Sweet Plantain Stew- Ethapazham Stew/ Kurukkiyathu

Sweet Plantain Stew- Ethapazham Stew/ Kurukkiyathu/ Paal vayakka

Do you love recipes with sweet plantain? Then you have come to the right place. Here is a simple old-fashioned treat with ripe plantains. Sweet plantains cooked in creamy coconut sauce along with soft chewy rice balls/dumplings is a fun treat. It is a mildly sweet creamy stew served as a side dish for breakfast or as a snack on its own. As a kid, I loved dipping soft and fluffy appam into sweetened coconut milk flavored with cardamom. Here coconut milk is thickened with rice flour and stewed plantain and has an irresistible flavor. This sweet treat reminds me of my grandmother's kitchen. I am sure all my Malayalee readers might be familiar with this recipe. Did I rekindle old memories of good food or a forgotten taste? This snack evokes real nostalgia for simple village life. Perfectly made soft appam or idiyappam, and this sweet plantain stew is a pure joy to indulge.  It is deliciously simple- a taste that lingers in your memory. It is one classic combination that you got to try.

Ethapazham stew/ Kurukkiyathu is also sometimes referred as paal vayakka. Different regions have their name for this recipe.  Appam and idiyappam taste best with a spicy curry or chicken stew. But ethapazham stew/ kurikkiyathu is a delicious option for those who do not like spicy curries or non-veg curries as breakfast. It is deliciously simple and is a snack by itself. You can never say no to this humble snack. Stewed plantain in thick coconut cream with soft rice dumplings is a fun treat. Plantains are naturally sweet, but roasting in ghee enhances its flavor and helps to caramelize. You can also add flavors like cinnamon, pandan extract, or nutmeg. This sweet delicacy is not just limited to plantains. Jack fruit, bananas, ripe Kada chakka/ breadfruit are all great options.

Sweet Plantain Stew- Ethapazham Stew/ Kurukkiyathu Recipe

Ingredients
Ripe plantain- 2
Thin coconut milk- 3 cup
Thick coconut milk- 1 cup
Roasted rice flour- 1/2 cup
Sugar- 2 tbs
salt- a pinch
Cashew nuts- 5-6
ghee- 1 tsp
Cardamon powder- 1/3 tsp

Chop ripe plantain into small pieces and keep it aside.
Boil water along with salt and sugar. In a bowl, add rice flour and make a well in the center. When the water comes to a rolling boil, carefully add the water little by little into the flour and mix with a wooden spatula till all the dough comes together. Mix the coconut oil, cover, and let it rest for a few minutes. When it cools down a bit, knead the dough and make it smooth. Portion the dough into small balls.
Heat ghee in a pan and add roast cashew nuts(adding cashew nuts is optional). Drain and set aside. Now add the plantain and half tsp of sugar and saute them gently. Allow the sugar to caramelize. Pour in the thin coconut milk and allow the plantain to cook on a slow flame. When the stew starts to boil, gently drop the rice balls one by one. Do not stir at this stage, it will break the rice balls. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook. Let the rice balls cook, and the stew thickens. Finally, add the thick coconut milk, roasted cashew nuts, and cardamom powder. Simmer for one more minute and switch off the flame. Serve warm with appams.

 

You might also like,

Pazham Pori-Crispy Fried Sweet Plantain
Kaya pola / Malabar Plantain Cake
Idiyappam and Pattani Curry/ String hopper with Dried Green Peas Curry
Mixed Vegetable Upma
Karikku Appam/Tender Coconut Appam
Akuri/Parsi Style Scrambled Eggs

Try it,

Hope you will all enjoy.