Cheppe kheeri (turmeric leaves flavoured rice in coconut milk)...a true konkani festive delight

Cheppe kheeri is a rice pudding flavoured with turmeric leaf In konkani "Cheppe " means no sugar or salt completely bland but still we konkanis love this dish because of the unique flavour that comes from the turmeric leaves(haldi paan/patholi paan) and coconut milk..some prefer to season it with salt but i like it as it is.This dish is specially prepared during Nagpanchami and Ganesh chaturthi.

Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Total time: 25 mins
Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Basmathi rice/flavoured rice
• 3 cups Fresh grated Coconut
• 2 Fresh turmeric leaves

Cooking Directions

1. First grind coconut with 3cups of water to smooth paste.
2. Now mix washed rice and coconut paste and cook on low flame.
3. While its cooking add turmeric leaves and cook rice till soft and mushy,the consistency should be like our rice pudding/kheer.
• Relish it with or without salt....My kids love to have it with sugar just like rice pudding but flavoured with turmeric leaf

God appo/sweet paddu/...ganesha chaturthi special

God appo is a very divine konkani dish specially prepared during ganesh chaturthi .We mangaloreans offerGod appo instead of Modak .Therefore this dish is a must on that day.'God" means sweet in konkani and jaggery also known as god.This appo is usually offered to Lord Ganesha as prasad in my temples even in Sankashti day every month.But usually my mom used to prepare this once a year during Ganesha chaturthi.So even now i follow her tradition and make sure to prepare this without fail and my kids love it too.

Yield: 12 - 15
Ingredients

• 2cups Wheat flour/atta
• 1cup Grated jaggery
• 1 Banana( mashed)
• 2tbsp Fresh grted coconut
• 1/2tsp Salt
• 1/2tsp Baking soda(optional)
• Ghee for frying

Cooking Directions

1. Grind coconut,jaggery and banana to a smooth paste using 2cups of water
2. Add this paste to wheat flour and add salt and if you are using baking soda add at that too ,blend it well and prepare smooth batter.The batter should be thick like idli or pancake batter.
3. Let the batter rest for an hour.
4. Now heat appo tava and pour heaped tsp of ghee in each mould and then fill it with appo batter.
5. Cover it with a lid and cook over low flame for 2 mins or till done.
6. Now again pour some ghee and flip all the appos using spoon or fork and cook again for a minute .Paddu prepared may stick to the molds.You have to be careful while handling these appos because it may stick to the mould so have patience while taking out the appo from the mould.
7. Serve hot or cold ..you can enjoy this for appo for couple of days without refrigeration as it is fried in plenty of ghee.

 

Chakkuli/chakli/muruku

Chakkuli/muruku is a deep fried indian snack enjoyed in every household specially during festive season,especially during deepavali,ganesh chaturthi and nagapachami.So i make sure to prepare these crispy snack at least on these festivals.This is very easy and simple recipe which i got from my neighbour.

Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Yield: 20 medium sized chakklis
Ingredients

• 2 cups Rice flour
• 1/4 cup Besan/ gram flour
• 1tbsp Melted butter
• 1/2tsp Ajwain
• 1/2tsp Red chilly powder
• 1tsp Black sesame seeds/thil

Cooking Directions

1. Mix rice flour,red chilly powder,ajwain,black sesame seeds,besan/gram flour and salt to taste
2. Now pour melted butter and mix it well.
3. Add water little by little as required,form a stiff dough.
4. Let it rest for 10 - 15 mins.
5. Now take a chakkuli maker and use one star attachment and start preparing chakkuli.Use plastic sheet or Banana leaf and grease it well with oil.
6. Now press the dough on the plastic sheet,Slightly rotate the chakkuli maker round and round until you make a circle.
7. Heat oil in a deep frying pan and gently remove the chakkuli from the moist hands and slowly slide into hot oil.
8. Fry till golden brown and drain them on kitchen towel or paper .
9. Let it cool and store in airtight container.