Eggs in Coconut Milk

If  close my eyes, I can still picture my grandmother’s chicks in coats the color of well whipped butter. She tosses out a handful of grain and they bob about in a frenzy. 

By  the age of four, I had stood before the Taj Mahal, watched yards of sari silk unfurled, and seen goldsmiths handcrafting jewelry. And yet it was the chicks (and their free-wheeling brethren) that represented the beauty of India to me. I would have given anything to scoop one up.

During my first trip to Kerala, I encountered animals throughout the day. I woke to a rooster’s call, accompanied by the solemn sound of Muslim prayers. After breakfast, I got to touch a cow's jiggly udder. Her milk was churned into butter by mid-day. I kept an eye out for the neighbor’s goats, which appeared like magic, in search of tender leaves. Eyes alert. Heads held high.   

Fast forward more years than I care to admit, and nothing much has changed.  I have developed a deeper appreciation for India’s architectural and artistic wonders, but it’s still random encounters with animals that compel me the most. From poufy-bummed chickens pecking around the yard to free-range goats frolicking about to hulking elephants ambling down the road with their trainer. So much of life in India goes un-curated, and to me, that’s the most wondrous thing of all. 

EGGS IN COCONUT MILK

This dish is traditionally served with a fermented Syrian Christian bread called appam. In our family, they are served together for breakfast on Christmas and on Easter. When I'm strapped for time, I pair this dish it with white rice. Either way, it's delicious!

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

6 eggs

1 1/4 tablespoon coriander seeds

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1/8 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 cloves

3 cardamom pods

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 cup water

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1/4 teaspoon brown mustard seeds

1 1/2 cups finely sliced onions

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons finely cut ginger

1 teaspoon finely cut garlic 

1/2 cup potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces

1 cup diced tomatoes

10 to 15 fresh curry leaves

1 cup coconut milk

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. 

Peel the eggs and score lengthwise. 

Blend the coriander, cayenne, turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and fennel in a coffee grinder or spice grinder.

Heat the oil in a medium size skillet over medium-low heat. Add the mustard seeds. When they begin to pop, add the onions and salt. Cook until they become translucent, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes. 

Add the curry leaves, potatoes, tomatoes, ginger, and garlic. Cook until the potatoes and tomatoes soften, about 15 minutes.

Add the spices to the onions and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the water.

Add the eggs and stir gently. Add the coconut milk, stir, cover and cook on low for 5 minutes.  

Madakku San (Coconut-Filled Crepes)

When you travel to Kerala, you will find banana plants galore and mango trees aplenty. But it’s the coconut trees that truly define the region’s landscape. The lanky palms border rice patty fields and tower over sandy beaches. They rise above rural huts and nestle next to urban high rises, projecting a sense of ease amid the continuous cacophony of car horns. 

The ever present palms offer an ample supply of raw materials including wood, leaves, and, of most importance culinarily, coconuts.  Malayalees use every component of the tropical fruit (the oil, the milk, the flesh) to make a wide variety of sweet and savory dishes. As such, Kerala cuisine is a treat for anyone who’s crazy for coconut. 

Stay tuned for more coconut-centric recipes…

MADAKKU SAN

Makes 10 crepes

When my mom was young, she ate these crepes as an after school snack. I prefer to dig into them at breakfast, with a mix of bananas and pineapple on the side. Wondering what really sets them apart? It’s the contrasting textures of the crepes and the shredded coconut and alluring combination of cardamom and vanilla. 

 

INGREDIENTS

For filling:

1 cup fresh or frozen unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

For crepes:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Coconut oil or butter

INSTRUCTIONS

In a small bowl, mix together the coconut, sugar, cardamom, and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk together to form a smooth batter. 

Lightly coat a skillet with coconut oil or butter. Heat on medium low heat.

Pour 1/4 cup of batter on the skillet. Rotate the skillet to  thinly spread the batter across its surface.

Cook until light brown. With a spatula, loosen the edges of the crepe and flip it to cook the other side. 

When both sides have cooked, place the crepe on a plate to cool. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

Lay a crepe on a cutting board. Place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of coconut filling along the edge of the crepe and roll it tightly. Repeat with the rest of the crepes.

