LAVALOLIKKA / LOLOLIKKA /LOOBIKKA PICKLE

Recently I had been to Kerala and visited one of my family friends house.  My friend's wife took me to her house at Paravoor.  I was greeted with this lovely fruit in front of her house.  Could not believe that the tree was full of this red, greenish berries similar to cherries.

When I checked with her what this fruit is, she said it is known as loobikka or lololikka in Kerala and normally they make pickle out of it.

I tried to eat one fruit to know the taste of it.  It was very sour and I could not eat it, but I decided to collect the same and make pickle out of  it.  Any sour item I find will go for pickle first and then I explore the possibility of making other items.  We can make jams also out of this.  I felt we can make syrup with it like we make kokum sharbat.  Since I did not have much time to explore all these at Kerala, I had to satisfy t myself with making only pickle out of this and collected few berries.  It is also known as scram berry.

this fruit is commonly known as lovi-lovi or batoko plum, a flowering plant native to the Phillipines  is also found in Asia and Africa.  It is very common in South India especially in Kerala and known as loika or lavalolikka.

The fruits are produced in bunches and resemble cherries. The fruit is round and shiny, turning from light green to a deep red colour upon ripening. Each fruit measures 1 to 3 centimeter in diameter. The flesh is crunchy but sour and acidic in taste. The fruits are edible but generally not eaten fresh but made as jams, preserves, and syrups. 

I tried to find out names in other languages but could not succeed.  If anyone knows the name can please update me.  The English name is  Flacourtia inermis.  After a day long search I found the names:  

Flacourtia jangomas  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flacourtia_jangomas

• Bengali  : bNaichee
• Assamese : poniol
• English : coffee plum, Indian cherry, Indian plum, rukam, runeala plum
• Hindi : talispatri
• Thai : takhob
• Sanskrit : sruvavrksha, vikankatah
• Malayalam : lubica, lovlolica, (ശീമനെല്ലിക്ക)

Now let us look at the recipe now:

FRESH MANGO JUICE

The season is of mango and it is too hot every where and the DIL mange something thanda, thanda, cool, cool.  During this hot season, everyone should make it a point that they hydrate their body.  Must drink lot of water, tender coconut etc. to avoid any heat related issues.

During the recent visit to Kerala, I happened to drink this fresh mango juice and decided to make it at home after returning  and post it as I liked it very much and would like to share with you all as you should not miss the seasonal drink.

It is very simple to make and you will definitely ask for more.  We are familiar with aam panha during the season but this drink too is tasty like aam panha. Only difference is that this is fresh and in aam panha, we boil it.

Now let us look at the recipe 

BESAN GHATTE KA ACHAR/BESAN NIMBU KA ACHAR

Besan nimbu ka achar or Besan Ghatte ka achar is a Rajasthani cuisine.  Recently, I happened to see the same in a TV show and wanted to try the same.  My neighbour is a Rajasthani and used to give us various kinds of pickles and dishes which used to be very  tasty and bit punchant for us.  She  is also a  very good cook  and if I want something, she always used to help me out  in preparing the dish with her recipe.

I could not watch the full episode of that particular recipe hence I explained to her what I saw and my neighbour gave me the recipe.  Also I went through the net but was not happy with it as it differed from what I saw.  Hence I am adopting the method of my friend and sharing you the recipe here.  

I prepared this for the first time and it turned out so well that I could not believe  that I could make it at the first attempt.  As usual I did not check the time, however, you can make it within an hours time totally.  Now is the season of mango and do not miss the opportunity of enjoying this pickle.

Let us look at the recipe now:

ANGOORI KHEER

Today my blog is turning 3 years old.  I am thankful to all my viewers  for visiting the blog, their  valuable suggestions and support without which it would not have been possible for me to continue this lovely journey with the fond memories of my father in whose name I started the blog three years back.

I started this journey as a hobby and now I am very keen to improve the same and is on my way thought it will take some time for me to do so.  

On this day, I wanted to post a sweet recipe only and I chose to prepare the Angoori Kheer.  The angoor as made with home made paneer and it turned out well and liked by all.  This day is more important in my life as my son also completed his diploma in Television through a renowed college at Chennai and the convocation was on 3rd May and we returned from Chennai yesterday. 

Its a double whammy and I decided to make the kheer today and post it.  Actually I wanted to try the same with the grapes, but have no time to go to the market and get it as I am too tired to do so.

