Thari Kanji/Rava Kachiyathu (Semolina Porridge)

Makes: 2 Cups (12 Oz. each)
Spice level: --

Preparation time: 10 Min.
Cook time (incl. Prep. time): 20 Min.

Malabar's own Ramadan special. This is a mandatory drink for Iftar in all homes and Masjids across Kerala. The re-energizing quality of this drink is commendable.

This is also a non-documented recipe passed on from generation to generation and here I am passing it all of you... try it out and enjoi...

Ingredients:

1. Semolina (rava) - 1/4 cup
2. Milk - 3 cups
3. Sugar - 2/3 cup
4. Cardamom - 3
5. Shallots - 2 (small, thinly sliced)
6. Cashew nut - 8
7. Raisins - 10
8. Ghee - 4 tsp.

Preparation:

1. In a sauce pan add milk and heat it.
2. Add the sugar once the milk is warm and let it boil.
3. To the boiling milk add semolina part by part stirring constantly without any lumps.
4. Add crushed cardamom and let it cook for about 3 mins. Turn off the flame and keep it aside.
5. Into a small frying pan add 2 tsp. ghee and fry the shallots until golden brown. Using a spoon, get the shallots off the pan and keep it aside.
6. Add 2 more tsp. of ghee to the pan and fry the cashew nuts till light brown. Add raisins and fry for few more seconds.
7. Season the semolina porridge with the fried shallots, cashews and raisins. Serve it warm.

Jeera Kanji (Cumin Rice Porridge)

In our hometown (or even for the whole of Malabar), there's no Ramadan dinner without Jeera Kanji (a.k.a. Manja Kanji, Uluva Kanji, etc.). My mom used to make it on every night of Ramadan. It just wipe out the day's tiredness and preps you up for the next day's fast.

Shamna (my wife) makes these so nice that I forget that I am missing meat here... :-) This is her recipe... Try it out.

Serves: 4
Spice level: Mild

Preparation time: 15 Min.
Cook time (incl. Prep. time): 30 Min.

Ingredients:

1. Rice - 1 cup (washed and strained)
2. Water - 5 cups
3. Fenugreek seeds - 1 Tsp.
4. Coconut milk - 1/2 cup (thick)
5. Shallots - 2
6. Cumin seeds - 1/4 cup
7. Salt - to taste
8. Shallots - 2 (small, thinly sliced)

Preparation:

1. Grind shallots, coconut milk and cumin seeds in a mixer to make a thick and creamy paste.
2. Add rice, water, salt and fenugreek seeds into a pressure cooker and cook it for about 10-15 mins. or till the rice is cooked. The cook time varies with the type of rice.
3. Reduce the flame and open the pressure cooker. Add turmeric powder and bring the rice mix boil
4. Add the coconut milk paste to the cooker and turn off the flame when it starts to boil
5. To a small frying pan add 2 tsp. ghee and fry the shallots until golden brown.
6. Pour the fried shallots along with the ghee over rice porridge and mix well to season the porridge. Serve it warm.