KALAN KERALA STYLE VEGETABLE, FRUIT AND BEAN STEW

KALA KERALA STYLE VEGETABLE STEW PHOTO:NIKHIL

Kalan is always prepared for onam sadya but its a great dish for anyday.mine is adapted because i put in several veggies and legumes to to make it a dish that can be a complete meal. you can substitute some of these items. LEAVE OUT THE DRUMSTICKS if you prefer AND USE doodhi instead of ash gourd, red peas instead of black eyed peas.

For VegETABLES

  • 200 grams raw banana peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 250 grams peeled and diced ash gourd in 1 inch pieces
  • 10 2 inch long pieces of drumsticks, moringa or shevya che shenga
  • 1 cup black eyed peas soaked in water overnight

For Coconut Paste

  •  stalks removed
  • ½ teaspoon mustard or cumin seeds
  • ¼ to ⅓ cup water – for grinding

Other Ingredients

  • 1 cup sour curd
  • ¼ cup water to be added later – add only if required and if the gravy is very thick

 

For Tempering Kalan

  • 1/2
  • 1  tablespoon vegetable oil
  •  lightly crushed
  •  2 dried red chilies
  • 10 to 12 fresh green curry leaves

Method

Put  5 cups of water in a pressure cooker and add the black eyed peas, drumsticks, turmeric, 1 tsp salt and black pepper. Cook on medium heat for 2 whistles. Add remaining veggies and more water if required and pressure cooker for another whistle.

While vegetables are cooking grind ingredients for coconut paste and whisk the yogurt to a smooth consistency

Put the coconut paste and yogurt in a skillet on medium heat. keep stirring or it will split. Cook  until it comes to a rapid heat then pour over the veggies and stir. . Add more water if required and cook 5 minutes stirring from time to time. Add salt and jaggery if required to balance flavours.

Heat oil in a heatproof pan on high hear. Add all the spices and cook till they sizzle.

Pour over Kalan and mix well. Serve with boiled rice or chapatis.

KERALA BEETROOT PACHCHADI -BEETROOT AND YOGURT CURRY

Ingredients for 4

2 peeled and Grated Beetroot
1 tsp grated fresh peeled Ginger root
3 indian Green chillies
1/4 cup freshly grated white meat of Coconut
1 tsp black Mustard seeds
1 cup Plain  Yogurt /Curd
8-10 fresh green Curry leaves
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon Coconut Oil

2 tsp vegetable oil

Directions-

Steam the grated beetroot with 1/2 cup water for 3-4 minutes until softened but not mushy.

Grind 1/2 the black mustard seeds to a fine powder. Add the grated coconut, green chillies ginger and grind again into a smooth paste . Add yogurt or curd a little at a time to facilitate grinding.
Add the coconut paste to the beetroot with one cup of water and cook on a slow flame, stirring from time to time for 10-12 minutes.  Remove from the fire.
Heat both oisl for tempering in a small frying pan or tempering spoon and add the remaining mustard seeds and cook till they splutter about 1 minute. Add  curry leaves and 2 green chillies and cook 1 minute. Pour over the pachadi. Mix well.

Serve with steamed rice.

KERALA KAALAN- YAM AND YOGURT CURRY FOR ONAM SADYA

Ingredients serves 6
100 g of Suran or  elephant yam peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 raw banana peeled and diced into 1/4 inch pieces
1 cup of full fat or low fat plain yoghurt/curd thoroughly whisked
2-3 Indian green chillies stalks removed
3.5 tsp. of ghee or vegetable oil plus 1 tsp
½ tsp. turmeric powder
½ tsp. fenugreek seeds
½ tsp. mustard seeds
1 teaspoon black pepper powder
3 dry whole red chillies (Kashmiri ir. Bedgi)
10 fresh green curry leaves
For the masala paste grind together
1 1/2 cups of fresh grated white meat of coconut
½ tsp. whole cumin seeds

Method of Preparation
Grind the  fenugreek  and cumin seeds to a smooth powder  without water in a spice grinder. Then add the green chillies and coconut and grind again adding a little water to facilitate grinding until you have a smooth chutney like paste.

Cook all the vegetables in 6 cups of water with  turmeric powder, 1 tsp ghee or oil and 1 teaspoon salt for 6 minutes on a medium flame.

Add yoghurt and stir well. Lower the flame.

When the vegetables are just tender add the ground coconut mixture and stir well. Bring to a boil and then remove from flame.

Heat 3.5 teaspoons of ghee or oil in a small frying pan. Add  mustard seeds and sauce 1 minute. Then add dry red chillies and curry leaves and cook until fragrant and golden. Pour over the vegetables and stir well. Adjust for salt.

Serve hot with rice or chapatis.