Monday, March 29, 2010

Spicy Red Chillies Pappad in Onions & Coconut (Mirsaange Happla Kismuri)


Spicy Red Chillies in Onion & Coconut or Happala Kismuri are a desirable lunch or dinner accompaniment for me and my family. This recipe takes me back to night-time dinners when Mom used to ask me help her make this dish. I used to love crushing the Pappad's, the sheer 'crack' sound of Pappad used to get me amused. We used to relish eating this side dish with 'Paej' or 'Paez'. This recipe is little on spicier side; but relished to the core by everyone in the family, including my husband. The Happalams I like eating most of the times are sourced from Arathi Home Industries, Kundapur. Their Happalams are also available at Udupi & Mangalore local condiment stores.

My granny tells me that Gojju's and Kismuri's are the ancient way of cooking. They take less time to make plus most of the ingredients can be found in your pantry without a trip for grocery shopping. In olden days, especially in a joint family system, the ladies would gather on a terrace of the house or the central exposed portion (chowk) of the house with the Chakla-Belan and sun-dry arrays of Red Chillies Pappad on large plastic sheets. Kids would add their help by turning the sheets to areas where sun rays were at their blazing best. Mom made large batches of Pappad when we were kids. Apart from offering help here and there, I used to love blowing air into a freshly rolled Pappad, stuff some oil in a tiny aperture on the side, seal it completely and eat it, swallow and gobble till you enjoy the spicy thrill which comes along! All kids used to compete on which one could finish the process seamlessly. And all this cookery fun in a broad daylight with the scorching heat and blazing hot Sun!

Cooking time: 5 minutes
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:
Red Chillies Pappad or Mirsaange Happolu (konkani term) or Happalam - 6
Onions (finely chopped) - 1/2 cup
Grated coconut or Shredded coconut - 4-5 tablespoon
Green Chillies - 2
Coconut oil - 1-2 teaspoon
Salt - as per taste

Method:
Roast the Pappad on a Tawa/ Frying pan till they are evenly fried on both the sides. Immediately apply oil on the exposed side of Pappad and keep aside. Crush green chillies in grated coconut, add chopped onions and adjust salt. Hand crush the Pappad one by one and keep aside. While serving, add the crushed Pappad and mix well. Add oil if desired, otherwise omit this step. Serve as a side dish during lunch or dinner. Goes well with 'Paej' or 'Paez'.

Suggestion: Microwaved Pappad and Stove-Burner fried Pappad do not give the same flavour as Tawa-Fried ones. Moreover they puff up and do not remain flat upon frying as required for this recipe. Choose your medium of frying Pappad carefully as it makes a big difference to the final taste. For best results, choose good quality fresh or frozen grated coconut.

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