Holy Week Kerala Recipes : Pesaha Appam and Pesaha Paalu

Maundy Thursday, the Thursday before Good Friday, is celebrated by Christians, with great significance. It was on this day that Jesus celebrated the Passover (Pesaha) with his 12 disciples; he washed his disciples’ feet and then shared the last meal before crucifixion with them, which is named ‘Last Supper‘. During the meal, he also commanded his disciples to break and eat bread, and drink wine in his memory. This is still followed by the Christians throughout the world, and this is called Holy Eucharist or Mass. On this day, the priests in catholic churches carry out a ceremonial washing of the feet of 12 laypersons, following Christ’s act.

In Kerala, Catholic Christians follows another tradition of Pesaha Appam (unleavened bread) and Pesaha Paalu in their houses. The whole family gathers and the head of the family cuts the appam into pieces, dips in the prepared Pesaha paalu and then gives to other members, starting from the oldest.

Pesaha Appam

Ingredients

• Roasted rice flour – 2 and 1/2 cup
• Urad dal (Uzhunnu) – 1/4 cup
• Grated coconut – 1 cup
• Cumin seeds (Jeerakam) – 1/2 tsp
•  Garlic pods (Veluthulli alli) – 3
•  Shallots (Kunjulli) – 10
•  Salt – to taste

Preparation
Make a cross of the palm leaf you get from church on Palm Sunday and place it on top of the batter. Steamcook it until it is done. You can use an idli cooker for steaming. Remove it from the banana leaf and serve with Pesaha paalu. You can also prepare it without banana leaf, just pour it into a greased plate and steam.

Pesaha Paalu

Ingredients

• Jaggery (Sharkkara)- 1/2 kg
• Coconut milk thin (Randam paalu)- 2 cup
• Coconut milk thick (Onnam paalu)- 1 cup
•  Raw rice – 1/2 cup (Rosematta rice (Kuthari) / Parboiled rice is the best)
•  Dry Ginger(Chukku) – a small piece
•  Cumin seeds(Jeerakam) – 1/2 tsp
•  Cardamom (Elakka)-2

Preparation

Break the jaggery into small pieces, add 1 and 1/2 cup water into it and boil it slowly until it is completely melted. Drain and discard any soiled particles in the jaggery. Dry roast the raw rice until it crackles and turns brown in color. Grind together roasted rice, ginger, cumin seeds and cardamom into a fine powder and mix it with the thick coconut milk and keep it aside. Add thin coconut milk into the jaggery syrup and let it come to a slow boil. Now add the ground spices mixed in thick coconut milk into the jaggery and allow it to boil again. Stir continuously for 2-3 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat.

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