Topic started by Rakhi (@ grouper-65.netexpress.net) on Thu Dec 18 17:39:14 EST 2003.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Hi all,
I am just sharing a traditional christmas menu from my native place.
In our place,the celeberation starts from December 1st.We clean our houses and put up crib,chrsitmas tree and stars and lights.You see christmas trees,stars and lights in almost
every houses on the streets.
The menu below is a very traditional one in my family.several recipes are my grand ma's which she herself learnt from her mother or her grandma.
the recipe for pappaas and chaps are so rare,I once searched the internet and did not get it.You will not find them anywhere else.

A Traditional Christmas menu:

breakfast
---------

vellayappam(paalappam)
meat stew
steamed banana
tea/coffee


lunch
-----

appetizers:

home-made grape wine
rum cake(rich fruit cake)

1st course:

sweet bread
chicken pappaas
meat cutlet


2nd course:
sweet bread
pork vindaloo
liver roast

3rd course:

rice
meat chaaps
chicken korma
duck roast
fish curry
fish fry
cabbage thoren
kaalan
pickle
pappads
salad

dessert:
fruit salad/payasam


tea-time
--------
pazham pori(banana roast)
mutta kuzhalappam(love letter)
vattayappam,achappam,unniyappam etc

Here are some recipes.More will follow.watch out for chaaps and pappaas.


Vellayappam
-----------
rice flour -- 2 cups
grated coconut -- 1 cup
cumin powder --1 pinch
sugar --4tbsp
yeast --1 tsp
milk -- as desired
salt -- a pinch
coconut water


Grind together coconut and cumin to a fine paste.In a large vessel,pour this and mix with rice flour.Heat some water(1/4 cup) and dissolve yeast in it.add this also to the mixture.Now for the reqd consistency,add milk or coconut milk.finally add sugar.keep this overnight.
In a paalappa chatti,smear some oil,pour the batter one scoop ,hold the pan with both hands turn the pan around till the lace is formed and close the lid.do not turn on other side.when cooked,remove.u can also use regular pan.

STEW
----
Ingredients
stew meat(optional) -1 and 1/2 kg
potato,carrot,green peas - 1 cup each
ginger -one small piece
onion -1 large
garlic -6 pods
green chillies -6
curryleaves
oil - tsp
chilli powder -1 tsp
turmeric powder -1/2 tsp
ground pepper -1/2 tsp
ginger garlic paste -2 tsp
coconut milk -4 cups
vinegar -2 tbsp
salt
spices to grind
cinnammon
cardamom
nutmeg
pepper
fennel
cloves
Method
1.Cut stew meat and wash thoroughly.Drain excess water.
2.Add 1 tsp chilli powder,1 tsp salt,1/2 tsp turmeric powder,1/2 tsp pepper powder,
ground spices,ginger garlic paste and pressure cook the meat till 10 whistles
or till it is done.
3.Cut potatoes and carrots to very small pieces.Steam the potatoes,carrots and peas with
salt.
4.Extract coconut milk.Keep the first extract aside.Make 2 more extractions.
5.In a pan,heat oil,saute curryleaves,green chillies,garlic,ginger,onion.Add 1 tsp
coriander powder.
6.Add the cooked veg.s and fry for a minute.
7.Add this to the meat,and add the coconut milk(2nd and third extractions),1 cup of
water and bring to a boil.
8.Add the first extracted milk now.When the sides start boiling,add 2 tbsp vinegar.
Do not let it boil.
Take off the stove and serve hot.


Christmas/Rum Cake(Rich fruit cake):
------------------------------------

maida flour 1 cup
Baking powder 1 teaspoon
Cinnamon powder 1/4 teaspoon
Nutmeg powder 1/4 teaspoon
Cloves powder 1/4 teaspoon
Dry Ginger powder 1/4 teaspoon
Raisins 1/4 pound
Dates 1/4 pound
Candied fruits , Orange
and Lemon peel 1/4 cup
plum,cherry,cranberry,
other dried fruits 1/4 cup
Gold Rum 1/4 cup
chopped Cashews 1/2 cup
Butter 1/4 pound
Sugar 1 cup
Sugar 1/4 cup (To make caramelized sugar)
Eggs 3
Salt 1 teaspoon
Vanilla essence 1 teaspoon
almond essence 1 teaspoon
caraway seeds 1/4 teaspoon

