Erissery

Erissery can be prepared with red oriental beans or green gram and there are a number of options while choosing the vegetables. Raw banana, yam and pumpkin are the usual veggies and I learnt recently that erissery is prepred with raw jackfruit too. This is almost like my version of erissery b’coz I have added coriander powder and the end result is actually tasty.

 

the ingredients

green gram – ½ cup

pumpkin, cubed – 500 gms

chilly powder – 1 – 1 ½ tsp

turmeric powder – 1 tsp

coriander powder – 1 tsp

salt – to taste

ingredients to be coarsely ground

coconut – ¼ part

cumin – ¾ tsp

small onion – 5

garlic(optional) – 5

for the tempering

oil – 1 tbsp

mustard – ½ tsp

small onion – 3-5

curry leaves – 2 sprig

coconut, grated – ¼ part

the method

The consistency of erissery is similar to a mash so the preferred utensil to prepare it is a pressure cooker.

Pressure cook the green gram to an almost done consistency (two whistle – I dint soak the green gram) with just adequate water. Stir in the pumpkin pieces, turmeric, chilly powder, coriander powder, salt and coarsely ground coconut mixture. Pour water if need be. Pressure cook for one whistle. Now the pumpkin and green gram would have completely cooked. Stir with a spoon to make it into a mash consistency and cook it in high heat if there is excess water. 

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When it crackles stir in the onion and curry leaves. Add a pinch of salt and turmeric and stir for few seconds. Add the grated coconut and fry till golden brown. Pour it over the pumpkin mix and stir well.

Masala Curry

Masala curry is one of the dishes in an Onasadya. Though the name is masala, it is mildly spiced that goes well with the other vegetable curries. The masala curry also tastes good with puttu, idiyappam / string hoppers / sevai and hoppers / appam.

the recipe

Black Garbanzo beans / kadala – ¼ cup

Green chilly – 1

Garlic – 5 -7

Boiled Potato – 2 small

Oil – 1 tbsp

Onion – 1

Ginger, chopped – 1 tbsp

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Turmeric – ¼ tsp

Chilly powder – ½ - ¾ tsp

Garam Masala – ¼ - ½ tsp

Coconut – ¼ part

Salt to taste

the method

Soak the garbanzo beans overnight and cook it with garlic and green chilly.

Heat oil in a pan and stir in the onion. Add ginger and curry leaves and sauté for a minute. Add the turmeric, chilly powder and garam masala and stir for a minute. Then Add the cooked beans and diced potatoes. Add salt. Stir in the ground coconut paste and let it boil till the curry thickens.

Sambar - traditional method

Preparing a sambar from the scratch is not an interesting idea these days. The number of sambar powder brands stands testimony to it. However I like to have the traditional recipe once in a while especially with idlis. The recipe follows…..

Ingredients

Dal – ¼ cup

Green chilly – 1

Condiments to be fried, powdered and ground to a paste

Oil – 1 tbsp

Fenugreek seeds – ¼ tsp

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Coriander seeds – 2 tbsp

Red chilly, dried – 7 – 9

Coconut, grated – 1/4 parts

Vegetables, cubed (whatever is available or as per need)

Drumstick – 2

Potato – 1

Carrot – 1

Pumpkin – 6 – 8 pieces

Ladies Finger / Okra – 5

Beans – 5

Tomato – 2

For the tempering

Oil – 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds – ½ tsp

Small onion – 6-8 or Onion – 1

Other ingredients

Tamarind – 2 tbsp soaked in water

Turmeric – ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves, chopped (optional) – 1 sprig

Cumin – ½ tsp

Asafoetida – ¼ tsp

the method

Cook the dal with green chilly.

Fry the condiments one by one. Fry the coconut till it is brown in colour. Powder all the condiments together with the fried coconut and cumin. Then, grind the powdered condiments to a smooth paste.

Par boil the vegetables and then add the cooked dal, ground paste, turmeric powder and salt. When the vegetables have completely cooked add tamarind pulp and asafoetida.

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Add onion and fry till it is brown in colour. Pour the tempering over the vegetables and dal mixture. Sprinkle coriander leaves. Aromatic sambar is ready!

Beetroot pachadi

the recipe

Beet root, grated – 2

Mustard – ½ tsp

Cumin – ½ tsp

Green chilly – 2 -3

Coconut – ½ cup

Curd – 1 cup

Salt – to taste

the method

Cook the beetroot till done. Grind together the mustard, cumin, green chilly and coconut. Add to the beetroot. Add salt to taste. Whisk the curd and pour to the beetroot mixture.

Olan

Onam is round the corner and it is time to delve into some traditional dishes. Olan is a mild preparation served in a Onasadya. It also tastes good if served with papad or a tangy curry like theeyal.


the recipe

Ashgourd / white pumpkin - 250 gms
Pumpkin - 250 gms
Red Oriental bean (Cowpea bean) - 100 gms
Coconut milk :
First Extract - 1/2 cup
Second Extract - 3/4 cup
Green Chillies - 5 - 7
salt - to tast

for the tempering

oil, preferably coconut oil - 1 tbsp
curry leaves - 1 sprig

Soak the beans overnight and cook it. Cut the ashgourd and pumpkin into flat cubes. Cook the ashgourd in the second coconut milk extract for 5 minutes. Then add pumpkin, green chillies  and salt. When cooked add the cooked beans and first extract of coconut milk.

Heat oil in a pan and fry the curry leaves. Pour it on the ashgourd and pumpkin mixture. Olan is ready.