Kaaya Halwa / Kerala Banana Halwa - Celebrating 2 years of Blogging

Greetings to all my dear readers!! I am a few days late but I am glad to celebrate my blogs anniversary and New Year with you all. This small space of mine has reached new heights and all this would not have been possible without your support. :) It gives me a real high when someone tells me they read my blog. And what I treasure the most is the people I have met and the new friends I made. I wish to thank each one of you and hope I can live up to your expectations regarding the recipes I post. Really sorry for the delay in between posts. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you will come back soon and often.

So here is my recipe for the celebrations along with a sneak peak into what made my blog popular in the year 2012. 

The recipe for today is quite an easy one. A very country style Kerala dessert. A quick one which can be made to please guests at home.

INGREDIENTS

Recipe source - Vanitha

Nendran Banana - 1 kg

Milk - 1/2 litre

Sugar - 500g

Ghee - 100g

Cardamom powdered - 4 crushed to a powder

Cashew - a few for garnishing

Kismis - a few for garnishing

METHOD

Steam the bananas without peeling the skin in an idly vessel / microwave oven.* see notes

Peel the cooked bananas and grind it to a fine paste along with milk and sugar.

Heat ghee on medium flame in a non stick wok till it melts. Fry the cashews and kismis. Using a slotted spoon remove it and transfer it to a plate lined with kitchen roll.

In the same pan with ghee add the ground mixture and keep stirring.

It has to be stirred till it thickens. The right consistency can be checked by taking a small portion and rolling it in between your thumb and forefinger. It should not stick to your fingers. You should be able to roll it into a ball.

Tip in the cardamom powder. Mix well.

Transfer it to a greased bowl. Garnish with nuts and kismis.

Cooking tips:
1. Use ripe nendran variety bananas only. It should have brownish black spots on it and soft on touch.
2. If you are cooking the banana in a microwave oven, cut off the top and bottom ends and make 3 pieces of each banana. Place it on a microwave safe plate and cook for 2 -3 minutes depending on the ripeness of the banana. You can check in between. If it has become really soft then it is done.
3. If you are steaming it in an idly pot or any wide vessel add about 2 glasses of water. Place the base or a grill with a stand. Once the water starts boiling place the whole bananas on it and close the lid. Steam for 5-10 minutes on high flame till it is soft and well cooked. The cooking time depends on how ripe the bananas are. Remove from steamer and peel off the skin to use.

So here is a sneak peak into the Top 10 Posts in the year 2012. Enjoy!!

1. Malabar Aripathiri with Chicken Roast / Malabar Rice Roti with Chicken Roast

2. Moru Curry / Kerala Style Simple Curd Curry

3. Cauliflower and Peas Masala Kerala Style

4. Vella Kinnathappam / Steamed Rice Cake

5. Mutton Varattiyathu / Mutton Masala

6. Puttu and Kadala / Steamed Rice Cake with Garbanzo Curry

7. Appam with Mutta Roast / Lacy Pancakes with Egg Roast

8. Kallummakkaya Achar / Mussels Pickle

9. Butter Cookies with Chocolate Leaves

10. Walnut and Figs Pudding with Toffee Sauce

And to top the list the post with maximum page views - 6500 page views is
Easy Kalathappam in a Pressure Cooker

Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year!! Welcoming this new year with smiles on our faces and hopes in our heart. Wishing lots of good food and cheer this year.. :)