Introduction:
Kerala is a melting pot of cultures and one of the reasons why you have a wide variety of lip-smacking cuisines. If you are from Kerala, you might already be aware of the traditional snacks that form an integral part of Kerala cuisine. Children of yesteryear relish the homemade goodies of their mothers. As they walk home from the bus stop or ride along on a bicycle, they enjoy inhaling the aroma of these irresistible evening snacks emanating from almost every house in those days. The simpleness, the nutritional value, and the yumminess of our nadan cooking Malayalam recipes cannot be duplicated by any culture’s cuisines whatsoever.
I remember taking the leisurely route home from the bus stop preferring to walk along the fields, watching the harvest as they ripened, displaying wonderful colors of the spring, the birds volant in the late afternoon sky, and finally watching butterflies gliding smoothly along the edges of road partying with the colorful blossoms as they catch the light of the sun. As I reach the turn on the road leading to my house, my nostrils would pick up the beckoning aroma of the evening snack that my mother would painstakingly, yet lovingly prepare each day. This would hasten my strides, and I would sprint the rest of the way home, bidding a hasty goodbye to my friends. Just as I remember these walks home with sweet nostalgic reminiscence, my memory of these delicious snacks is even stronger.
One such snack is Pazham Nirachathu, a quick but very simple snack with oodles of taste. In my Kalavara blog here today, I would like to explain the making of this simple snack. People these days flock to bakeries and cafes for quick snacks, I would like to remind them that there are some simple and even tastier snacks that you can prepare at home. Isn’t this a safer and more hygienic option? As you learn how to make this particular delight, don’t forget to try my other snacks among Malayalam cooking recipes, and you will never want to go to a bakery again.
A brief overview of Pazham Nirachathu
With its rich tapestry of flavor built into every bite, Pazham Nirachathu can be prepared even by beginners. You need to prepare the ingredients one by one, saute them for a bit in ghee, slip open the bananas, fill these ingredients as filling, close the bananas, and then roast once more in ghee. The attraction of this recipe is that it can be made so easily and with few ingredients. You can easily experience the intrinsic culture of Kerala through this lip-smacking snack. And the good news is that you don’t need to make any elaborate preparations either.
Historical significance or cultural ties
As we go into exploring the process of making Pazham Nirachathu, among Malayalam Cooking Recipes, it would be fun to note a little about the significance of the snack. This snack with its delightfully exquisite taste holds a deep cultural significance in Kerala, making it an indigenous snack. Pazham Nirachathu evolved to be a culinary traditional delight spanning several generations and hence often prepared during auspicious occasions, family gatherings, festivals, etc. The sight of the golden brown bananas evokes a sense of joy and anticipation, and I am sure many still remember the golden days of Kerala cuisine, where you had a plethora of Kerala special delicacies spread out, and most of them contained the irresistible combination of ghee, jaggery, and coconut. It was these delicacies and their combined preparation in the kitchens of many Kerala households that created strong bonds in the families. They not only leave an indelible mark in the hearts of the people who prepared them but also the people who relished them with joy.
Pazham Nirachathu is not just any ordinary culinary delight, and it is not my play on words, either. It created a sense of community, a bond between religions, forging connections that defied age and reason. I have seen this gem of a snack displayed in markets throughout Kerala, not just in homes.
About the Recipe: Preparation for a Flavorful Pazham Nirachu
So are you all set to make this dish at home? You can also watch it on Kalavara, the best cooking channel to see a video of how it is done.
Gather all the ingredients to make the preparation easier. It would be ideal to get plantain or nendran pazham rather than njali poovan, palayam kodan, or kannan pazham. Also, remember to get perfectly ripe bananas because that would be more flexible to hold in your hand and add the filling. Next, get all the ingredients together, and start your preparation.
