Inchi / Ginger Curry

Inchi curry is a side dish mainly used in the traditional feast / sadya of Kerala. Ginger has many medicinal values also. 

Ingredients

• Ginger – 100 gm
• Tamarind – Lime size 
• Chilly powder – 2 tsp
• Jaggery – 2 tbsp
• Fenugreek powder – 1 tsp
• Hing  - a pinch

Preparation

1.Cut the cleaned ginger into thin slices. Fry them in coconut oil. Crush the fried ginger using a mortar and pestle.

2.Soak the tamarind in 1/2 cup of warm water and extract its juice.

3.Heat oil in a deep pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add curry leaves and saute for a few more minutes.

4.Pour the strained tamarind extract to it. Bring it to a boil and add chilly powder, fenugreek powder and hing. Now add the ground ginger and jaggery. Mix well. Check for salt.


5.Bring down the heat to low. Cook for another 10 minutes stirring in between and switch off. Adjust the gravy according to your consistency. 

Koottu Curry

Koottu curry is a prominent dish in the traditional Kerala Feast or 'Sadya'. It is a combination of some vegetables, chick peas and roasted coconut. Here goes the recipe.

Ingredients

• Raw plantain – 2, cubed
• Yam – 1/2 cup cubed
• Black chickpeas cooked – 1/2 cup
• Chilly powder – 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
• Jaggery – 3 – 4 tbsp
• Coconut - 1/2 cup
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Pepper corns - 1tsp

For seasoning

• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Dry red chillies – 2 – 3
• Curry leaves – 1 sprig
• Grated coconut – 1/4  cup
• Coconut oil – 2 tsp

Preparation

1. Soak the kadala / black chana in enough water for at least 4-8 hrs. Pressure cook it in enough water adding salt until it is fully done.

2. Add the raw plantain, elephant yam, chilly powder, turmeric powder, salt and enough water in a pan and cook till they are done. Add 3 – 4 tbsp jaggery and mix well.

3. Coarsely grind the grated coconut, cumin seeds and pepper corns in a mixer. Add this ground mixture to the cooked vegetables and mix well. Check for salt.

4.Cook until the raw taste of coconut is gone. Add the cooked chickpeas to the above mixture. Mix well. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes. Switch off.

5.In another pan add oil, pop mustard seeds, fry dry red chillies, curry leaves, grated coconut. Roast the grated coconut  till it is reddish-brown in color. Add the roasted coconut mixture to the curry and mix well.

Chembu puzhungiyathu / Boiled Malanga

Ingredients

• Chembu/ Malanga -4
• Salt
• Water

Curd Chutney

• Shallots - 3
• Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
• Green Chilly - 2
• Curry leaf -1/2 sprig
• Curd - 1/4 cup
• Salt

Preparation

1. Peel the skin of chembu (Malanga). Wash and cut into pieces.

2.Boil in plenty of water until they are fork tender. Add salt, cook for 2 more min then drain all the water(Take care not to overcook).

3.Grind coconut, green chilly, curry leaf, shallots together. Add curd and salt to this. Chutney ready.

Mashed Tapioca / Kappa Vevichathu



Ingredients 

• Tapioca/(Kappa) – 1 kg
• Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
• Dry red chilly - 2
• Curry leaves - 1 stem

To Grind

• Grated Coconut – 1 cup
• Shallots  – 5
• Green Chillies – 2
• Garlic – 4  cloves
• Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Preparation

1.Peel the outer brown skin and inner pink skin. Chop the edges and cut it into medium-sized pieces. Wash it thoroughly a couple of times.

2.Boil the tapioca pieces in plenty of water along with salt and a 1/4 tsp turmeric until tender. This will take anywhere between 10-20 minutes depending on the type of tapioca used. Be careful not to overcook the tapioca or else it will end up being mushy.

3.Drain the water thoroughly and keep the tapioca pieces aside.

4.Grind coconut, shallots, green chillies, garlic,  turmeric powder and cumin seeds to form a very coarse paste.

5.To the same pan used for boiling the Tapioca, add the cooked tapioca pieces, coconut mixture.

6.Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes on low heat. Remove lid and mix everything thoroughly. Add more salt if needed. Mash the pieces thoroughly using the back of a wooden spatula.

7.Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When it crackles, add curry leaves and dry red chillies and pour this to the cooked tapioca.

Kappa Puzhungiyathu & Mulaku Chammanthi / Boiled Tapioca

Ingredients

• Kappa / Tapioca - 2-3 
• Salt  
• Water 

Preparation

1. De-skin the tapioca and wash well. Cut the tapioca into 2 or 3 portions depending on the length of the tapioca, cut these pieces again in half , wash well again.

2. Bring water to boil in a deep bottomed vessel or pan and season with salt and add the tapioca and cook until tapioca is cooked well through, it should get an almost translucent color.

3. Drain the water and serve hot.

Mulaku Chammanthi

• Shallots -  5
• Bird's eye Chilli - 10/Green chilli - 3
• Tamarind - a small piece
• Coconut Oil - 1 tbsp
• Water - 2 tbsp
• Salt

Crush the shallots, tamarind and chillies using a mortar-pestle until the onion has started to release its juice(you can also pulse the mix in a grinder). Add coconut oil, salt ,little water and mix everything together. 

Tapioca Beef Biriyani

Tapioca - 1 kg
Coconut - 1/2 cup
Green chilly - 6
Ginger - 1 piece
Beef with bones - 1 kg
Coriander powder - 4 tsp
Chilly powder - 4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Meat Masala - 2 tsp
Onion - 4
Garlic - 10 flakes
Shallots - 8
Pepper - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1 tsp

1.Add salt,2tsp chilly,2tsp coriander,1/2 tsp pepper,1/2 tsp turmeric into beef pieces and keep it aside for half an hour.
2.Saute onion,garlic,curry leaf,ginger,meat masala,red chilly,coriander and garam masala in coconut oil.Add beef into this and pressure cook in medium heat.
3.Boil tapioca with salt and strain the water.
4.Grind green chilli,turmeric,shallots and coconut.Add this into tapioca and mix well.
5.Heat oil in a pan and add mustartd and curry leaf.pour this over tapioca mix.
6.Mix cooked beef along with tapioca.