Thursday 1 April 2010

Pesaha Appam and Paalu

Pesaha Appam is usually made in Christian families on Maundy Thursday/Pesaha Vyazhazhcha. Maundy Thursday is marked by a holy mass in Churches which usually ends by tea time.  On returning home, the family gather around the dining table when the head of the family prays and cuts the pesaha appam, dips it in the paalu and passes it on to the family members.  They all then dine together. This is done as a commemoration of Jesus's Last Supper with his Apostles(disciples), on which he shared unleavened bread and wine with them. The story of the crusicifaction and the last supper is usually told to the little ones this day as an answer to their endless curious questions.  The appam is made with great respect and is decorated with a small cross made from the palm leaves received from church on Palm sunday.  Appam is an Indianised unleavened bread which is made as soon as we grind the batter and is not allowed to ferment. Good Friday followes Maundy Thursday and is supposed to be a fasting day. So the leftover Pesaha is the only lifeline on Good Friday and is usually fought over by the younger family members when hunger strikes... :D


You will need...

For Pesaha Appam:
Rice - 1 glass
Urid dal -1/3 glass
Garlic - 1 clove
Jeera - 1 pinch
Grated Coconut - 1 handfull
Salt - to taste

Soak rice and urid dal separately in water overnight or for 6-8 hours. Grind rice and keep 2 tbsp aside from this.  Grind urid dal and mix into the ground rice.  Grind coconut, garlic and jeera together and mix this into the batter. The batter should be of medium consistency as for idli.  Pour into a greased shallow vessel or idli moulds and decorate with a palm cross on top.  Steam cook for 10-12 minutes.


For Pesaha Paalu:
Melted Jaggery(Sarkkara paavu) - 3/4 cup-1 cup
Coconut milk(thick) - 1 cup
Coconut milk(thin) - 2 cup
Cardamom - 3-4 crushed
  
Mix the melted jaggery and the 2 tbsp ground rice kept aside from appam batter. Let it boil. Add thin coconut milk and boil.  Switch off the heat and add thick coconut milk. Keep stirring and do not let it boil.  Garnish with crushed cardamom. Serve hot with appam. 

Note : 
To melt jaggery, boil jaggery with 1/2 cup water, until melted fully with no lumps.  Strain and use.


Cheers!!!

55 comments:

  1. Happy Easter !!!

    I really dint know about maundy thurday or fasting on good friday . but u explained it in a very simpler way that made me to google for more.

    Your recipe simply looks awesome . beautiful picture as well

    ReplyDelete
  2. Beautiful dessert,loved the cross in between...very nicely presented and lovely pics as usual

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for sharing this educational post! Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Happy Easter Cicily! lovely post and dish..we are just not learning about others dishes but culture too! thanx for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lovely look dish! And Divine. When I mean Divine, its both -- piety and tasty

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ithu thanne Tinayude blogilum kandu...New to me..happy easter....

    ReplyDelete
  7. Looking at the clicks, I felt a sudden rush of peace going through my heart. Loved the feeling. Beautifully done and well captured dishes. Happy Easter!

    ReplyDelete
  8. wow very nice.. remembering the holy week in a lovely way... Happy Easter!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Happy Easter.This sounds like an interesting dish.Nice presentattion.Do drop by simply.food sometime.

    ReplyDelete
  10. woow!!!!awesome,,,,looks yummy and delicious....nice clicks...happy easter...

    ReplyDelete
  11. looks delicious...and i miss the easter traditions from bak home:(

    ReplyDelete
  12. Happy Easter dear...Lovely presentation...

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thats a great idea to use idli moulds.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Looks great, thanks for the info dear...

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thats a beautiful appam and paalu..looks fantastic..Happy Easter dear..

    ReplyDelete
  16. Nice.. thanks for the recipe.. we don't make this home. I think its more of a catholic tradition. I want to try making it maybe next year.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Great read Cicily..Thanks for the recipe tou..

    Love
    Kairali sisters

    ReplyDelete
  18. nice post... cicily... got to know a lil more on good friday.. and the tradion!

    ReplyDelete
  19. nice pic....Good post..Happy easter..