Method:
1.Slice the dried fruits and coat them with 2 tablespoon

flour. Mix with rum and Keep this closed at room temperature

for one day.
2.Chop cashews and smear them with almond essence and keep

them also closed for one day.
3.Sift flour,baking powder ,Cinnamon powder ,Nutmeg powder

cloves powder ,Dry Ginger powder together 2-3 times.Add all

fruits,nuts,caraway seeds to the flour and mix well.
4. caramelize sugar in a heavy bottom pan.keep to cool.
5.Whisk the butter,then add sugar and whisk well until it is

creamy.
6.separate eggs to whites and yolk.
Now add the yolks and whisk well.
7. add flour to the whisked batter.mix thoroughly.
8.add caramelized sugar to this and again mix thoroughly.
9.whisk whites of eggs with vanilla and salt.Pour this to the
batter.
10.Grease a pan and line with parchment paper.pour batter
till half of pan and bake in a preheated oven at 350F for 1-1
1/2 hrs.
11.Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a cooling
rack.when cooled smear with 2 tsp rum.cover the cake completely with wax paper first, and then with aluminum foil and keep in the refrigerator. use after one week.

Makes 1 loaf of cake.

Vattayappam
-----------

rice flour -- 2 cups
grated coconut -- 1 cup
sugar --1/2 cup
yeast --1 tsp
coconut milk -- as desired
salt -- a pinch
coconut water
egg whites--2
raisins


Grind coconut to a fine paste and mix with flour.Add coconut milk also.Mix yeast with warm water,coconut water and sugar in a cup and keep aside.It will rise after 10 min.s.Mix this with the dough.Add sugar and egg whites.Mix well and keep aside for rising.Grease a thali or shallow round vessel with oil/ghee and pour the batter.sprinkle a few raisins,cherries diced etc on top.Steam in a steam cooker.

Pazham pori
------------

nenthra pazham/ethakka(u can get them in Kerala stores)
maida/all purpose flour
sugar--2 tsp
pinch of turmeric
cumin seeds-a pinch
oil for deep fry


mix maida ,water,tumeric,cumin and sugar well.it should be thick (thick like ada maavu or thicker than idli maavu)mix well till all lumps are gone.if too thick,use more water,if loose,use more maida.adjust turmeric(just for the color) and sugar(for sweetness)
now slice the bananas longtitudinally and thin.
dip in the maavu ,it should be well coated.

heat a deep-fry pan,add oil,when it heats up well,put the pieces and fry them

Responses:

• From: Theriyaamathaan Kekkiren (@ 1cust56.tnt2.bloomington.il.da.uu.net) on: Thu Dec 18 21:31:16 EST 2003
  
  //lunch
  -----
  appetizers:
  
  home-made grape wine
  rum cake(rich fruit cake)
  
  1st course:
  
  sweet bread
  chicken pappaas
  meat cutlet
  
  2nd course:
  sweet bread
  pork vindaloo
  liver roast
  
  3rd course:
  
  rice
  meat chaaps
  chicken korma
  duck roast
  fish curry
  fish fry
  cabbage thoren
  kaalan
  pickle
  pappads
  salad
  
  dessert:
  fruit salad/payasam
  
  //
  
  Does your family consist of people or elephants???
  
  
  
  
• From: Megalavairamani (@ ac1.emirates.net.ae) on: Sun Dec 21 16:19:05 EST 2003
  
  Dear Rakhi,
  your menu details are vrry nice&your view is highly appreciable.Thanks for yr traditional recipe.happy christmas.
  
  
• From: LT (@ dhcp-0-2-e3-5-ca-b1.cpe.townisp.com) on: Mon Dec 22 00:02:27 EST 2003
  
  Hello Rakhi,
  
  Great work. Looking forward to more great recipes!
  
  
• From: fairhaz (@ mac300182.med.cornell.edu) on: Mon Dec 22 05:48:46 EST 2003
  
  Hi Rakhi,
  
  Wish you and your family a Merry Christmas. Thank you for sharing with us your family tradition. I will look out for the recipes. Your recipe for Vellapam is very different. I will surely try it out.
  
