CHAKKARAPULI

This recipe comes from the cookbook Malabar Muslim Cookery that Appa gave Amma way back in 1995. That's the very first time I heard about Mrs. Ummi Abdulla. I also very quickly learnt that she is our family friend's mother! I met her for the first time sometime in the late 90's and I remember how exciting it was because I finally got to see that person who wrote one of Amma's favourite cookbooks for real! Little things, right? But those little things make up my life for the most part.

Amma has been making this recipe for the longest time. She first served it with a 'Kadachakka Bajji' / Breadfruit Bajji and it was so so good! Even though I've made many other North Indian versions of this sauce, I think I still have a soft spot for this Malabari condiment. There's something about the tangy,sweet, spicy kick that the sauce gives you. It pairs very well with Chaats,Dahi Vada & it's extra tasty even just to lick it straight out of that shot glass. I did just that after I was done photographing them. It was just so good!

Those glasses I've used in the photographs were the ones I used in 2011,when I won the title of Vanitha Pachakarani. I used them for making my dessert in the final round. When I am home, I find these little little things that reminds me of so many good things. It's like I am reliving my past. Hmm. I am not complaining one bit!

We hosted a YWCA meeting at our home the other day and we served Crackers with Green Onion Topping as the appetizer and  an Orange & Watermelon soda as the welcome drink. The mains were Paneer Mousakka, Dahi Vada (on which we lavishly drizzled this wonderful Chakkarapuli), Vegetable Biriyani & a Cucumber-Mint Bread Salad. The desserts were Tiramisu (with homemade Mascarpone), Triple Chocolate Walnut Pie & Petite Boston Cream Doughnuts. By the way,have I told you guys already that I am on Instagram and I pretty much live there? Follow me on Instagram if you haven't already!

CHAKKARAPULI
Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients:
100 grams tamarind
150 grams jaggery,grated
10 dry red chilies
6 cloves garlic
salt
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon oil

Method: Soak the tamarind in about a cup of water for 1 hour. Break it down with your fingers,knead and squish to take out the pulp. Strain it into another bowl. Grind together the red chilies, garlic and salt using about 1/4 cup of water.
In a medium saucepan, heat the oil and crackle the mustard seeds. When it begins to pop, add the tamarind pulp, jaggery and the ground paste. Bring it to a boil* and take it off the heat. Let it cool completely and use as needed. Leftovers can be refrigerated and should be consumed within 2 weeks.

*If you had to use more water to extract the tamarind pulp or to grind the paste, that's OK. You will have to boil the mixture just a little bit more to get it to a thick sauce like consistency.

So exactly a month ago, we celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary in Bangalore. So I didn't make a cake for us this year. Aaaaannd last year,for our 6th, we were in two different countries,so I didn't make a cake for us. So two years back to back with zero cakes! Too much,right? :-) We are still in Kannur and we are planning to head back after Easter. So maybe this year for our birthdays, we might go all out with cakes! :-) Aaaaand Zara turned 6 months old yesterday! She even uttered a first word about 5 days ago and that first word was....guess what? Cheta!! Ian was SO over the moon then! She is one fast learner, can hold and stand up for like 5 minutes and blabbers non stop already. Ian & Zara are going to be quite a talkative pair for sure! I wonder where they got that trait from? ;-)

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