Ethakka

'Ethakkula' or 'nendrakkula' pictured from Kattappana.
Plantain plantations are a common sight in Kerala. Plantains are a part of culture too. Onam will not be complete without ethakka upperi, sharkara varatti and pazham. In every auspicious day we serve sadya on vazha ila(plantain leaves). Whatever may be the cost of ethapazham it is a must in our diet. Variety of tastes using raw plantain and ripe ones are available in kerala cuisine.
Most of the homes have one or two vazha for their own use. Its a ritual to offer banana fruit to temples(Kazhcha kula) for bringing abundance in our home.
Nendran or ethakka is the most common variety of banana available in Kerala.
Palayan kodan is another variety. It is much cheaper than ethakka.
Njalipoovan is the delicious one in these varieties. It is more costlier than palayan kodan. Fruits are used more than the raw ones.
Kathali is also tasty and have more medicinal usage. It is used to offering to gods in temples.
Kappa pazham is the reddish variety more costlier than the other ones.
Other varieties are kannan, padatti and karpuravalli. Kannan variety is used as a food for infants.



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Passion fruit vine

Passion fruit vine from Kattappana. Passion fruit is rich with Calcium and good to prepare juice.

chambakka

Ripe chambakka ...its yummy to have it with salt..

Buds of chambakka. Its of white variety

Chambakka plant from Highrange.
Chambakka is a very common fruit in Kerala. Mainly it is used to make pickles and squash.

Panji maram

In earlier days cotton collected from this fruits are used to make mattresses and pillows in Kerala. Panji means cotton in Malalyalam. This tree is very common in Kerala.

vanilla

Vanilla flower

Vanilla pods

Vanilla plant from Kerala

The term vanilla is very popular among our kids. Their icecream taste mostly starts from Vanilla. Its a flavour derived from Vanilla orchid plant. This plant is originally from Mexico..

Now we can see them in eastern regions of Kerala.

Rosapoo

The fruit of Rosa from Kuttikkanam

Kulamavu dam in summer season

Munnar tea plantations

Horse riding

Munnar tea estate

Tea plantations at Munnar

Carrots....carrots

Mambazhakkalam....

Mango plucking using a 'thotti'

Flowers from Munnar

Neela vaka

Munnar is a town in Idukki district of Kerala. Its apt location in Kerala to spend your vacation time . Summer is the tourism season in Munnar. Shots by my husband during his one day trip to Munnar. Its climate and sceneries attract lots of people from various parts of the country.

Pacha manga...pacha manga

Yesterday Hari asked me about kilichundan manga. He was not so sure about the varieties of manga. He is not lucky enough to collect mangoes showering from the mango tree.

Kilichundan manga-Kilichundan manga has a brown shade in the main green colour and its tip is like a bird's beak. In my cousin's home we will gather in verandah and pluck the mangoes. Cut them in small cubes, mix them with chopped onions, chilli powder, salt and coconut oil. It was so tempting even to think about that gatherings. Uppu manga, kanni manga and enna manga are also my favourites. Pazhutha manga chammanthi is a main dish in my chitta's home at Kuttanadu. Manga thera is a very special item made by mango fruit.

Pazhutha manga-My father, hailing from Kuttanadu is also a great fan of Mangoes. He always squeeze 'manga pazham' into the rice and mix its juice with 'moru'and salt. Its also a variety taste of manga.
My husband's home is at Idukki, he knows more varieties of mango than me. Chakkakuru-mangoe is his favourite dish. Pazhutha manga pulisseri is a main dish in Vishu sadya.

Kannimanga (baby mangoes) My grandmother was so fond of kanni manga. She collects lot of kannimangs from road side during her routine temple visits. After thorough washing she will put all these mangoes, salt and boiled and cooled water to a glass vessel. Its a delicious accompany of Kanji.

Kadachakka

Kadaplavu or sheema plavu

Kadachakka is one of my favourite vegetable. Starchy veg, with good taste. It can be used to make mezukkuperatti, upperi and kadachakka masala. Its also known as Sheema chakka. Kada plavu is very common in Kerala. Its fruits and latex are used in ayurvedic medicines. In english it is known as Bread fruit.

mulla

'Aalappuzha mulla mottu'

Mullappoo is an inevitable part of our main occasions in life. Eerkili mulla, kuda mulla, aalappuzha mulla and chendu mulla are some of the varieties. In Kerala mullappoo has great demand in wedding season. Its mainly used to decorate hair. Mullappoo is also used in temples for poojas.