Jacky Chips

Jacky is a familiar fruit for us in Kerala because it grows mostly uninvited in the backyards of Kerala households. a totally non fuss fruit ready to lend its sweetness and goodness to all and sundry. while many of us love the fresh fruit and the seeds fried in oil and coconut slices, we do shun the strong and stubborn smell it exudes. people tend to ignore this benign infinitely buxom fruit (one fruit can weigh as much as 45 kg!) and i've seen it rotting in many a backyard.

Jackfruit is the national fruit of Bangladesh. it is predominantly found in Asia and the tropical lowlands of Brazil and Africa. it has a tough prickly skin which is studded and rough. you cut open and find a mesh of events within. the fibrous mass are the rags and enmeshed are the fleshy bulbs which enclose the seed. the seed is covered by a light yellow membrane which can be fried and eaten and it tastes very good.

Jacky is rich in protein, carbs, vitamins, potassium, phytonutrients all of which help the health wisely.

The raw fruit is fried as in the pic and steam cooked like kappa vevichathu. so when my mum sent me a portion of the big fruit by Air India along with some fried chips it was my first time cutting it up!  i quite liked it and i like such messy stuff...it's nice to see the filth clearing away..i threw off the bark, sectioned the fruit out carefully and scooped the seeds. had the bulbs fresh and fried the seeds, slicing them fine, boiling, draining and frying them in coconut oil with curry leaves, crushed garlic and shallots, turmeric and chilli powders, pepper and salt.

To make jacky chips you got to cut them fine (as in the pic). heat oil nicely. reducing the flame only a wee bit put them in, and they sizzle. add salt to it two-three mins later. take them out of oil before they brown. put them back again and jiggle them in the oil before lifting them out finally. this last step makes the chips crunchier and crispier.

There's a whole range of snacks and sweets that we make out of it like halwa, varattu, ada, thiyal...my mum in law makes them all...not me, oh yea!!

Anoop Negi's Eye Poppers

Onam in Kerala: Green Faces in Thought
(photo courtesy of Anoop Negi ©All Rights Reserved)

Theyyam: Attachamayam: Onam in Kerala
(photo courtesy of Anoop Negi © All Rights Reserved) 

Color Me Red: Thripunithara Carnival, Kerala
(photo courtesy of Anoop Negi © All Rights Reserved)

 

Fishing Apocalypse
(photo courtesy of Anoop Negi © All Rights Reserved)



Goa Carnival 2010
(photo courtesy of Anoop Negi © All Rights Reserved)

 

More Dancing: Goa Carnival (photo courtesy of Anoop Negi © All Rights Reserved)

Shakira of Goa! (photo courtesy of Anoop Negi© All Rights Reserved)



Michael Jackson Dies too Young!
(photo courtesy of Anoop Negi © All Rights Reserved)

At Work in Goa: Shirgao Yatra-Nah Not Sylvester
(photo courtesy of Anoop Negi © All Rights Reserved)

There's a painter by name Stephanie Tramontozzi. (her design website is undergoing a revamp but you can track her work in flickr) she says she has a big appetite for colours, textures and flavours...so do i...at least for colours and flavours. she's been feeling a little low in the sail this new year and been trying to find inspiration. and this post goes out especially to her; to Steph who loves a riot of colours as much as i do! hope this generous smattering of vibrant colours inspires her for her next rocking creation. oh and she cooks by the way....:P. down below are two of her works.

I first came across Anoop Negi's photo while i was doing an article on Goa. swell picture that was. as i browsed for Taj Hotel, Mumbai for my previous blog post i chanced on him again and i got hooked. i simply loved the celebration of colours in his photographs and was flattered by his strokes across our country showcasing its ethnographic richness.

Anoop Negi is a stock market investor who has been seriously dabbling in photojournalism for over ten years now...the photographs put up here are the ones that pinned me down. and this is just a peep hole to a plethora of his soul-stirring images. nudge these links for a closer look!