    ReplyDelete
  20. Soooo beautiful clicks dear...Happy easter...

    ReplyDelete
  21. Divine post dear. Great to know the tradition more. Happy Easter.

    ReplyDelete
  22. kidilan aayittundu Cicy..ivide aduthayirunnel vilikkathe thanne njan vannenem, ithokke finish cheyyan...:D
    Happy Easter to you all dear !

    ReplyDelete
  23. Happy Easter Cicily. Adipoly photo.

    ReplyDelete
  24. HAPPY EASTER.. dont need to say this is alltime fav of all christians..i really miss this :(... have a blesses easter dear :)

    ReplyDelete
  25. Happy Easter Cicily! Nice post with a perfect dish... Nice write up on that cultural significance of the dish. Good pics too... :)

    ReplyDelete
  26. Happy Easter Cicily. This is such an Informative post with awesome clicks and beautiful presentation. Also glad to know that we have so many things in common...

    ReplyDelete
  27. Happy Easter Cicily:-) Very nice presentation..loved the cross in between.

    Deepa
    http://hamareerasoi.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  28. Happy Easter Cicily...kurachu late aayi poyi :) just saw this in Kaipunyam (Tina) site and was wondering how we missed eating this while in Kerala... Lovely presentation ketto..

    ReplyDelete
  29. Very nice click. Never tasted this before.

    ReplyDelete
  30. u hav fab recipes... I really lovd many of ur recipes. happy to follow u. do drop in at my blog sometime.

    ReplyDelete
  31. first time on your blog....

    amazing pics and a nice blog:)

    ReplyDelete
  32. Belated Easter Wishes Cicily !!
    Awesome Clicks & truly tempting Appams ...

    Plz do collect ur awards from Panchamrutham Awards page
    regards
    deepti

    ReplyDelete
  33. great post and excellent presentation!

    ReplyDelete
  34. wow.. looks delicious.. visit my site whenever.. following you

    ReplyDelete
  35. looking great..frst time...here.lov ur space..will keep visiting..

    ReplyDelete
  36. Nice 2 see ur comment after a long time...busy enjoying warm weather huh :)

    ReplyDelete
  37. Ive had these at my friends' places back in Kerala and I love it! THanks for the recipe :)

    ReplyDelete
  38. Hi Cicily, hru doing dearie??? Been a long time since I came here..

    Actually, I'm just back to blogging again...hehe!

    Ur dish is really new to me...looks sinfully yumm! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  39. hope u are fine. not seeing any new post. Hope everything is fine there..
    With love,
    Suhaina.

    ReplyDelete
  40. New recipe to me.Looks fabulous!!

    ReplyDelete
  41. I appreciate for your wonderful presentation. I liked putting the cross in between. Absolutely gorgeous and delicious dish.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Belated Easter wishes, long time, no see..how are you? This looks delicious.:)

    ReplyDelete
  43. cicily evdeya,njan naatipoyyivannu,madichiaayi..enthokkeundu visheshngl..

    ReplyDelete
  44. hey wer r u ?? othiri nalayittu oru anakkavum illallo....

    ReplyDelete
  45. Amazing Pics and a gret blog Cicily....Congratulations for having and maintaing such a lovely space :)

    ReplyDelete
  46. Thats a beautiful receipe and yummy...you can post like these blogs through our(www.chennaimoms.com) site which is related to mothers and babies including parenting,pregnancy,beauty,health,education...We would like to contact you but we cant get your mail id.I would like to promote my blog through your blog please contact me through my mail id ,for further details check chennaimomsinfo@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  47. luks delicious and creamy.. very tempting clicks!!!!
    happy to find ur blog...u have a good collection of recipes.. if u find time do visit my space ...happy to follow ur blog

    ReplyDelete
  48. hi, sooo good recipe . in real also is it looks like this? . amazing post
    happy to follow u ....

    ReplyDelete
  49. Terrific post. I didn't know much about this unique dish or about the Maundy thursday significance. Well written and hope you write many more such posts.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Awesome pictures...very tempting dish. Love to try this...I am a great fan of appam-paal:)

    ReplyDelete