But you will definitely enjoy this version of kheer.  Now let us look at the recipe now:

RICE FLOUR MASALA BHAKRI

Rice flour bhakri is a holiday breakfast dish at home as  we have to serve them hot.  Normally, I make it on a Saturday/Sunday for breakfast with potato stew.  My daughter loves this if I serve them hot.  Once I made the mix flour bhakri for myself and she happened to taste it.  Normally, they do not even look at this.  When she tasted it, she liked it and asked me to prepare for her also.  That day onwards, she started eating this.

Since I love to mix onion, bit of masalas in it, I prepare the way I am going to elaborate below the recipe.  If you make it only with the rice flour, you can call it as ari pathiri, a famous Kerala Muslim Cuisine which is served with non veg curries.

Here I am presenting the same with the potato stew which you would also love but mind you that you must have the same from tava to the plate.

Let us look at the recipe now:

POTATO STEW

Potato stew is a simple side dish recipe which can be served with puttu, idiyappam etc.  But my daughter loves to have it with Bhakri (any kind of bhakri) hence I make this for her.

It is a mild dish prepared in coconut milk.  If not coconut milk, I use fresh cream also, but the taste differs.  I never use the ready made coconut milk as I prefer to take the pain of making the coconut milk at home.

It is a kerala special dish with puttu, idiyappam which they serve steaming hot  in banana leaf which I love to eat.  If you prefer, you can use the ready made coconut milk.

Let us look at the recipe now:

SAMAI ARISI VADAM

In summer season, we make lots of vadams.  Elai vadam is very easy to make as it can be dried under the fan also during the hot season and a day you sun dry the same.  I am trying various kind of vadams now a days and today I prepared the samai arisi vadam.

It is like the elai vadam we make with the normal rice.  Since there is a restriction in my house to consume the oily food, I am trying with limited quantity.  You can increase the same according to your requirement.  This can be eaten fried along with a cup of tea as a snack and served with sambar rice, rasam rice etc.

Let us look at the recipe now:

TAVALA ADAI

Tavala adai is the speciality of Tanjavur.    The same is made with rice and lentils.   Either you can use  2 -3 types of lentils or can manage with one.  Normally, it is prepared with tuvar dal but I used the moongdal. 

When I checked with my friend how to make it, I felt that it is going to a tedious job but when I heard the recipe from her, I remembered preparing the  upma kozhukkattai Link here.  I prepare the upma kozhukkattai with tuvar dal and is quite tasty with morukootan, I prefer.   It is somewhat like that only.  Instead of making the balls and steaming it, we have to spread and cook the same like the dosa, adai we make on the tava.

I also presume that it is named Tavala because it is cooked in Tava means the dosa kallu we call in malayalam or tamil.  Tavala panninathu means cooked in tava.  Anyway, it is very easy to prepare and tasty too with hot sambar, rasam  and chutney.

You can also make the powder  made and store it and whenever want, can use it.

Let us look at the recipe now:

  

JACKFRUIT SEED MASALA SANDWICH

Sandwich is any time snack at our house.  My husband is very fond of bread so also the children.  Even if I give them bread varieties  three times in a day they are happy.   Evening my daughter was hungry and wanted to eat something.  

I had already  planned to make the sandwich hence I boiled and kept the jackfruit seed in the morning while cooking lapsi.  Later on I received call from office that I have to attend office today even though it was a holiday due to exigency of work. AsI had to go to office, I had to drop the plan of making the sandwich during the day.  After coming from office, I made the same as my daughter wanted to eat something in the evening.

Jackfruit is available now plenty as the season is on and the seeds are preserved to make cutlet,  subzi, kheer,  chips, pulinkari,  pickle, etc.  Since I have posted the subji, pickle etc. in the blog, I thought of making sandwich with it.  Initially, my plan was to make nice balls out of it but due to heat  I dropped the idea and made the sandwich.

Now let us look at the recipe now:

DILL LEAVES IDLI

Dill Leaves Idli  is made out of dill leaves and idli batter.  It is quite easy to prepare and good for health.  The steaming hot idli with sambar or chutney is a good breakfast for all provided you develop the taste of this leafy vegetable.

Dill leaves are good for health.  I have posted the benefits of dill leaves and various items prepared with this wonderful leaf.    Related posts are here:
dill leaves puri,  dill leaves dhokla,  dill leaves dosa,  dill leaves paratha,
dill leaves vada ,  suva bhajia kadhi,  suva bhajia,  
dill rice,  
health benefit of dill

Let us look at the recipe now: