Paal Vaazhakka ~ Banana in Coconut milk ~ Dessert from Kerala ! - Guest post by Dhyuthi of Mélange

The guest for this month's guest post is from Dhyuthi of Mélange. As the name says, her space is a mixture of different ingredients. One could find authentic Kerala recipes, All time favorite Indian curries to delicious Brioche buns. My favorite recipes from her site are Chemmeen Thoran and Koottu Curry. When I asked her to do a guest post for Krithi's Kitchen she was all excited and asked me what I would want her to make. My immediate reply was to have a native recipe from Kerala, her specialty and my favorite. Go ahead and check out what she made specially for me..

Before I go on thanking Krithi here,I may acknowledge this is an overdue. Krithi is a good old food blogger,a nice girl and friend who is there from the initial days of Melange.I would love to hug,a gesture of gratitude and friendship before going on to the recipe.
Krithi was particular about me doing something special from Kerala. That's completely logical. Isn't it? Melange being Keralite. But then I thought I will post something really really special here.A re-creation or re-invention from the past. A childhood favorite of mine,yet forgotten.

I was quite confused and anxious while waiting for my dessert Che Chuoi at a Vietnamese Restaurant. In a way more than expectation. Like many other Vietnam desserts, coconut milk was the main ingredient cooked along with banana and tapioca pearls. That was the description they had with it. Oh no,it struck me that I have tasted something like that somewhere in the past. I was trying to recollect where and when. Nothing occurred to me till delicious Che Chuoi made it's appearance. Relishing the first spoonful it was almost instinctive for me to go back. To the fever bed. The smell of fever. This was a special mild sweet prepared during my fever-struck days during childhood. Since I skip my steamed bananas (Nethrappazham as we call in Kerala) often,they were done with a complete make over in this dessert. Infused in coconut milk and cardamom,bananas virtually rock in this dessert. To convert it more healthy,I may suggest to add honey instead of sugar. On to the recipe now.

Ingredients:
2 medium sized bananas,cut into medium pieces. (Nenthrappazham is better since it offers you kind of sourness too)
2 cups of thin coconut milk
1 cup thick coconut milk
handful of sago/chavvari
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
sugar,as required
pinch of salt
few cashews & raisins to garnish (optional)
Method:
Boil thin coconut milk in a sauce pan.Stir in between.When it start boiling add sago and cook in low heat.After 5 minutes add the chopped banana and cook again till sago gets cooked completely and bananas done three fourth.Sprinkle cardamom powder.Pour thick coconut milk and cook in medium heat adding sugar and salt.When it start boiling switch off .You may garnish with cashews and raisins as well.(In Che Chuoi apparent difference is sesame.They garnish it with white sesame which gives it a unique flavour)