Shakira Banu cannot imagine an Iftar without homemade palooda. No cousin of falooda, palooda is a popular dish that is part of Iftar in Northern Kerala, especially Kannur.
A home-cook, Shakira says her mother, who has her roots in Marthandam in Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, learned to make the palooda when they were living in Oman.
“It is milk cooked with a spoonful of maida, a little sugar, cardamom and cinnamon. Finally, it is tempered with shallots and cashewnut fried in ghee. My mother used to prefer peanuts to cashew. Now, with so many kinds of nuts that are easily available, you can use your imagination to garnish the palooda,” says Shakira.
