kerala specials

[Perfection]

Sheera

Ingredients

1 cup semolina (or cream of wheat)
1/4 cup sugar or more to taste
1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)
3 cups water
1/2 tsp. cardamom powder, chopped nuts (like cashewnuts and almonds) and raisins

Method

Heat ghee (clarified butter) in a pan on medium level till it is hot. Add semolina. Stir well and fry on low heat for 7 minutes or till the semolina is lightly roasted. Keep aside mix the sugar, cardamom and water in a vessel. Bring to boil and keep on medium / low heat uncovered for 2 minute stirring periodically.

Now add water mixture and stir well. Bring to boil and turn heat on low immediately. Keep on low heat, stirring periodically (after every minute), till the mixture is dry. Sprinkle chopped nuts and raisins. Serve with a dollop of ice-cream.

[smitha]

Aresalu or Sweet Rice from South India

Ingredients

2 cups Rice (Soak rice for 24 hours and then dry it on a flat plate with the rice evenly spread in a single layer, then dry roasted and finely powdered)

2 cups Brown sugar (Jaggery or Bellam)
Poppy seeds
Oil to fry

Method

Mix 2 cups of water and 2 cups of Brown sugar and then boiled to a level where it is neither too sticky nor too diluted (THEEGA PAAKAM should be fine). Now with the syrup still on the stove set to low flame, add rice powder slowly to this syrup by mixing it evenly till it becomes a paste. Set this paste aside and shape into small round balls the size of a lemon and patted in the poppy seeds container and pressed flatly. Fry this in oil or ghee until brown. Drain on a paper towel.

[phnalves]

sams chicken is the best.