RAG Demo

Author: Abhishek

  • Mangalorean Chicken Ghee Roast

    Chicken ghee roast was popularised in the 1950s by Shetty Lunch Home in Kundapur and later spread across Mangalore and the rest of India. It is a dish of the Bunt community, and its intensity comes from a paste of roasted Byadgi chillies, coriander, cumin, pepper, fenugreek and garlic, cooked in plenty of ghee with tamarind and jaggery.

    The result is a deep red, semi-dry dish with a glossy coating of masala. It is tangy, smoky, spicy and buttery all at once, with the ghee carrying the aroma. Despite the colour, Byadgi chillies keep the heat manageable. It is served as a starter or with neer dosa, appam or kori rotti.

    At a glance

    RegionKarnataka
    CuisineMangalorean
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time35 minutes
    Total time65 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientschicken / ghee / byadgi chillies / tamarind / garlic

    Ingredients

    For the marinade

    • 750 g chicken, small bone-in pieces
    • 1/2 cup thick curd
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 tbsp lemon juice
    • 1 tsp salt

    For the roast masala

    • 15 Byadgi chillies, seeds removed
    • 2 tbsp coriander seeds
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1 tsp black peppercorns
    • 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
    • 4 cloves
    • 12 garlic cloves
    • 2 tsp tamarind paste

    For the roast

    • 6 tbsp ghee, divided
    • 1 tsp grated jaggery
    • salt to taste
    • 1 sprig curry leaves

    Method

    1. Marinate the chicken in curd, turmeric, lemon juice and salt for at least 30 minutes.
    2. Dry roast the chillies on low heat for 1-2 minutes until crisp but not dark. Remove, then roast coriander, cumin, pepper, fenugreek and cloves for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
    3. Soak the roasted chillies in 1/4 cup warm water for 10 minutes, then grind everything with the garlic and tamarind to a very smooth paste, using the soaking water.
    4. Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a heavy pan. Add the chicken and cook on medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes, until browned and almost cooked through. Remove the chicken, leaving the juices in the pan.
    5. Add 3 tbsp ghee to the pan, lower the heat to medium and add the ground paste. Fry, stirring constantly, for 8-10 minutes until it darkens slightly, smells roasted and the ghee separates. Add a splash of water if it sticks.
    6. Add the chicken with its juices, the jaggery and salt. Toss on medium heat for 8-10 minutes until the masala thickens and coats the chicken.
    7. Add the remaining tablespoon of ghee and the curry leaves and roast for 2 more minutes until glossy. Serve hot.

    Tips

    • Byadgi chillies are essential for the colour; Kashmiri chillies are the closest substitute.
    • Roasting the paste in ghee until it separates is what gives the dish its depth; do not cut this short.
    • Prawns or paneer can be made the same way; reduce the cooking time accordingly.

    Serve with

    Neer dosa, appam, kori rotti or ghee rice, or on its own as a starter.

  • Neer Dosa

    Neer dosa, meaning water dosa in Tulu, is a breakfast staple of the Mangalore and Udupi region. The batter is made only from soaked rice and a little coconut, ground fine and thinned with water until it is almost like milk. It needs no fermentation, so it can be made the same morning.

    The dosas are thin, soft and delicate with a lacy surface full of tiny holes, and they are cooked on one side only, never crisped or browned. They are folded into triangles and served with coconut chutney or, in Mangalorean homes, with chicken curry or kori gassi. The mild flavour makes them a perfect partner for rich, spicy gravies.

    At a glance

    RegionKarnataka
    CuisineMangalorean
    DietVegan
    CourseBreakfast
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time40 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsrice / coconut / water

    Ingredients

    • 1.5 cups raw rice (dosa rice or sona masoori), soaked 4-6 hours
    • 1/2 cup freshly grated coconut
    • 3/4 tsp salt
    • about 3 cups water
    • oil for greasing the tawa

    Method

    1. Drain the soaked rice and grind it with the coconut and 1 cup water to a very smooth batter. Rub a little between your fingers; it should feel completely fine with no grit.
    2. Transfer to a bowl, add salt and stir in about 2 cups more water to get a very thin batter, like thin buttermilk.
    3. Heat a nonstick or well-seasoned iron tawa on medium-high heat. Grease lightly with oil.
    4. Stir the batter well each time, since the rice settles at the bottom. Take a ladleful and pour it from the edge of the tawa in a circle, moving inwards to fill the gaps. Do not spread with the ladle.
    5. Cover and cook for about 1 minute until the top looks set and white, with tiny holes, and the edges start to lift. It should not brown.
    6. Without flipping, fold the dosa in half and then in half again to form a triangle, and lift it onto a plate.
    7. Grease the tawa lightly again and repeat. Do not stack hot dosas flat or they stick; keep them folded and slightly apart.

