Kachayam | Sweet Dumplings from Kongunad Cuisine

This post is a part of the main post that was featured for the Indian Food Odyssey for Tamil Nadu...

Moving on another regional cuisine, I am taking you down to the plains of the Nilgiris - The Kongunad. I have already made a post here, so am not going to elaborate much.

Kongunad is the homeland of the Tamilians and dates back to the 8th centuary AD.It comprised of Palani, Dharapuram, Karur, Namakkal, Thiruchengodu, Erode,Selam,Dharmapuri, Coimbatore, Avinasi, Nilgiris,Pollachi and Udumalpet [All these places are in Tamilnadu-South India]

This cuisine does not involve marinating and has its own nativity and style.The use of turmeric,groundnut paste to curries give it a unique texture and flavor.This is a very healthy cuisine owing to the use of millets, pulses, sesame and less amounts of oil and spices.

So from this place, which happens to house my favorite cuisine, I have some snacks for tea time - a sweet and a savory served with some filter coffee...

Featured here - Kachayam,Ragi Pakoda and Coffee

Kachayam is one of the traditional dishes of Kondunad.It is a dessert made of bananas and APF.It is usually deep fried. I have made the deep fried version and also made a low fat version using the kuzhi paniyaram pan.

Also I have made a version with karupatti / Palm jaggery .[The 3 Kachayam that is dark brown in color].And one with sugar that can be seen as the golden brown ones.

I used:

Maida / APF - 1 cup

Ripe bananas-2, mashed

Cardamom powder- a pinch

Sugar to taste

Baking soda-1/8 teaspoon[optional]

Salt a pinch

Oil to deep fry

Take all the ingredients except oil in a bowl and mix well. Add water little by little to get a thick batter which is also lump free.

Heat oil for deep frying and pour a tablespoon of this batter into the oil and cook on medium heat till golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and serve.

The same batter can be used to make a low fat version in a paniyara kal/ kuzhi paniyara kal as shown below.