Anoop Negi in Obvious
Anoop Negi in ofindianorigin

From my short contact with him i gathered he's a great person to connect with and willing to share his knowledge and booty. you can spot him at

Flickr
Twitter
Facebook

As usual I troubled Yoboy for Blogger assistance in this post. thank you pal...you sure need a shout out :P

A Nifty Tour Guide

Taj Hotel, Mumbai

Photo courtesy of Anoop Negi © All Rights Reserved

Now carry your local guide in your pocket!

Many a time you're totally smitten by the travel bug but you feel jaded at the huge prospect of packaging a tour; you blink at the logistics invloved in it. with GPSmycity tour guides you can now confidently beetle off to your choice city and indulge your wanderlust.

GPSmycity.com is an archive of self-guided walking tour software applications on iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. these apps can be installed at very reasonable customer-friendly rates. once installed your iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad becomes your unerring guide to invade your dream city without coughing up too much currency. using GPS technology GPSmycity.com navigates around 2000 walking tours across 180 major cities in the world. it provides precise point-to-point directions to the touted landmarks and sights as well as the offbeat spots of each city.

Consider Mumbai. Swing by these links for a good look.

Mumbai Walking Tour
iPhone application Mumbai

What i have below is a quiz contest from the team at GPSmycity.com. those of you who send at least five correct answers (or how many ever you know :P) to quiz@gpsmycity.com will be awarded three city walk iPhone applications to cities of your choice.

1. Who is the only Indian to have been given honorary US citizenship?

A.Mahatma Ghandi
B.Mother Theresa
C.Rabindranath Tagore

2. Who was the first person to use zero as a number?

A.Brahmagupta
B.Archimedes
C.Jayadeva

3. The wooden pole in the centre of the Banganga Tank in Mumbai was created (as legends tell), by Lord Ram piercing the earth with his arrow. It is believed that the place signifies:

A.The entrance to the Underworld
B.A holy place all Indians should visit at least once in their life
C.The centre of the Earth

4.Nobel Laureate Rudyard Kipling who wrote Kim and The Jungle Book was born in:

A.Delhi
B.Mumbai
C.Agra

5. What type of uniforms do the traffic cops in Mumbai wear?

A.Yellow shirt and long shorts
B.Green costumes
C.White shirt and khaki trousers

6.Home to India’s Hindi film and television industry, Mumbai is known as:

A.Bollywood
B.Nollywood
C.Tollywood

7. What is the most popular sport in Mumbai?

A.Soccer
B.Cricket
C.Tennis

8.At the Prince of Wales Museum in Mumbai, there is an original portrait of a former US President. Motivated by history or not, the portraits belongs to no one else but:

A.Thomas Jefferson
B.Theodore Roosevelt
C.Abraham Lincoln

9. Any Bombayite knowns that "town" means south of Churchgate, which is a:

A.Railway station
B.Church
C.City Gate

10. The railway line from Mumbai to Pune through Bhor Ghat was built in 1863 by:

A.A woman
B.100 slaves
C.12 elephants

So boot and bundle up to your dream city with GPSmycity.com!

Steam Cooked Cassava Kerala Style/Kappa Vevichathu

Cassava is something rampantly found in my place and the main stay in almost all homes. it's cheap and high in carb which makes a regular appearance in the toiling labourer's humble home. my maid in hometown says her dad in law has to have it EVERYDAY for breakfast before setting out into the fields for gruelling work under the blazing sun. this is our traditional recipe and we have it with kachiya moru (cooked buttermilk or khadi) and the fiery red fish curry...hmmm yumm.

cassava-2 kg
grated coconut-1 cup
shallots-10
garlic flakes-4
green chillies-3
bird's eye chilli-6
cumin-1 pinch
turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
salt

Seasoning

mustard seeds-1 tsp
shallots-2-3
curry leaves
dried red chilli-2-3
oil

Peel the cassava and clean them. chop them as in the photograph. except for the cassava grind all the ingredients apart from the seasoning coarsely or smooth; as you like it. back in my home town we grind it on our traditional stone called arakallu. it's said it comes out tastier. don't wing away at the mention of so many chillies. it's not spicy for 2 kg cassava. imagine we include bird's eye chillies too. we love them. and we have this with the hot red fish curry. mouth watering or eyes...hahaha.