    Tips

    • The batter must be very thin; if the dosa is thick or does not form holes, add more water.
    • A hot tawa is essential for the lacy pattern, but reduce heat if the dosas start browning.
    • Use the batter within the day; it does not need or benefit from fermentation.

    Serve with

    Coconut chutney, kori gassi (Mangalorean chicken curry), or jaggery with grated coconut.

  • Ragi Mudde

    Ragi mudde, or ragi ball, has been the staple food of rural south Karnataka for centuries, especially in Mandya, Mysore, Hassan and Tumkur. Farmers eat it because it is filling and gives steady energy through a day of field work. Ragi grows well in dry conditions, and a meal of mudde with saaru is still everyday food in many Kannada homes.

    The balls are smooth, dense and greyish-brown with a mild, earthy taste. They are not chewed: a small piece is pinched off, rolled in the gravy and swallowed. That is why mudde is always eaten with a thin, spicy gravy such as bassaru, soppina saaru or a mutton or chicken saaru.

    At a glance

    RegionKarnataka
    CuisineKannada
    DietVegan
    CourseMain course
    Prep time5 minutes
    Cook time20 minutes
    Total time25 minutes
    Serves3
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsragi flour / water / salt

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup ragi flour (finger millet flour)
    • 2 cups water
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp ghee or oil (optional)

    Method

    1. Bring 2 cups water, salt and ghee to a rolling boil in a heavy-bottomed pot.
    2. Take out about 1/2 cup of the boiling water and keep it aside in a bowl.
    3. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the ragi flour all at once in a mound in the centre. Do not stir. Let it sit on the boiling water for 2-3 minutes so the flour steams.
    4. Using the handle of a wooden spoon or a traditional mudde kolu, stir vigorously to combine the flour and water, breaking up any lumps. It will be a thick, stiff mass.
    5. If it is too stiff, add a little of the reserved hot water. Keep stirring and pressing on low heat for 3-5 minutes until smooth and the flour is fully cooked. It should not stick to a wet finger.
    6. Cover and cook on the lowest heat for 2 minutes, then switch off.
    7. Wet your palms with water, take a portion of the hot mixture and roll it into a smooth ball on a wet plate. Repeat. Serve hot.

    Tips

    • Adding the flour without stirring at first is the trick to lump-free mudde.
    • A cooked mudde does not stick to wet fingers; if it does, cook a little longer.
    • Use a wooden stick or the back of a wooden spoon; a metal ladle will not mix it well.

    Serve with

    Bassaru, soppina saaru, avarekalu saaru or a spicy country chicken curry.

  • Mysore Pak

    Mysore pak was created in the kitchens of the Mysore palace during the reign of Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV. The palace cook Kakasura Madappa is credited with it, and his family went on to run a well-known sweet shop in the city. Pak or paka refers to the sugar syrup, and the sweet is made from just three ingredients: gram flour, sugar and ghee.

    There are two styles. The traditional one is firm, porous and slightly crumbly with a honeycomb texture, while the soft version made popular by Chennai sweet shops is dense and melts in the mouth. This recipe makes a soft-porous version, golden with a deeper colour at the base, rich with the flavour of roasted besan and ghee.

    At a glance

    RegionKarnataka
    CuisineKannada
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time35 minutes
    Serves12
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyHard
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsbesan / ghee / sugar

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup besan (gram flour), sifted
    • 1.5 cups sugar
    • 1/2 cup water
    • 1.5 cups ghee, kept hot on a separate burner
    • 1/4 tsp cardamom powder (optional)

    Method

    1. Grease a 7-inch square tin or tray with ghee and keep it ready near the stove.
    2. Mix the sifted besan with 1/2 cup of the warm ghee to a smooth, lump-free, flowing paste.
    3. In a heavy kadai, dissolve the sugar in the water on medium heat and boil until it reaches one-string consistency, about 5-6 minutes. A drop pressed between finger and thumb should form a single thread.
    4. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the besan-ghee paste to the syrup, whisking constantly so no lumps form.
    5. Now add the hot ghee, 2-3 tablespoons at a time, stirring continuously. Each time the mixture absorbs the ghee and bubbles, add more.
    6. Keep cooking and stirring for 8-12 minutes. The mixture will froth up, turn porous and lighter in texture, and begin to leave the sides of the pan with ghee oozing out.
    7. When it reaches this stage and smells of roasted besan, immediately pour it into the greased tin. Do not spread or press it.
    8. Let it cool for 5 minutes, then cut into squares while still warm. Allow to cool completely before removing the pieces.

