Be My Guest - Madhura Kalthappam

I don't know how to start this post... I seriously don't know... those initial days when my cooking craze had just started and I was madly checking blogs after blogs for recipes for trials... that was when I landed up at Melange. I was instantly attracted to this blog mainly because of the traditional recipes that she posted. From her recipes, I figured out that she belonged to our neighboring Thrissur district. As soon as I saw the post of Ethakka Kozhicurry, which is a curry of raw plantains and chicken - a very odd albeit a lip-smacking combination for me! - I turned my head towards my fellow Thrissurkaaran colleague seated a couple of seats from me and quickly asked him, "Do you have a combination like this?" Then he started explaining how awesome this combination is... despite his explanation having tickled my taste-buds, I am yet to try this recipe, lying in the fag end of my really long to-do list.

More than this, my interaction with her started from her Paal Vaazhakka post. I have already written about it in so much detail when I prepared it for my blog, as to how much that particular recipe ticked a lot of nostalgic boxes as far as I was concerned. I wouldn't want to repeat it again... Dhyuthi, from then on, has been a lovely chechi to me. We have been keeping in touch on and off and I have loved our interaction so far. She has been really dotting and I sometimes feel that I have an elder sister that I don't have in my actual life. Thank you for being such a sweetheart, Dhyuthi... just like I keep saying, you are one of the best things that have happened to me as a part of my food journey...

So what does she bring for me? Another recipe which tickles my memories!!! This is one dish that my aunty-in-law - my HD's aunt - so effortlessly makes... She calls it "cookerappam" since it is made in a pressure cooker. I have never had this from our place, so the time we got married, I was hooked onto this whenever she made and since she knew I loved it, she would try to make it often for chai times, whenever we would be at home. I have tried making it a couple of times but failed in getting the correct texture, but now seeing Dhyuthi's post, I feel I have to make this very very soon... Off to her post now...


Rafee, the vivacious young blogger came to Melange as a surprise. Her enthusiasm and vibrance struck me the first time she commented on my PalVazhakka post. It was quite touching to read her lines that spoke for memory and relations. I loved the way she could connect the entire idea of food with life. The young exuberant she remains, hers is a popular face in the food blogging scenario these days. A very confined person myself, it's with much awe I see her as a person.

Many Thanks Rafee, for inviting me here to showcase one of my recipes. And yes, kudos for the patience of Job.

Madhura Kalthappam aka sweetened rice cake is a simple evening snack. Regular Kalthappam as well is popular in Malabar though not sweetened. I love the unique simple taste it offers. For most of us this would be an absolutely easy recipe since the ingredients are always available in the kitchen. Humble yet rocking. Try and see.


Ingredients

2 cup raw rice
1/4 cup cooked rice
1 cup jaggery syrup (boil 200 gm jaggery with 1/4 cup water and strain)
Pinch of salt
Pinch of baking soda
2-3tsp ghee / coconut oil
Handful of chopped coconut
2 shallots, sliced round wise
1/4tsp cumin seeds

Method

Wash and soak the raw rice for four hours. Meanwhile prepare the jaggery syrup and keep.

Heat oil in a small pan and roast chopped shallots and coconut separately and keep ready. Finally splutter the cumin seeds and keep handy as well. Now grind the rice and cooked rice adding jaggery syrup and salt. The syrup can be added slowly and grind. The batter should be of Idly batter consistency. Once done shift to a bowl and add the baking soda. Mix well.

Heat oil or ghee in a pressure cooker and reduce the heat. Drop few spluttered cumin seeds, roasted coconut and shallots. Pour the batter over this and garnish with the remaining cumin, shallots and coconut. Close with the lid and take out the pressure regulator (weight) from the pressure cooker. Increase the heat for one minute and then cook in the lowest flame for 10-12 minutes. Doneness can be checked with a toothpick or cake tester. Allow to cool and cut into required pieces. Enjoy...


I feel like coming around with a cup of tea to have this awesome kalthapam!!! Thank you so much once again, chechi, for coming by and making your presence felt on my little space... :)

Hope all of you enjoyed this lovely post as much as I enjoyed putting it up. Have a happy weekend, all of you...

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