 sprig
  • Low fat oil – 1 tbsp

Method

  1. Soak the chickpeas for 6 hours.
  2. Boil the soaked chickpeas for ½ hour. Add salt a minute or two before removing from stove and stir.
  3. Drain the chickpeas after removing from stove.
  4. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and fry all ingredients, except the boiled and drained chickpeas, for 5 mins.
  5. Add the chickpeas to the pan. Mix well before removing from stove.
  6. Serve hot.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Aval

A Navarathri festival favourite from childhood is ‘aval’, a simple, quick to prepare delicious snack. So, for the first day of the Saraswathie poosai, I would like to share this simple recipe for ‘Aval’.

I have always thought of ‘aval’ as a sweet snack, generally prepared during ‘home poosai’ (prayer ceremony) as a ‘prasadam’ (blessed offering), but I came across the Indore Kanda Poha a few months back and was happily surprised it was a savoury, breakfast food. Here though, I am sharing the traditional way it is prepared in north Sri Lanka.

Aval

Time taken: 10 – 15 mins

Serves 2

AvalIngredients

  • Aval (flattened rice or puffed rice) – ½ cup
  • Coconut – ¼ cup, scraped
  • Sugar – 3 tbsp or Jaggery – 2 tbsp, chopped
  • Crushed cardamom – 1 tsp
  • Cashew nuts – 1 tsp, chopped
  • Raisins – 2 tsp

Method:

  1. Rinse the ‘aval’ in a bowl of water and drain it.
  2. Add ¼ cup of hot water to the cleaned ‘aval’ and let it soak for 5 mins. Drain.
  3. Heat a pan on low heat and dry roast the coconut for about 2 mins.
  4. Add the jaggery or sugar to the pan and continue cooking for another 2 – 3 mins.
  5. Add the crushed cardamom to the pan and stir before adding the ‘aval’ to the pan. Mix well before removing from heat.
  6. Garnish with chopped cashew nuts and raisins.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Kadalaiparuppu Vadai

Today’s Navarathri recipe for the third day of the Lakshmi ‘poosai’ is kadalaiparuppu vadai.

Vadai

Time taken: 15 mins + 3 hours (soaking time)

Makes 6

K vadaiIngredients:

  • Chickpea/ kadalaiparuppu – ½ cup, split
  • Crushed chillies – 1 tsp
  • Onion – 1, medium, ground or grated
  • Curry leaves – sprig, finely chopped
  • Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
  • Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
  • Salt – ½ tsp
  • Low fat oil, for deep frying

Method:

  1. Soak the de-skinned and split chickpea for about three hours. Drain.
  2. Keep aside 3 tbsp and then coarsely grind the remaining chickpea.
  3. Mix the coarsely ground chickpea and the 3 tbsp chickpea that had been kept aside.
  4. Add the remaining ingredients to the chickpea mixture and mix well.
  5. Divide the seasoned chickpea mixture into 6 balls.
  6. Heat the oil in a round-bottomed frying pan or wok.
  7. When the oil is ready, drop the chickpea balls into the sizzling oil.
  8. Fry for about two minutes each side, ensuring that each ‘vadai’ is lightly browned on all sides.
  9. Remove the ‘vadai’ from the pan and transfer to a plate lined with grease absorbing paper.
  10. Serve hot.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Ravai laddu

Today’s recipe for Navarathri is ravai laddu (semolina laddu).  The semolina laddu is the type of laddu that is commonly made in homes in northern Sri Lanka. The boondi or chickpea gram flour laddu is rarely made in homes and is usually available only in Indian sweet shops.

Ravai laddu

Time taken: 25 mins

Makes 5

Ravai ladduIngredients

  • Semolina/ ravai – ½ cup, slightly roasted
  • Sugar – ¼ cup
  • Vegetable oil margarine (preferably sunflower or canola) – 3 tbsp
  • Chickpea – 2 tbsp, fried and split (store-bought or overnight soaked and fried at home)
  • Cashew nuts – 2
  • Cardamom – 3, crushed
  • Raisin – 1 tbsp
  • Hot water – 2 tbsp

Method

  1. Heat the sugar and margarine in a pan for 2 mins on low heat.
  2. Add the fried, split chickpea to the pan as well as the chopped cashew nuts, raisins and crushed cardamom.
  3. Stir and cook for another 2 – 3 minutes until they have combined well.
  4. Add the semolina and stir for around 3 minutes.
  5. Increase the heat to medium and add 2 tbsp of hot water to the pan and mix well. Remove pan from stove.
  6. Scoop the mixture into a little mold and overturn to a plate. Let the laddu cool before serving.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.