    Tips

    • The ghee must be hot when added; cold ghee will not make the mixture porous.
    • Remove from the heat as soon as it froths and leaves the sides; a few seconds more makes it hard and crumbly.
    • Cutting while warm gives clean edges; once fully set it breaks unevenly.

    Serve with

    Served on its own as a festive sweet or after a meal, with filter coffee.

  • Bisi Bele Bath

    Bisi bele bath means hot lentil rice in Kannada, and it is said to have been refined in the kitchens of the Mysore palace. It is a one-pot meal of rice and toor dal cooked soft, mixed with vegetables, tamarind and a special spice powder, and served piping hot with a generous spoon of ghee. In Bengaluru it is a standard dish at darshinis, weddings and temple feasts.

    The texture is porridge-like and loose, never dry, and it thickens as it cools. The masala, with roasted chana and urad dal, coriander, red chillies, cinnamon, cloves, marathi mogu and dry coconut, gives it a complex, warm, tangy flavour. The ideal plate comes with crunchy khara boondi or potato chips on the side.

    At a glance

    RegionKarnataka
    CuisineKannada
    DietVegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time25 minutes
    Cook time40 minutes
    Total time65 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsrice / toor dal / tamarind / mixed vegetables / ghee

    Ingredients

    For the bisi bele bath powder

    • 2 tbsp coriander seeds
    • 1 tbsp chana dal
    • 1 tbsp urad dal
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
    • 8 Byadgi chillies
    • 1 inch cinnamon
    • 4 cloves
    • 1 marathi mogu
    • 2 tbsp dry coconut (kopra), grated
    • 1 tsp poppy seeds

    For the bath

    • 3/4 cup sona masoori rice
    • 1/2 cup toor dal
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
    • 5 cups water
    • 2 cups mixed vegetables: carrot, beans, peas, potato, chow chow, drumstick
    • small lemon-sized tamarind, soaked in 1 cup water
    • 1 tbsp grated jaggery
    • 1.5 tsp salt

    For the tempering

    • 3 tbsp ghee
    • 1 tsp mustard seeds
    • 15 cashews
    • 1 sprig curry leaves
    • 1/4 tsp asafoetida
    • 10 shallots or small onions, peeled (optional)

    Method

    1. Dry roast the coriander, dals, cumin, fenugreek, chillies, cinnamon, cloves and marathi mogu on low heat for 5-6 minutes until fragrant and the dals turn golden. Add coconut and poppy seeds in the last minute. Cool and grind to a fine powder.
    2. Wash the rice and dal together and pressure cook with turmeric and 4 cups water for 4-5 whistles until very soft. Mash lightly.
    3. Cook the vegetables in a large pot with 1 cup water and a little salt for 8-10 minutes until tender.
    4. Add the tamarind extract, jaggery and salt to the vegetables and boil for 5 minutes until the raw tamarind smell is gone.
    5. Mix 4 tbsp of the spice powder with a little water to a paste and stir it in. Simmer for 3 minutes.
    6. Add the mashed rice and dal and mix well. Add hot water to get a loose, porridge-like consistency; it will thicken as it stands. Simmer on low heat for 5 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking.
    7. For the tempering, heat ghee, splutter mustard seeds, fry cashews until golden, then add curry leaves, asafoetida and shallots and fry until the shallots soften. Pour over the bath and mix.
    8. Serve hot with an extra spoon of ghee on top.

    Tips

    • Always keep bisi bele bath looser than you think it should be; it sets firm within minutes.
    • The leftover powder keeps for a month in an airtight jar.
    • Byadgi chillies give colour without too much heat; use fewer Guntur chillies if substituting.

    Serve with

    Khara boondi, potato chips or papad, with raita or curd on the side.