Ingredients for This Recipe
Each ingredient of Pazham Nirachathu holds a distinctive taste in itself adding to its individuality and particular role in the overall results. First, you need ripe bananas, mostly bananas that have a yellow to golden-brown color to the peel. These bananas have a creaminess and natural sweetness. This also makes it easy to hold them during the staffing process. Next, you need freshly grated coconut. The rich and tropical flavor adds to the character of this snack, making it authentic and irresistible. You can go for either the crunchiness of granulated sugar or the winy fragrance and delightful flavor of jaggery. If you like white aval, you can add those too. I have used it in my recipe because it adds to the chewiness of the filling. I used maida to seal the banana once I added the fillings to it. Finally, you need some ghee or coconut oil for an enhanced flavor profile. I will get into detailed making of this recipe next in the blog, do read on. Simultaneously, you can also watch how to make this snack on Kalavara, the best cooking channel for versatile recipes.
Step-by-Step Guide to Making Pazham Nirachathu
Follow my nadan cooking Malayalam channel if you want to see the making of this snack. Otherwise, you can just go ahead and follow the recipe I have added below:
- Add two tablespoons of ghee to a hot pan. When the ghee is hot, add cashew nuts. Brown it.
- Next, add raisins and one cup of grated coconut.
- You can add white aval at the end if you need to, or it will become hard.
- Stir this for three minutes.
- When the raw smell of coconut wanes and you can feel the aroma of ghee, add three tablespoons of sugar. Stir it for 2 minutes. Let the sugar melt into the rest of the ingredients.
- Now to this mixture, add ½ teaspoon of cardamom powder.
- Switch off the stove. Keep stirring for 1-2 minutes since the pan is hot.
- Prepare a flour mix to close the banana once you have added the filling. Make the flour paste using water and salt.
- Prepare the ripe banana in this manner. Slit it open, but not to the end. Just wide enough to remove the black seeds and add the filling. Now use the flour mix to cover the filling. First place the filling in the middle, and then push it to the sides.
- Roast the ‘filled bananas’ now. Add ghee to the pan. When you roast the bananas, make sure the flour-taped portion of the banana is at the top. The flame should be set at low. Flip the banana to roast the flour-taped portion.
Follow Kalavara, the best cooking channel to see a video of how it is done.
Serving Suggestions for Pazham Nirachathu
Serve your hot and crispy Pazham Nirachathu with hot tea. If you are not a fan of tea or coffee, you can make some cold lassi to pair it. Try this recipe for your kids, and let them relish the authentic taste of Kerala. This would help capture the essence of love and carry good memories of delightful homemade snacks that they can share with their kids.
Tips for Success
When you make the slits on the banana to remove the black seeds, and add the filling, remember to open it just a little and not open it all the way, or you might find it difficult to close it. This recipe is so easy to make, but as simple as it might be, there is nothing simple about its taste, it accurately captures the authentic culture of Kerala, making it one of the best among Malayalam Cooking Recipes.
Variations
There are so many interesting variations that you can try with this delightful sweet snack. Add some spices of your choice, it could be the warm and woody notes of cinnamon, the floral touch of cardamom, or the strong astringent flavor of the clove. Throw in some raisins for that extra note of sweetness. You can add nutmeg for a complex taste and add it to the filling. Roasted cashew nuts and almonds also enhance the flavor profile of the filling.
And if you are not a fan of ghee, you can easily switch to coconut oil. I have added white aval, in normal recipes you don’t find that. It is something I have liked for the recipe because of its chewy texture. And if you are not a fan of granulated sugar, you can switch that with jaggery. You can add candied pineapple and dates as well, along with other dry fruits. And finally, if you do not prefer maida, you can use atta instead. I have seen some people adding the filling to the banana, dipping the banana in a batter, and then frying it. You can also try that sometime.
Conclusion
The harmonious blend of ingredients and their roasting in ghee makes the snack have the perfect amalgamation of flavors that makes it almost magical to the palette. Take a deep dive into the enchanting culinary history of Kerala and you will get many such recipes that will give you deep insights into our beloved gastronomic tradition.
Extra Notes
Prepare your choice of ingredients for the filling. And if you want to skip the ghee and coconut oil, you can just combine all the ingredients and mix them properly. You don’t have to roast the ingredients or the banana. If you are strapped for time, you can whip up this in the simplest manner if you are skipping the roasting part. But you must try it, Pazham Nirachathu, top among nadan cooking Malayalam delights.
