Thirunelveli Puttarisi Halwa (Black Rice Dessert)

In Thirunelveli, a glutinous rice is powdered and used in the preparation of halwa. It is black in colour and when cooked in water it develops a gel-like consistency. My mother used to make this halwa, grumbling all the time that it took her forever. It was a thick black mass that could be spooned out onto a plate, but it had a delectable taste that strongly resembled the legendary Thirunelveli Halwa. When I wanted to make this halwa, I couldn’t buy the rice in the stores because no one in Chennai knew what puttarisi was. A Facebook friend mentioned that I should look for black Kavuni rice in Chennai. I was finally able to obtain this rice, ironically not in Chennai but from a seller from some small town in Tamil Nadu who had listed it on Amazon. This Puttarisi Halwa is also made by Sri Lankan Tamils and they call this Dhodhal. This recipe is my mother’s version, standardised by me. Unlike kavuni arisi dishes made by other Tamil folk, Thirunelveli people do not use any flavouring agent which retains the original flavour of the ingredients and use white sugar instead of jaggery.

Thirunelveli Puttarisi Halwa (Black Rice Dessert

Raw Puttarisi (Kavuni Arisi/Black Rice)

Kala’s Gulab Jamun with Milk Powder (Milk Powder Balls in Sugar Syrup)

Happy Deepavali everyone! This Gulab Jamun is a sweet from North India that is very popular during Deepavali. My father used to make gulab jamun, certainly with the help of my mother, using milk powder instead of koya (milk concentrated to a solid block). Though we didn’t know the correct procedure, we all enjoyed the adventure of making and eating it. I have standardised the recipe after reading many other methods of making it. I also make it with milk powder because koya is not easily available in Tamil Nadu. Serve it with vanilla ice cream for a glorious combination of flavours and taste!

 

Kala’s Gulab Jamun with Milk Powder – Serve with Vanilla Ice Cream!

Carrot Halwa (Indian Carrot Sweet)

Till March, southern India gets vegetables of very high quality. This is the best time to indulge in cooking exotic preparations. I found lovely, juicy, and tender carrots in the market, and as soon as I saw them I said ‘Carrot Halwa!’

Carrot Halwa

Mango Ice Cream (No Cooking)

Banganapalli Mango is the reigning king amongst mangoes in South India. Though people express loyalty to other varieties such as Alphonso from North India or Malgova from Salem in Tamil Nadu, Banganapalli scores high in terms of size, smooth flesh, and delicate flavour. Banganapalli mango ice cream combines the two most sought after treats in summer – mango and ice cream.

Mango Ice Cream – No cooking required

Sweet Potato Dessert (with Maple Syrup)

One evening when my son returned from work he handed me a parcel saying his friend from Canada brought it for him, but actually it was for me. When I opened it I found a beautiful glass bottle of maple syrup, with a maple leaf engraved on it. Manoj had brought this for me seeing my cookery posts, and had this lovely thought of bringing this present.

Beautiful bottle of maple syrup

I was totally new to maple syrup, and was surprised by its mild sweetness and woody flavour. I was not familiar with recipes using maple syrup and again Manoj sent an outline of a recipe that he uses. I found that the maple syrup is not strong enough to overpower the distinct flavour of the Indian sweet potato. I have standardised the recipe but I have not used dates or dried fruits as suggested by Manoj as my son does not like them.

Sweet Potato Dessert with Maple Syrup