Kerala food: Achappam

Achappam is a crisp savory. It is round, golden brown in color and with an intricate design that resembles a flower. A mold heated in oil is used to make it; ‘achu’ in Malayalam means mold.

I used to think that achappam is a South Indian delicacy till reading recent posts (June 21, 22) in my good friend Jacob Matthan’s Jacob's Blog (an interesting site, I must say). He and his wife Annikki stay in Oulu, Finland. They go to a Thai restaurant in Oulu and guess what they find? Achappam!

This image is from Jacob's Blog, which has a few good pictures of the savory. Jacob immediately writes about it in his blog. He follows it up by providing the recipe for this delicacy. And the recipe is by none other than late Mrs. K.M. Mathew, the famous culinary expert. Jacob is her nephew.

Go to Jacob's Blog and read all about it.

Ends.

Also see:

Kerala Cuisine: Manga thera (mango mat) recipe

A power-pack for breakfast.

This is a banana based breakfast recipe that is flexible, simple to make, considered to be very healthy, and tasty.

I won’t write much about the benefits and nutritional value of bananas because that would cover several pages. Generally, these wonder fruits are supposed to build immunity, help in blood purification, provide energy and assist digestion. They combine vitamins (A, B6, C, E), minerals, and fiber along with several other beneficial nutrients and medicinal properties. A medium sized banana is supposed to have only 86 calories.

For this recipe what is required is the Kerala banana (most of it comes from Tamil Nadu), which is locally called Nendran/Nenthran or Ethakkai. The famous Malabar (Kerala) chips are made from these before they ripen. The fruit is usually about 7 to 9 inches long. There are several Kerala recipes using this type of banana when it is ripe or unripe. The ripe ones (boiled) are also served as a stand alone breakfast food.

Outside South India, these fruits should be available in ethnic shops.

Now the recipe for power-pack breakfast for one:

Ingredients: 1 fully ripe Kerala banana, 1 chicken egg, 2 slices of whole wheat bread.
Method:

1. Cut off about half inch from both ends of the banana
2. Steam it with skin on till fully done. If the fruit is too big, it can be cut into 2 or 3 pieces
3. When done, remove the skin and the strings on the outside of the flesh. (Removing strings is optional.)
4. Cut the banana lengthwise and open it out fully to form a base sheet.
5. Remove the strings of tiny seeds in the middle of the banana (optional)
6. Top with freshly fried (to individual preference) egg
7. Serve with 2 slices of whole wheat bread.

I have this breakfast sometimes. My choice is lightly fried egg because the yolk would spread on the boiled banana.

(Acknowledgement: My wife, Annie.)

Also see
Ammachi's Health Recipe - may lower cholesterol, blood sugar.