Maladu - Dalia laddoos

This is one of the first sweets that come to mind which amma used to make in a jiffy. Appa and I had the sweet tooth in the house and usually it started off with "onnume illai chapadarathukku" (there is nothing to eat)
amma: "murukku, mixture irukke, poyi eduthukko". (there is murukku and mixture, go take it)
me: "sweet onnum illai" (but there are no sweets)
amma: "maladu pannatuma." (shall i make maladu? )
me: ok (very very happy that amma consented to make something sweet)

In the present day my son loves this quickie and it is one of very few sweets he likes. He is more of a savoury person and I make it quite often. In tamil brahmin weddings, maladu is one of the primary sweets given to the invitees as cheeru. It is usually made to order and is big in size(almost the size of an apple) than the ones made at home.

Ingredients

Dhalia(pottu kadalai, porikadalai) - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Ghee - 3/4 cup
Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Method

1. Powder the dhalia and sugar together in a mixie to a fine powder. Set aside.
2. Add cardamom powder and mix well.
3. Heat ghee. Add it little by little and roll the mixture into small lemon sized balls. You will need to re heat the ghee often to make the laddoos as warmer the ghee the less it is needed for making laddoos.

Store in an air-tight jar for upto 2 weeks (if it will last that long!). The powdered dhalia- sugar mix can be prepared and stored ahead until needed and will be even quicker to prepare.

Pazham Nurukku - Banana Caramel

This is a traditional Kerala recipe, made from ethan pazham (ripe banana's of kerala variety). Its easy to make and is a great snack item.

Ingredients
Ethan Pazham -- 3 Nos chopped into bite sized chunks along with the skin
Jaggery/Gud --- 1 cup
Powdered cardamom -- 1 tsp
water -- 2 tbsp
Ghee -- 1 tbsp

Method
1. Steam the chopped ethan pazham pieces so that the banana chunks get partly cooked. The skin will peel off leaving a cooked banana.
2. In a thick bottomed vessel, place the jaggery and add 2 tbsp water. The jaggery will melt, turn down the stove, and add cardomom powder, 1/2 tbsp ghee and the peeled banana pieces.
3. Toss well, so that the banana chunks get a nice coating of the melted jaggery.
4. Add the remaining ghee and let the mixture simmer for a couple of minutes. All the the while make sure that the stove is turned down to minimum and the jaggery mixture does not become stringy.
Remove from stove and let it cool down a little. Serve warm.

Sharkarai Pongal

Sharkarai Pongal made in my antique venkala panai.

On festival days or on special occasions such as Devi puja, sharkarai pongal is the sweet dish offered as neivedyam. Sharkarai means jaggery in tamil and malayalam, and when mixed with rice it is called sharkarai pongal.

Ingredients
Rice -- Short grained raw rice 1 cup
Water - 2.5 cups
Jaggery (powdered) - 2 cups
Ghee -- 3 tbsp

For Garnish
Cardomom pods -- 5 pods
Cashewnuts -- 6-7nos broken

Method

1. In a heavy bottomed vessel cook the rice with the water.
2. Once the rice is cooked add the powdered jaggery. Mix well. The jaggery will make the mix watery.
3. Add 2 tbsp if ghee to the rice and let the mixture simmer for a few more minutes. All this while keep the heat at medium and keep mixing the rice so that the bottom does not burn.
4. Powder the cardomom in a mortar and add to the rice. By now you will see a layer of ghee at the top, and the mix will be more solid consistency.
5. In a separate vessel fry the cashews in the remaining ghee and add to the mixture. Mix well. Let it cool a bit. Serve warm.

Note: Add jaggery only after the rice is cooked. Rice will not cook once the jaggery is added and will be hard to bite into.