Kumbhil Appam

This blogging marathon I am starting with some sweets to celebrate Mother's Day!! I don't think a particular day is needed to celebrate Mother or for that reason any other relation. You need to keep expressing your love for others in every deed that you do. Simple na.. But thinking deeply a mother's relation is different in the sense it is the first relation a human makes as soon as they are out in this world. All the rest of the relations including the father is made through the mother. Ah so much of philosophy .... doesn't feel like me. Over to today's recipe

Today I am posting a traditional Kerala sweet made with jaggery, rice flour and jackfruit. My mom is a huge fan of Jackfruit, so this sweet is definitely her favorite and a little of diabetes-friendly too since this is made of jaggery. 

The name 'Kumbil Appam' of this dish is because of the shape of the Appam. Kumbu meant for the 'cone' shape of this appam. This Kumbilappam is totally flavoured by the wrap used in this appam vazhana Ila/ Therali Ila/ Indian Bay leaf. The strong smell of the leaves enter into the appam while steaming and gives a amazing flavour to this dish. I found this tree standing tall in the land we bought recently. It is easy to make this dish in a jiffy if you have appam podi/ roasted rice flour at your home. One can keep this appam for 2 days if you prepare with fresh coconut. If you planned to used it more than that roast the coconut and use it for 5-6 days.

Ingredients:

Chakka Varatti/ Jack fruit Preserve - 1/2 cup

Jaggery- 1/2 cup

Water- 1/4 cup

Coconut- 1/2 cup

Roasted Rice flour/ Appam Podi- 1 cup

Cumin seeds/ Jeera, crushed- 1/4 teaspoon

Dried ginger/ chukku, powdered- 1/2 teaspoon

Cardamom- 1/4 teaspoon

Vazhana Ila/ Edana Ila/ Indian Bay leaves- 7-8

Method:

• Take Jaggery in a pan and add quarter cup of water and heat it and make syrupy consistency. (string consistency- If you drop the syrup from spoon last drop has to form string. If you touch the syrup in between fingers it should form a string)
• In a bowl take chakka varatti and add the warm syrup over the chakka varatti and mix well to combine without any lumps.
• Powder the jeera and cardamom seeds. Roast the coconut till light golden colour. (To avoid spoilage. If you are consuming on the same day rosting is not necessary).
• In another bowl add the rice flour, jeera and cardamom powder, dried ginger/ chukku powder and roasted coconut and mix evenly.
• Now add a tablespoon at a time rice flour mixture to the chakka varatti jaggery mixture and mix well.
• Likewise add the whole lot. Finally the mixture should not stick to your hands if you touch with fingers. If it is sticky add a tablespoon or two of roasted rice flour and mix well.
• Wash the Bay leaves and wipe them. Make a cone shape out of the leaves and pin it using coconut picks (Eerkil) or tooth picks.
• Fill the cones with chakka mixture till top.
• Heat water inside Idli steamer and allow to boil. Keep the Idli base plate and spread the filled cones.
• Close with the lid and steam for about 15 minutes. Cooking time varies depends on the sizes of the cones.

Serve hot!! Enjoy kumbil appam when it is pouring outside !!

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#76