  Thank you,
  
  
• From: shoba (@ bbcache-17.singnet.com.sg) on: Wed Dec 24 00:10:41 EST 2003
  
  rakhi,
  thanks for this post. i was actually looking for traditional xmas bfast, lunch and dinner menu. life saver, thanks!
  
  do you have a recipe for kuzhalappam?
  
  any tips for easter?
  
  also would like to know what's served for ramzan, eid and muharram. we run a restaurant and would like to have "thematic menus"
  
  thanks!
  shoba
  
  
• From: Rakhi (@ grouper-199.netexpress.net) on: Wed Dec 31 16:45:38 EST 2003
  
  Hi all, Just bcame very busy..
  Shoba,I will post the menu for Easter shortly.
  I will also post the quantity to be given for each item.
  here's a duck recipe.:
  
  DUCK ROAST
  Duck - 1
  for marination:
  Salt
  turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
  red chilly powder - 11/2 tbsp
  black pepper - 1tsp
  ginger garlic paste -2 tbsp
  
  red chilly - 5
  garam masala -2 tbsp
  coriander powder-4 tbsp
  curry leaves - 2 big sprigs
  onion -4 medium, cut into thin slices
  oil - ˝ cup
  Potato ( small) - 6
  cabbage leaves - washed/uncooked
  
  Preparation Method
  Skin and cut the duck .Wash well and squeeze thoroghly till all the water goes away.keep to drain.Marinate the duck as told above for some hours/overnight in fridge.
  
  Pour oil and put the onion slices,curry leaves and saute well until it becomes transparent. Mix together all the masala with water into a paste form. Keep back on low heat and sauté the ingredients until the oil begin to separate. Crush the whole red chilly to flakes add them to the masala. Add the meat, lower the heat, cover and cook .cook the duck in a nonstick vessel at low heat adding hot water just for necessary.remember the end product has to be dry so adjust water accordingly,at same time not burning it.this comes with little practice only.
  Uncover and cook for another 10 minutes if there is any water left.
  On a frying pan pour oil and fry the meat until brown in colour and all the extra water disappear, or until the meat is almost dry. The masala should be poured on top of this and mix well.
  GARNISHING
  take a flat Dish, preferably a round large pie dish. arrange the cabbage leaves covering the entire dish, arrange the meat pieces in the center leaving a little space between dish and the meat, arrange the fried potatoes around the meat.
  
  
• From: Rakhi (@ grouper-1-109.netexpress.net) on: Thu Jan 1 16:04:41 EST 2004
  
  Mutta Kuzhalappam(love letter)
  
  Maida-1 cup
  egg(optional)-1
  salt
  water
  
  grated coconut--1/2 cup
  molasses(sarkara)--5-6 tbsp
  cardamom-2
  cumin seeds--1/2 tsp
  
  method:
  melt the molasses in a heavybottomed vessel by adding a little water.It should melt completely.as it boils,a froth appears.remove this.now add split cardamom and cumin seeds.take off heat.Let it cool and strain into a glass bottle.This can be kept in fridge and used as desired.never use molasses as such you get from the store.It contains lots of stones and other dirt.You can see it when you strain it.
  
  make a batter of maida,egg,salt,water and make very thin small dosas.It should be as light as possible.heat a skillet and add coconut,molasses and stir well.u can use sugar instead of molasses as well.when it is sticky,take off stove.scoop a little of this mixture into each dosa and roll like a pipe.serve hot.
  
  
• From: shoba (@ bbcache-13.singnet.com.sg) on: Fri Jan 2 00:16:26 EST 2004
  
  Rakhi, the recipe you gave for kuzhalappam appears to be that of "churutt" For kuzhalappam one needs an acchu, which is dipped in batter and fried similar to achchappam. The kuzhalappams are crispy, elongated versions of the folded love letters.
  
  Any thoughts on this?
  
  Shoba
  
  
• From: Rakhi (@ grouper-251.netexpress.net) on: Fri Jan 2 17:18:56 EST 2004
  
  Dear Shoba,
  The churuttu you are spaeking of is different,but I don't know its recipe.It looks like samosa,but inside is a sugary kind of thing.This is popular in Kottayam side.
  About the other kuzhalappam which is crispy,I had a recipe but never tried it.If I find it these days,I will post in this same thread.
  
  

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