  • Karimeen Pollichathu

    Karimeen, the pearl spot fish, is the state fish of Kerala and lives in the brackish backwaters of Kuttanad and Kumarakom. Pollichathu means roasted in a parcel, and karimeen pollichathu is the dish houseboat cooks and toddy shops are best known for. The fish is first fried, then wrapped in a banana leaf with a thick masala and roasted on a pan.

    Inside the parcel the fish steams in the masala and absorbs the aroma of the leaf, while the outside stays slightly crisp. The masala is tangy and spicy, built on shallots, tomato, ginger, garlic and kudampuli or lemon, often enriched with coconut milk. Opened at the table, the charred leaf releases a smoky, fragrant steam.

    At a glance

    RegionKerala
    CuisineKerala
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time35 minutes
    Total time65 minutes
    Serves3
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientspearl spot fish / shallots / tomato / banana leaf / coconut oil

    Ingredients

    For the marinade

    • 3 pearl spot fish (karimeen), about 200 g each, cleaned and scored
    • 1.5 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 tsp crushed black pepper
    • 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
    • 1 tbsp lemon juice
    • 3/4 tsp salt

    For the masala

    • 3 tbsp coconut oil, plus extra for frying
    • 15 shallots, sliced
    • 1 inch ginger, chopped
    • 6 garlic cloves, chopped
    • 3 green chillies, slit
    • 2 sprigs curry leaves
    • 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
    • 1 tsp coriander powder
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
    • 2 tomatoes, chopped
    • 1 piece kudampuli, soaked in 2 tbsp water, or 1 tsp lemon juice
    • 1/2 cup thick coconut milk
    • salt to taste

    For wrapping

    • 3 large pieces of banana leaf, wilted over a flame
    • kitchen string or banana fibre

    Method

    1. Make deep diagonal cuts on both sides of each fish. Mix the marinade ingredients into a thick paste, rub it into the cuts and all over the fish, and marinate for 30 minutes.
    2. Shallow fry the fish in coconut oil on medium heat for 2-3 minutes per side until lightly crisp but not fully cooked. Set aside.
    3. In the same pan, add 3 tbsp coconut oil. Fry the shallots on medium heat for 6-7 minutes until golden. Add ginger, garlic, green chillies and a sprig of curry leaves and fry 2 minutes.
    4. Lower the heat, add chilli, coriander and turmeric powders and stir for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, kudampuli with its water and salt, and cook for 6-8 minutes until thick and jammy.
    5. Stir in the coconut milk and cook for 2 more minutes until the masala is thick enough to coat a spoon.
    6. Lay out the banana leaves, brush with coconut oil, and spread a spoon of masala in the centre of each. Place a fish on top, cover with more masala and a few curry leaves, fold the leaf into a parcel and tie it.
    7. Heat a flat pan on medium-low, add a drizzle of oil and place the parcels on it. Cover and cook for 7-8 minutes per side until the leaves are charred and brown.
    8. Serve the parcels whole and open them at the table.

    Tips

    • Wilting the banana leaf over a flame makes it pliable so it does not crack while folding.
    • If karimeen is unavailable, pomfret or tilapia works well.
    • Keep the heat low while roasting the parcels so the fish heats through before the leaf burns.

    Serve with

    Kerala matta rice or appam, with a glass of buttermilk.

  • Unniyappam

    Unniyappam, literally small appam, is a sweet fritter made in Kerala homes and temples for Vishu, Karthika Deepam and Krishna Jayanthi. It is also a common offering at temples like Kottarakkara, where it is the main prasadam. The batter is made from rice, jaggery and ripe banana and fried in a special pan with round cavities.

    A good unniyappam has a thin, crisp, dark brown shell and a soft, spongy, almost custardy centre. Flavours of jaggery, banana and cardamom come through, and fried coconut bits add little bursts of crunch. They keep for two or three days, which made them a traditional travelling snack. In many homes the first batch is offered at the pooja room before anyone eats.

