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Tag: Kerala

  • 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.

  • Kerala Parotta

    Porotta, as it is usually spelt in Kerala, is the bread of the state's roadside thattukadas and hotels, eaten at any hour with beef fry, chicken curry or egg roast. It is thought to have arrived via Sri Lankan and Tamil migrant cooks and has since become a Kerala icon, so popular that its nutrition has been debated in public for years.

    A good parotta has dozens of thin, flaky layers that pull apart easily, crisp at the edges and soft inside. The secret is a soft, well-rested dough, plenty of oil, and stretching the dough until it is almost transparent before pleating and coiling it. After cooking, the parottas are stacked and clapped between the palms to loosen the layers.

    At a glance

    RegionKerala
    CuisineKerala
    DietEggetarian
    CourseBread
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time30 minutes
    Total time60 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyHard
    Gluten-freeNo
    Key ingredientsmaida / egg / milk / oil

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups maida (all-purpose flour)
    • 1 egg
    • 1 tbsp sugar
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1/2 cup milk
    • about 1/2 cup water
    • 2 tbsp oil for the dough
    • 1/2 cup oil for oiling and stretching
    • ghee or oil for cooking

    Method

    1. Mix the maida, sugar and salt. Add the egg, milk and 2 tbsp oil, then add water gradually and knead for 10 minutes into a very soft, smooth, elastic dough, softer than chapati dough.
    2. Coat the dough with oil, cover and rest for at least 2 hours, or up to 4 hours. Resting is what lets it stretch thin.
    3. Divide into 8 balls, coat each in oil and rest covered for another 30 minutes.
    4. On an oiled counter, flatten a ball and roll or press it out as thin as possible. Lift and stretch it with your hands, or toss it, until it is translucent and paper thin. Small tears are fine.
    5. Drizzle a little oil over the sheet. Gather it from one edge into loose pleats, like a fan, forming a long rope. Coil the rope into a spiral and tuck the end underneath. Repeat for all, and rest the coils for 10 minutes.
    6. Gently press each coil into a disc about 15 cm across, using your fingers rather than a rolling pin so the layers stay intact.
    7. Cook on a hot tawa on medium heat for 1.5-2 minutes per side, drizzling ghee or oil, until golden brown spots appear on both sides and the parotta is cooked through.
    8. Stack 2-3 hot parottas, and clap them firmly between your palms from the sides a few times to open up the layers. Serve hot.

    Tips

    • A soft dough and a long rest are non-negotiable; stiff dough tears and will not layer.
    • For an egg-free version replace the egg with 2 tbsp curd and a little extra milk.
    • Cooked parottas freeze well; reheat on a tawa and clap again.

    Serve with

    Beef fry, Kerala chicken curry, egg roast or vegetable kurma.

  • Beef Ularthiyathu

    Beef ularthiyathu, often called beef fry or beef roast, is a signature dish of Kerala's Syrian Christian kitchens and a fixture at weddings, Christmas and toddy shops. Ularthu means to roast or dry-fry, and that long roasting is what makes it: tender beef tossed for a long time in coconut oil until it darkens and the masala clings.

    Thin slivers of coconut, called thenga kothu, are fried until crisp and add bite. The spicing is warm and peppery, built on fennel, garam masala and black pepper, with curry leaves throughout. The finished dish is almost black, crusty at the edges and very aromatic. It is eaten with parotta, appam or rice and is often made a day ahead, since it improves overnight.

    At a glance

    RegionKerala
    CuisineSyrian Christian
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseSide dish
    Prep time25 minutes
    Cook time70 minutes
    Total time95 minutes
    Serves5
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsbeef / coconut slivers / shallots / black pepper / coconut oil

    Ingredients

    For cooking the beef

    • 1 kg beef, cut into 2 cm cubes
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
    • 2 tbsp coriander powder
    • 1.5 tsp garam masala
    • 1 tsp fennel powder
    • 1.5 tsp crushed black pepper
    • 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
    • 1.5 tsp salt
    • 1 tbsp vinegar
    • 1 sprig curry leaves

    For roasting

    • 4 tbsp coconut oil
    • 1/2 cup thin coconut slivers
    • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
    • 15 shallots, sliced
    • 1 inch ginger, julienned
    • 6 garlic cloves, sliced
    • 3 green chillies, slit
    • 3 sprigs curry leaves
    • 1 tsp crushed black pepper
    • 1/2 tsp garam masala

    Method

    1. Mix the beef with all the ingredients for cooking and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
    2. Pressure cook the beef without adding water for 5-6 whistles on medium heat, until tender. The beef will release its own juices. Let the pressure drop naturally.
    3. Heat coconut oil in a heavy, wide kadai or uruli on medium heat. Fry the coconut slivers for 4-5 minutes until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
    4. In the same oil splutter mustard seeds, then add shallots, ginger, garlic, green chillies and two sprigs of curry leaves. Fry for 8 minutes until the shallots are golden brown.
    5. Add the cooked beef with all its liquid. Cook on high heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring, until the liquid evaporates.
    6. Return the fried coconut slivers and lower the heat to medium-low. Keep roasting for 20-25 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom every few minutes, until the beef turns very dark brown, almost black, and crisp at the edges.
    7. Add the crushed pepper, garam masala and remaining curry leaves, toss for 2 more minutes and switch off.