In a large thick bottomed pan drop the cassava slices along with adequate water and very little salt. let it cook till the cassava turns tender and is cooked well. drain off the water. put it on flame again. drop the ground coconut mix right in the middle digging a hole in the cassava. the idea is to steam cook the coconut mix in the cassava with the very little water from the grinder. remember to sprinkle salt water as salt proper may get stuck in undesirable places in the cassava. add some curry leaves. let it cook for close to ten mins reaching a consistency where the water is absorbed at the same time the cassava not too dry (look pic).

Splutter the seasoning in oil and garnish the cassava. serve hot. enjoy and get healthy!

For a south east asian sweet cassava delicacy check out my friend Jun's Cassava Cake at indochinekitchen.

NZ Black Coffee the Kerala Way

I love black coffee. especially with palm jaggery. es especially with a dollop of ghee in it. have you tried it this way? pl do. it's simple, honest and absolutely charming. i always take the last sip of it with a streak of disappointment. and i always want more...

I've used the NZ Fairtrade coffee powder my bro got for me. brew it the normal way. sweeten it with the bits of palm jaggery as suits you and drop that dollop finally after you've served it in a cup. enjoy the zing! mighty pals :)

Grape Wine

Our Christmas traditions are incompete without home made wine and fruit cake. my mum in law is an expert in wine making. our guests had an enjoyable time with it. i'm in a hurry and lemme quickly get down to the recipe.

black wine grapes-1 kg
sugar-1 kg
yeast-1 tsp
wheat grains-1 tsp
water-2 litre (boiled and cooled)

Wash the grapes and combine all ingredients except the water and keep in a big air tight urn or glass bottle. add the water and mix thoroughly and store for twenty one days. don't forget to stir EVERYDAY. then strain. again store the strained mix in air tight urn for twenty one days WITHOUT STIRRING. fill the wine in glass bottles that are air tight. there will be adequate color to the wine and you need not add color. it's ready for use. enjoy in sips or gulps as per your discretion :)

Happy New Year!

Banoffee Pie and Merry Christmas

Christmas is here!! i love this time of the season. good climate (here for us!), holidays, get togethers, food and joy and warmth. only the good things and no space for the bad. everyone is busy pulling out recipes to make a difference on their Christmas table. here i have banoffee pie, an English dessert made from banana, cream and the like. many of us don't like this rich fruit but banoffee pie is glorious with the toffee sauce wrapped around it. it's not a budget-friendly dessert but an excellent option on your Christmas platter. and it's after all Christmas and time to indulge!!

You can also take a look at my fruit cakes: Sherry Christmas Cake and Easy Fruit Cake

chocolate biscuits (bourbon or hide n seek or any)-15-20
butter (melted)-1/4 cup + 1 tbsp
cream cheese-400 gm OR
cheese spread (250 gm) +  shredded cottage cheese (100 gm)
powdered sugar-2/3 cup
cornflour-2 tbsp
egg-3
banana (robusta)-3/4 cup (two big bananas) OR 1/2 cup (if you want lighter banana taste)
cream-1/2 cup
vanilla essence-2 tsp
instant coffee powder-1-2 tsp

toffee sauce

sweetened condense milk-1 tin
butter-100 gm
vanilla essence-1 tsp

caramelized sugar frill

Heat three or four tsp of sugar and melt in excess butter in a pan. take it off when sugar changes colour. keep it for some seconds for the sugar to settle so that you can see two distinct layers of butter and sugar. scoop out the sugar with a spoon to get a frill.

Powder the biscuit and mix with butter. press to the bottom of a large pie dish and set in the refrigerator for ten mins.
Beat the cream cheese and sugar well.
Add the corn flour to it. combine. then add eggs one at a time and beat well.
Mash the banana and combine well with the cream, vanilla essence, coffee powder. add this combo to the cream cheese-sugar mix.
Pour this atop the set biscuit-butter base. bake at 150 C for 40 mins or till it sets.

For the toffee sauce combine the toffee sauce ingredients in a thick bottomed pan and stir and thicken on a low flame.

Swirl the toffee sauce liberally on it.

Enjoy!