    At a glance

    RegionKerala
    CuisineKerala
    DietVegetarian
    CourseSnack
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time30 minutes
    Total time50 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsrice / jaggery / banana / coconut / ghee

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup raw rice, soaked 4 hours
    • 3/4 cup grated jaggery
    • 1/3 cup water for melting jaggery
    • 2 small ripe bananas (palayamkodan or poovan), or 1 robusta
    • 2 tbsp wheat flour or rava (optional, for softness)
    • 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
    • pinch of salt
    • 1/4 tsp baking soda
    • 3 tbsp thin coconut bits (thenga kothu)
    • 1 tsp black sesame seeds
    • ghee and coconut oil for frying, about 1 cup

    Method

    1. Melt the jaggery with 1/3 cup water on low heat until dissolved. Strain to remove impurities and cool.
    2. Drain the rice and grind with the bananas and jaggery syrup to a thick, slightly coarse batter, like idli batter. Add water only if absolutely necessary.
    3. Transfer to a bowl, stir in the wheat flour, cardamom and salt, and rest for 2-4 hours. The batter will become slightly airy.
    4. Fry the coconut bits in 1 tsp ghee until golden and add them to the batter with the sesame seeds. Stir in the baking soda just before frying.
    5. Heat the appam pan on medium heat and fill each cavity half full with ghee or a mix of ghee and coconut oil.
    6. When the fat is hot, pour batter into each cavity until three-quarters full. Fry on medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes until the base is deep brown.
    7. Turn each unniyappam with a skewer and fry the other side for 2 minutes until evenly brown.
    8. Lift out, drain on a rack, and repeat. Serve warm or at room temperature.

    Tips

    • The batter should be thick; a thin batter absorbs too much fat.
    • Overripe bananas give the softest and sweetest unniyappam.
    • Keep the heat moderate so the centres cook through before the shells darken too much.

    Serve with

    Black tea or coffee in the evening; also offered as temple prasadam.

  • Palada Payasam

    Palada pradhaman, often simply called palada payasam, is the crowning sweet of many Onam and wedding sadyas. It is made with ada, thin flakes of steamed rice, cooked slowly in milk and sugar. The milk reduces and caramelises gently, turning a soft pink colour without any colouring, and the ada becomes silky and tender.

    The famous Ambalappuzha temple payasam is a related milk-and-rice preparation, and the slow-cooked pink colour is the mark of a well-made palada. It is rich, creamy and sweet with a hint of cardamom, and it is served warm at the end of the meal, sometimes poured over a crumbled pappadam and a banana.

    At a glance

    RegionKerala
    CuisineKerala
    DietVegetarian
    CourseDessert
    Prep time10 minutes
    Cook time75 minutes
    Total time85 minutes
    Serves6
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsrice ada / milk / sugar / ghee / cardamom

    Ingredients

    • 1/2 cup rice ada (store-bought or homemade)
    • 1.5 litres full-fat milk
    • 3/4 cup sugar
    • 2 tbsp ghee
    • 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
    • 10 cashews, halved (optional)
    • 1 tbsp raisins (optional)

    Method

    1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil, add the ada, switch off and leave for 30 minutes until soft. Drain and rinse in cold water so the flakes do not stick together.
    2. Pour the milk into a heavy, wide pan and bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring so it does not catch.
    3. Add the drained ada and the sugar. Lower the heat to low-medium and simmer, stirring every few minutes and scraping the bottom and sides.
    4. Continue for 50-60 minutes. The milk will reduce by about half, thicken, and gradually turn from white to cream to light pink.
    5. When the payasam is pink, creamy and the ada is completely soft, add 1 tbsp ghee and the cardamom powder.
    6. If using, fry cashews and raisins in the remaining ghee until golden and add to the payasam.
    7. Switch off and let it rest for 15 minutes; it will thicken further as it cools. Serve warm.

    Tips

    • A wide, heavy pan speeds up reduction and prevents scorching.
    • The pink colour comes only from long, slow cooking of milk and sugar together; do not rush it on high heat.
    • Pressure cooking milk, sugar and ada on low heat for 45 minutes, as some caterers do, also gives the pink colour, but watch it carefully.

    Serve with

    Served warm at the end of the sadya, traditionally with a small crushed pappadam.

  • Erissery

    Erissery is a thick pumpkin curry from the Kerala sadya, made especially at Onam and Vishu. The name is often linked to eriv, meaning heat, a nod to its pepper and chilli, though it is not a very spicy dish. Ripe yellow pumpkin is the usual vegetable, sometimes combined with raw banana or yam, cooked with red cowpeas.

    What makes erissery special is the final topping of grated coconut fried in coconut oil with mustard seeds and curry leaves until deep brown. That roasted coconut adds crunch and a toasty aroma to the soft, sweet, partly mashed pumpkin. It is thick enough to scoop and is eaten with rice in the middle of the meal.