    Tips

    • A cast-iron or heavy aluminium kadai gives the best crust; nonstick pans do not let the masala caramelise.
    • Add a spoon of coconut oil during roasting if the pan looks dry.
    • The flavour deepens overnight; reheat in a pan with a little oil to re-crisp.

    Serve with

    Kerala parotta, appam or matta rice with moru curry.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Puttu and Kadala Curry

    Puttu and kadala curry is the breakfast most Malayalis grew up with. Puttu is coarse rice flour, moistened and layered with grated coconut in a cylindrical steamer called a puttu kutti, then steamed until it holds its shape. It is pushed out as a log and broken up at the table. Kadala curry, made with small black chickpeas, is its most popular companion.

    The puttu is soft, crumbly and lightly salted, with sweetness from the coconut. The curry is earthy and robust, thickened with coconut roasted until dark brown, which gives it its colour and nutty depth. People mash the puttu with the curry by hand, sometimes adding a ripe banana or pappadam on the side.

    At a glance

    RegionKerala
    CuisineKerala
    DietVegan
    CourseBreakfast
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time45 minutes
    Total time65 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsrice flour / coconut / black chickpeas / shallots

    Ingredients

    For the puttu

    • 2 cups roasted puttu podi (coarse rice flour)
    • 3/4 tsp salt
    • about 3/4 cup water
    • 1 cup freshly grated coconut

    For the kadala curry

    • 1 cup kala chana (black chickpeas), soaked overnight
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 cup grated coconut
    • 1 tbsp coriander powder
    • 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1/2 tsp garam masala
    • 2 tbsp coconut oil
    • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
    • 8 shallots, sliced
    • 1 inch ginger, chopped
    • 2 green chillies, slit
    • 2 sprigs curry leaves
    • 1 small tomato, chopped

    Method

    1. Pressure cook the soaked chickpeas with salt and 2.5 cups water for 6-7 whistles on medium heat, until soft. Keep the cooking water.
    2. In a dry pan, roast the grated coconut on medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring constantly, until deep brown and fragrant. Add coriander powder, chilli powder and turmeric, roast 30 seconds more, cool and grind to a fine paste with a little water.
    3. Heat coconut oil, splutter mustard seeds, then add shallots, ginger, green chillies and one sprig of curry leaves. Saute for 5 minutes until golden. Add tomato and cook until soft.
    4. Add the chickpeas with their water and the coconut paste. Simmer for 10-12 minutes on low heat until the gravy thickens. Mash a few chickpeas against the pan to thicken it more. Stir in garam masala and the remaining curry leaves.
    5. For the puttu, mix the rice flour and salt. Sprinkle water a little at a time, rubbing with your fingers, until the flour is evenly moist and holds together when pressed but breaks apart easily. It should feel like wet sand, not dough.
    6. Fill the puttu kutti: a layer of 2 tbsp coconut at the bottom, then rice flour up to about a third, then coconut, repeating until full, ending with coconut. Do not press down.
    7. Steam on high heat over boiling water for 6-8 minutes, until steam comes out steadily from the top holes. Push the puttu out onto a plate with the rod.
    8. Serve hot with the kadala curry.

    Tips

    • If you lack a puttu kutti, steam the moistened flour in idli moulds or a pressure cooker vessel with a coconut-shell attachment.
    • Rubbing the flour with water is the whole technique; too wet and puttu turns heavy, too dry and it falls apart.
    • Roast the coconut evenly and patiently; it is what makes the curry dark and nutty.

    Serve with

    Pappadam and a ripe small banana (poovan pazham), or a cup of hot tea.

  • Meen Moilee

    Meen moilee, also spelt molee or molly, is a gentle coconut milk fish curry from central Kerala, with roots in the Syrian Christian and Portuguese-influenced kitchens of Kochi. Unlike the fiery red fish curries of the coast made with kudampuli, moilee uses no chilli powder at all. Its colour comes from turmeric and its heat from green chillies.

    The gravy is pale yellow, creamy and fragrant with ginger, garlic and curry leaves, with a light tang from tomato or vinegar. Firm fish such as seer (neymeen), pomfret or pearl spot holds up best. It is a favourite for guests who cannot handle much spice, and it pairs beautifully with appam or rice.