Coconut Almond Truffles

As a second-generation American with South Indian roots, I grew up eating coconut. My mom used coconut milk to thicken stews and give body to desserts laden with cardamom and ginger. She tossed shredded coconut into vegetable stir-fries and dumped thin wedges of the fruit into pots of simmering beef to guarantee that every dish we ate had taste and texture. When we traveled to Kerala, I ate banana chips, lentil fritters, and sardines deep-fried in coconut oil. As it turned out, the greatest threats to my safety in India were unruly motorists and falling coconuts.

My mom always made savory pancakes (appam) from rice and fresh coconut milk for us on Easter. I loved watching her select a coconut from the hairy heap at the grocery store, lift it to her ear, and shake it like a musical instrument. If she heard enough water slapping around, it made it into our shopping cart. When we got home, my mom would pull out the large cleaver that all Malayalee immigrants from her generation used to whack apart a whole chicken. She would hold a coconut over the sink in her right hand and wield the cleaver in her left hand with the blunt side facing out. Then with the daring of Evel Knievel and finesse of a Cirque du Soleil performer, she would crack open the coconut with a steady blow and pour the cloudy water in glass. My mom insisted that I drink some. It tasted odd to me, but she had a dreamy expression on her face when she sipped it.

After she cracked the coconut open, my mom would use the cleaver to break its shell into several large pieces (never pulling out the cutting board). Then she would pry out the obstinate flesh with the tip of a sharp knife. The inner flesh was white, but the portion encircled by the shell was covered with a thin brown skin with the bendy quality of linoleum. It had to be scrapped off. My mom would chop the peeled flesh into small chunks and grind it in a blender. I loved to watch the thick milk gush between her fingers as she squeezed the pulp. The whole process was a labor of love.

In second grade, my mom frosted chocolate cupcakes with vanilla icing. She dipped them in sweetened shredded coconut to keep them from gooping together the way they had the year before. She delivered them to my classroom and at the appointed time I was allowed to pass them out. Many kids grew silent as they devoured the home baked treats, but others shrieked "Eeeeew, I hate coconut!" or "Coconut, yuck!" That's when I learned that the world can be divided into two camps: those who love coconut and those that hate it. Fortunately, I was a thick-skinned child who coveted coconut. After school, I gobbled up the rejects with a friend before walking home.

COCONUT ALMOND TRUFFLES

Makes about 20

INGREDIENTS

1/2 pound (8 ounces) milk chocolate

1/3 cup heavy cream

2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

20 almonds, toasted

INSTRUCTIONS

Chop the chocolate and place it in a medium size bowl.

Bring the heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Pour it over the chocolate.

After a minute, gently stir the chocolate until it is completely melted and looks glossy.

Pour the chocolate in a shallow bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Refrigerate it for 2 hours.

Heat oven to 350. Spread the coconut on a baking sheet. 

Bake until it just starts to turn golden. Cool.

Put the coconut in a shallow bowl.

Chop the almonds in half.

Using the teaspoon from your measuring spoons or a melon baller, scoop out a teaspoon or so of the chocolate. Form it into a rough ball and push two almond pieces in the center. Roll the chocolate in the palm of your hand to form a shapely ball.

Roll the ball in the coconut to coat. Repeat until you have 20 truffles.

Cardamom Coconut Cookies

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

CARDAMOM COCONUT COOKIES
(COPYRIGHT 2011)

Makes 30 cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 cup and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 large egg
1/2 cup raisins, chopped
1/3 cup cashew nuts, chopped
1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat butter with a hand mixer until smooth. Slowly add granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat until light and fluffy.

Add vanilla extract, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. Beat for 1 minute.

Add egg and beat until incorporated.

With the hand mixer on slow, gradually beat in flour mixture. Add raisins, cashews and coconut. Beat until just incorporated.

Spoon dough onto baking sheets two inches apart.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

Carrot Thoren

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

CARROT THOREN

This South Indian dish features freshly grated carrots, toasted mustard seeds, and coconut, which grows abundantly in Kerala. Mustard seeds jump about after sitting in hot oil, so be ready to move on with the recipe when they start to shoot out of the pot. Quickly cooking the carrots produces a colorful, crunchy dish. Remove them from the heat before they fully soften.

Serves 6 to 8

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil
3/4 teaspoon black or brown mustard seeds
1 dried red chili
1 cup diced onions
1 pound carrots, shredded
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cumin
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds.

As soon as the mustard seeds start to pop, add the dried chili and onion. Cook until the onion becomes translucent.

Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the shredded carrots, salt, turmeric, and cumin. Stir to combine with the onion mixture. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Stir in the coconut and cook for another 2 minutes.

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)