    At a glance

    RegionKerala
    CuisineKerala
    DietVegan
    CourseSide dish
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time30 minutes
    Total time45 minutes
    Serves5
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsyellow pumpkin / red cowpeas / coconut / cumin / coconut oil

    Ingredients

    For the curry

    • 1/2 cup red cowpeas, soaked overnight
    • 500 g ripe yellow pumpkin, cut into 2 cm cubes
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
    • 1 tsp salt

    For the coconut paste

    • 3/4 cup grated coconut
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 2 garlic cloves
    • 2 green chillies
    • 1/2 tsp black peppercorns

    For the topping

    • 2 tbsp coconut oil
    • 1 tsp mustard seeds
    • 2 dry red chillies
    • 2 sprigs curry leaves
    • 1/2 cup grated coconut

    Method

    1. Pressure cook the cowpeas with 1.5 cups water for 4-5 whistles until soft.
    2. Cook the pumpkin with turmeric, chilli powder, salt and 1/2 cup water in a covered pan on medium heat for 8-10 minutes until soft.
    3. Grind the coconut, cumin, garlic, green chillies and pepper to a smooth paste with a little water.
    4. Add the cooked cowpeas to the pumpkin and mash lightly with a ladle so about half the pumpkin breaks down and the rest stays in pieces.
    5. Stir in the coconut paste and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes until thick and the raw smell is gone. Add a little water if it gets too thick.
    6. For the topping, heat coconut oil, splutter mustard seeds, add red chillies and curry leaves, then add the grated coconut. Fry on medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 5-6 minutes until it turns deep golden brown.
    7. Pour the topping over the erissery, mix in half of it and leave the rest on top. Serve warm.

    Tips

    • Choose a ripe, sweet pumpkin with deep orange flesh.
    • Fry the coconut topping patiently; it should be evenly browned, not burnt in spots.
    • Raw plantain cubes can replace half the pumpkin for a firmer texture.

    Serve with

    Rice with sambar, pappadam and other sadya dishes.

  • Olan

    Olan is the mildest curry on the Onam sadya leaf, and it is there on purpose: after the tang of pulissery and the heat of pickles, olan cools and calms the palate. It is a simple preparation of ash gourd, sometimes with pumpkin, and red cowpeas, cooked in coconut milk with nothing more than green chillies, salt and curry leaves.

    It is pale, light and delicately sweet, with the ash gourd turning translucent and soft. There are no ground spices, no tempering and no onions in the traditional version, so the quality of the coconut milk and the fresh coconut oil at the end matter a great deal. It is eaten with rice, and many people enjoy it the next day too.

    At a glance

    RegionKerala
    CuisineKerala
    DietVegan
    CourseSide dish
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time40 minutes
    Serves5
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsash gourd / red cowpeas / coconut milk / green chillies

    Ingredients

    • 1/3 cup red cowpeas (vanpayar), soaked 6 hours
    • 400 g ash gourd (kumbalanga), peeled and cut into thin 3 cm squares
    • 100 g yellow pumpkin, thinly sliced (optional)
    • 4 green chillies, slit
    • 1 cup thin coconut milk
    • 3/4 cup thick coconut milk
    • 3/4 tsp salt
    • 2 sprigs curry leaves
    • 1.5 tbsp raw coconut oil

    Method

    1. Pressure cook the soaked cowpeas with 1 cup water and a pinch of salt for 3-4 whistles until soft but whole. Drain.
    2. Put the ash gourd, pumpkin, green chillies and salt in a pan with the thin coconut milk.
    3. Cover and simmer on low-medium heat for 10-12 minutes until the ash gourd turns translucent and is soft when pressed.
    4. Add the cooked cowpeas and simmer for 2-3 minutes so they absorb the flavour.
    5. Lower the heat to the minimum and stir in the thick coconut milk. Heat gently for 1-2 minutes until just hot, without boiling, then switch off.
    6. Add the curry leaves and drizzle the coconut oil over the top. Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.

    Tips

    • Cut the ash gourd thin and even so it cooks quickly and uniformly.
    • Black-eyed beans can replace red cowpeas, though red cowpeas are traditional.
    • Use fresh coconut milk if possible; canned milk makes olan heavier.

    Serve with

    Kerala matta rice with sambar, thoran and pappadam as part of a sadya.