    At a glance

    RegionKerala
    CuisineKerala
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time45 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsseer fish / coconut milk / ginger / green chillies / tomato

    Ingredients

    For the fish

    • 500 g seer fish (or pomfret), cut into thick slices
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1/2 tsp crushed black pepper
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp lemon juice
    • 2 tbsp coconut oil for shallow frying

    For the gravy

    • 2 tbsp coconut oil
    • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
    • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
    • 1.5 inch ginger, julienned
    • 5 garlic cloves, sliced
    • 4 green chillies, slit
    • 2 sprigs curry leaves
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 cup thin coconut milk
    • 1 medium tomato, sliced into rounds
    • 3/4 cup thick coconut milk
    • salt to taste
    • 1 tsp vinegar (optional)

    Method

    1. Rub the fish with turmeric, pepper, salt and lemon juice and marinate for 15 minutes.
    2. Shallow fry the fish in 2 tbsp coconut oil on medium heat for about 1 minute per side, just until lightly sealed. It should not be fully cooked or browned. Set aside.
    3. In a wide pan, heat 2 tbsp coconut oil. Add mustard seeds and fenugreek and let them splutter.
    4. Add onion, ginger, garlic, green chillies and a sprig of curry leaves. Saute on medium heat for 5-6 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent but not coloured.
    5. Add turmeric and stir for a few seconds, then pour in the thin coconut milk and salt. Simmer for 4-5 minutes.
    6. Slide the fish pieces into the gravy in a single layer and arrange the tomato slices on top. Simmer on low heat for 5-6 minutes, gently swirling the pan rather than stirring so the fish does not break.
    7. Add the thick coconut milk and vinegar and heat on the lowest setting for 2 minutes until hot, without letting it boil.
    8. Top with the remaining curry leaves and a drizzle of raw coconut oil, cover and rest for 10 minutes before serving.

    Tips

    • Swirl the pan instead of stirring once the fish is in.
    • Never boil after adding thick coconut milk; it will curdle.
    • Prawns work equally well; add them raw at step 6 and cook for 4 minutes.

    Serve with

    Appam, idiyappam or steamed matta rice.

  • Avial

    Avial is one of the essential dishes of the Onam sadya and appears on almost every Kerala feast. A popular story credits Bhima, the Pandava, with inventing it while working as a cook in disguise, throwing together whatever vegetables were at hand. Regional versions differ: central Kerala uses curd for sourness, while some northern homes use raw mango or tamarind.

    The vegetables are cut into finger-length batons and cooked until just tender, then coated with a coarsely ground coconut paste. The dish is thick, not watery, mildly spiced, tangy and fragrant with raw coconut oil and curry leaves. It is eaten with rice as part of a spread, and with adai in Tamil Nadu.

    At a glance

    RegionKerala
    CuisineKerala
    DietVegetarian
    CourseSide dish
    Prep time25 minutes
    Cook time20 minutes
    Total time45 minutes
    Serves5
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsmixed vegetables / coconut / curd / coconut oil / curry leaves

    Ingredients

    For the vegetables

    • 4 cups mixed vegetables cut into 5 cm batons: raw banana, elephant foot yam, ash gourd, drumstick, carrot, French beans, snake gourd, cucumber
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1/2 cup water

    For the coconut paste

    • 1.25 cups grated coconut
    • 3-4 green chillies
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 2 shallots

    To finish

    • 1/2 cup thick curd, lightly sour, whisked
    • 2 sprigs curry leaves
    • 2 tbsp raw coconut oil

    Method

    1. Cut all vegetables into batons of similar length and thickness. Keep the raw banana in water to stop it darkening.
    2. Put the yam and raw banana, which take longest, in a wide pan with turmeric, salt and 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes.
    3. Add carrot, beans and drumstick and cook covered for 4 minutes. Then add ash gourd, snake gourd and cucumber and cook another 4-5 minutes, until all vegetables are tender but hold their shape.
    4. Meanwhile pulse the coconut, green chillies, cumin and shallots in a grinder with a splash of water to a coarse paste. It should not be smooth.
    5. Add the coconut paste to the vegetables and fold gently. Cook on low heat for 3-4 minutes, uncovered, until any remaining water dries up and the raw coconut smell goes.
    6. Switch off the heat and let it cool for a minute, then stir in the whisked curd gently.
    7. Crush the curry leaves in your hand, scatter them over and drizzle with raw coconut oil. Cover and leave for 10 minutes before serving.

    Tips

    • Stir gently with a flat spatula or by shaking the pan; avial vegetables should not be mashed.
    • Add curd off the heat so it does not split.
    • Unrefined virgin coconut oil, added raw at the end, gives avial its signature aroma.

    Serve with

    Rice with sambar and pappadam as part of a sadya, or with adai.