Aapam & Thengaipaal

Aapam with coconut milk is a classic combination relished very dearly in Tamilnadu. This is generally had as a holiday breakfast as it is considered sedating and the recipes slightly vary from household to household due to choice of taste and texture. I have inherited the recipe for aapam from my mom and adapted part of the coconut milk recipe from my mom-in-law. Coconut milk is known for healing ulcers though high in saturated fat while poppy seeds have nerve soothing effect and are slightly tranquilizing.

Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 60 min (Soaking & Fermenting time excluded)

Cooking Time: 15 min

Ingredients:

For Aapam:

1.       Raw rice – 1 cup

2.      Idly rice – 2 cups

3.      Fenugreek – 2 tbsp

4.      Salt to taste

5.       Oil as required

For Coconut milk:

1.       Coconut – 1small

2.      Milk – ½ cup

3.      Water – ½ cup

4.      Cardamom – 3

5.       Poppy seeds – ½ tbsp.

6.      Cashew nuts – 4

7.       Sugar – 5 tbsp

Method:

Aapam:

Step 1: Wash and soak both the rice together and fenugreek separately for 2 hours.

Step 2: Grind the fenugreek for 2 minutes first and then add to it the rice and grind until a very fine texture is obtained.

Step 3: Now add slightly less salt than for dosa batter and mix it to thinner than dosa batter consistency.

Step 4: Let it ferment overnight or until it is fluffy and you smell it fermented. Then refrigerate it until use and between uses.

Step 5: For preparing aapams, heat the aapam tawa and slightly grease with oil if required; pour a ladle full of batter in the centre and rotate the tawa by holding in both the hands to flow in circle and form a nice aapam.

Step 6: Cover with lid for 2 min and take out when the centre is cooked and borders look brown. It forms a shallow bowl shape and is soft & porous in the centre and crispy on the edges.

Step 7: Serve hot with coconut milk.

Coconut milk:

Step 1: Soak poppy seeds and cashew nuts in water for an hour.

Step 2: Break and grate or chop the fresh coconut.

Step 3: Grind well the coconut, poppy seeds, cashew nuts, cardamom and sugar in the mixer jar along with the milk.

Step 4: Strain it using a mesh and collect the coconut milk in a bowl. Grind the residue once again with plain water and strain it into the previously obtained coconut milk.

Step 5: Repeat if you think the residue had some juice left in it, else discard it.

Step 6: Stir the coconut milk; adjust sugar and consistency. Refrigerate it immediately, and use within a day or two.

TIPS:

*Prepare Coconut milk an hour in advance and refrigerate it for better taste and convenience.

*Aapam requires minimum or no oil when prepared in non-stick aapam pan.

*Generally grinding in wet grinder renders better batter than mixer ground batter.

*Usually coconut milk is prepared by simply grinding the grated coconut with some water, squeezing and filtering out the milk and adding cardamom powder and sugar to it. If using ready coconut milk, thin it with water or milk, mix cardamom and sugar.

Varagu Arisi Pongal

Varagu arisi is Quinoa grain that seemed to have originated from the current day Peru region in South America. Another piece of information: this year has been announced as the international year of quinoa by United Nations. I have heard of the usage of this very nutritious grain in Tamilnadu from my grannies and have had it few times. My mom had bought me some quinoa three months back and I had cooked it only today which I share here.

Serves: 2

Preparation Time: 5 Min

Cooking Time: 20 Min

Quinoa/ Varagu Arisi

Ingredients:

1.       Quinoa – 1 cup

2.      Moong Dal – 1/3 cup

3.      Salt to taste

4.      Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

5.      Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

6.      Pepper corns – 1 tsp

7.      Asafoetida – 1 pinch

8.     Ghee – 2 tbsp

Method:

Step 1: Wash quinoa and moong dal and pour 3 ½ cups water, soak for 15 minutes and pressure cook with some salt and turmeric.

Step 2: Heat ghee in a tadka pan, splutter cumin seeds & pepper and sprinkle asafoetida.

Step 3: Pour the tempering over the pongal and mix well.

Step 4: Serve hot drizzling some ghee above it with coconut chutney.

TIPS:

*You can add cashew nuts, curry leaves and a couple of dry red chilies in tadka.

Plain Kadhi

Kadhi is like the north Indian equivalent of south Indian ‘Mor kuzhambu’, both have yoghurt or curds as the base; however, the preparation varies much. I would say kadhi (just the gravy) is easier and hassle free to prepare compared to southern versions, taste-wise both are very different. Plain kadhi which I have shared here is what I call as hot raita for it seems as simple as that.

Serves: 2

Preparation Time: 2 minutes

Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

1.       Curds – 1 cup

2.       Gram flour – 1 tbsp

3.       Turmeric – 1 pinch

4.       Green chilies – 2

5.       Cumin seeds – ½ tsp

6.       Curry leaves – 1 sprig

7.       Asafoetida – 1 pinch

8.       Salt to taste

9.       Sugar – 1 tsp

10.   Oil – ½ tbsp

Method:

Step 1:  Beat the curds to a smooth consistency; mix to it the gram flour and turmeric powder.

Step 2: Heat oil in a pan, splutter cumin seeds, sprinkle asafoetida, add curry leaves and chopped chilies and simmer the stove.

Step 3: Pour in the mixed curds and keep stirring continuously in simmer to prevent curdling.

Step 4: When it thickens and starts to boil add enough salt & sugar and mix well.

Step 5: Turn off stove and transfer to another vessel immediately.

Step 6: Serve hot or warm with Kitchadi or rice or roti.

TIPS:

*Instead of green chilies you can mix red chili powder with the curds and flour which is how it is generally made.