Ethakka Ladoos (Zero Shelf Life- IMO)

                                        THOUGHT FOR THE MONTHS AHEAD

Let me start this beautiful day with this quote I gathered from Google. I think it totally describes me except for the "smile" part I think. Sigh! I should smile more, I always have this worried and anxious look on my face more to do with the manner in which my eyebrows kind of misbehave, they don't tag along with the smile muscles. Am trying a great deal to improvise!

On this 68th Republic Day, I wish one and all Harmony, Willingness to Co-exist irrespective of our differences and Forgiveness more than anything else in this world.

Image courtesy: Google (both pics above)

 

 When the children were younger I would come up with something to impress them with the three colours seen on our flag. I would go all patriotic with my students as well and give them both a written and oral quiz and we would have related dress codes, short eats and the works.

 We didn't have much or any exposure those days to social media that is seen these days. I am still trying to keep pace and abreast of all what exists. But still quite lame and slow with most. I face loads of technical difficulties which are still unresolved!!! Sigh! Am not embarrassed to admit that I am incompetent and not very tech savvy. I am desperately inching there but by the time I try to grasp hold of one app, rote-learn the process and figure out the easy route, another newer stuff lures my senses...SIGH!!!

As Woody Allen mentioned to Diane Keaton in Manhattan Murder Mystery...Oh you guys must watch that film. The dialogues-Do sit with a note pad and jot down whatever gives you goosebumps!

Courtesy: Google Images

Not yet there but there are signs!


I decided to make a few ladoos (a day or two kind of lasting kind of ladoos-not much shelf life)

I had two Nendrams/Kerala Ethakkas/Plantain (not your usual banana type)

This is such a versatile fruit, one can prepare loads of goodies with this from sweets to savoury. Upperi/chips, jams, Pazham pori/banana fritters (batter coated), Eriserry, in curries, as wine, Kalan, appams, dumplings etc. etc. etc. (Yul Brynner & Deborah Kerr)

The King and I (The Classic!)

I steamed them in my Idli vessel and later mashed them with a fork.

In a saucepan I toasted a Cup of white poha/flattened rice in a tbsp. of ghee. Once they crisped, I added a tsp. of cardamom powder along with one or two of its shells to enhance the flavour of this quick fix dessert. No extra sugar has been added, If you desire you may add a tbsp. or two of honey to this mix. I did not as my ethakkas were sweet enough. It reminded me that it had its natural sugars.

As a side note: You can totally skip the step above and use store-bought cornflakes instead.

I added that warm poha to this mashed ethakkas along with a few crushed pistachios. a 1/4 tsp. of chia seeds and a sprinkle of cranberries. I brought them all together to a pliable dough with the help of a spatula initially and later on I put on my disposable glove and kneaded the lot to a smooth dough.

At this point you may lightly toast these as roundels in some more ghee in a hot skillet and make cutlets or sweet patties with them...OR

 What I did was pinched a ball from the mother dough and rolled them as balls and rerolled them while it is still warm into a dish filled with desiccated coconut.

Do use Disposable gloves to handle them, it does help in smoothening the balls

Tada! The Ethakka Ladoos were ready-Psst I swear it had all the colours of our flag in them-the saffron of the plantain, the white from the desiccated coconut and the green pistachios! How clever is that!!!

 I think we may get coloured desiccated coconut so if you would wish to buy that and roll these in that feel free to do so!