Category Archives: dessert
Carrot Halwa – a seasonal delight

Indian cooking highly emphasizes eating right for the season and using seasonal produces. We have festivals based on change of season and harvests; and dishes based on the ingredients available in a season. Winter is the season for undhiyu, thiruvathira … Continue reading
Kesari Bath/Sooji Halwa

Kesari bath/sooji halwa is one of my favorite sweets. It is a common neivedyam (food offering made to God) and a sweet served along with breakfast at Palakkad Iyer weddings. It is made even when there is no special occasion … Continue reading
Ari Unda (Rice Laddoo)

Kerala’s very own sweet. Quintessential Kerala ingredients; rice, coconut, and jaggery; are used to make this unassuming sweet. Popping an ari unda into your mouth after a meal can be an utterly satisfying experience and the best part is that … Continue reading
Pazham Nurukku/Jaggery Coated Plantain/Steamed Plantain

Plantains are an integral part of Onam, the harvest festival of Kerala. Malayalis cannot think of an Onam without plantains. Keralites leverage plantain in all its forms and age. Raw plantains are deep fried and salted or jaggery coated to … Continue reading
Enna Pothi/Sweet Pouches

A fitting follower to Ela Ada, my previous post. The ingredients are the same as ela ada. Just that the proportions are different and they are mixed differently. These are little steamed pouches of a mixture of rice, jaggery, jackfruit … Continue reading
Ela Ada (Sweet Parcels)

Ela in Malayalam means leaf (in this case banana leaf) and ada means thick flat bread. Back home at Palakkad, ela ada is a must item on the day of Thiruvonam (harvest festival in Kerala) and sure shot on the menu when … Continue reading
Sharkara Payasam (Sweet Pongal)

People in different parts of India celebrate each festival in their own unique ways. In South, Makara Sankranti is a harvest festival. One of the items made with the newly harvested rice is Sharkara Payasam or Sweet Pongal. Back home we do not have … Continue reading
Thiruvathira Kali (Rice halwa)

Thiruvathira Kali, another festival special, the sweet rice halwa, also a kind of dance that women in Kerala perform during the Thiruvathira festival and during Onam. I still remember the kali that my ashalaathu mami (neighbor) used to make. Mami … Continue reading
Sweet Dosa

Samagni is back again after a long slumber! Times have changed. Monsoons are here. The summer treats like mangoes and jackfruit are not so easily found in the market. There are some but are not as tasty as they used … Continue reading
Modakam (Sweet Dumplings)

Sweet dumplings, a favorite of Lord Ganesha, special offering on Ganesh Chathurthi. Ingredients: Rice Flour - 1-1/2 cups Water - 1 -1/2 cups For Filling: Jaggery – 3/4 cup Water – 1/2 cup Coconut (grated) – 1 cup Cardamom – 1 teaspoon Sesame … Continue reading
