Onam Sadya Special: Elashery (Raw Plantain & Elephant Yam Curry)

A Sadya is incomplete without Elashery. I am still not perfect to make this but with experience it gets better. Amma had a set of instructions on how to prepare this dish. the course of this recipe we would know that. Elashery is Pushkar's (my husband) favorite dish. I think Elashery is one of the few malayalam words he picked up quickly. Elashery is made with Raw plaintain and elephant yam, You can use any raw plantain but my choice is the Etha kaya, the Plaintain found in Kerala the long one. In mumbai you would get this in Matunga.

Lets get to the receipe

Elashery

Ingredients

Elephant Yam : Chopped in asymmetrical pcs (100-200gms)

Raw Plaintain: Chopped in asymmetrical pcs (100-200gms)

Beans (Payara); 2-3 nos
One Full Coconut: Grated

Mustard seed: 1tsp

Cumin seeds: 1-2 tsp

Pepper: 1-2 tsp

Red chillies 2-3 

Curry Leaves: 5-6 nos

Turmeric: 2 tsp

Red Chilli powder; 1-2 tsp

Water: 100-200ml

Oil: 2-3 tbps
Salt to taste


Method

1. It is important to cut the veggies asymmetrically, unevenly. This is super easy just chop the way you feel
2. Boil the vegetables with salt+turmeric+chilli powder until they are firm but cooked
3. Grind half the grated coconut+cumin seeds+black pepper into a coarse paste avoid using water.
4. Mix this paste to the boiled vegetables and let it cook for 1 min. Keep aside
5. Heat oil in a pan add the mustard seeds+ the remaining grated  coconut. 
6. Saute till the colour of the mixture turns red ( like red ants in Amma's dictum because that is when the oil separates)
7. Mix this with curry and add the curry leaves.

Elashery read to be served. 

This dish has to be made on the day of the sadya because it has a lot of coconut, So if this needs to stored refrigerate in an air tight container.

Onam Sadya Special: Toran(Stir Fried Vegetables in Coconut)

There is a bit of a lag in writing down these recipes, so I have a lot of catching up to do, so next onam or Vishu all recipes are available on this site. Toran, or Uperi are vegetables stir fried with a tempering of mustard and curry leaves and in some vegetables asfoetida. The most commonly used veggie is Cabbage or french beans. In a Sadya most of the times either of the two vegetables are served.

My favorite vegetable  is Cabbage, it is easy to make and takes just 15 mins to cook up this meal and it taste best with Sambar Rice or also with plain chappatis. This is an office dabba takers option. 


Ingredients:

Cabbage: 500 gms (Finely chopped)
Chillies: 2-3 nos (slit lenghwise)
Curry Leaves: 5-6 nos
Asfoetida: 1 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Turmeric powder: 1 tsp
Sugar: 1 tsp
Freshly grated Coconut:  1/4 cup
Oil: 2-3 tbsp

Method
1. Heat oil in a Kadai.
2. Add the mustard seed, when the it starts to crackle add the curry leaves +  chillies + Tumeric powder and asofoetida.
3. Stir this mixture and the cabbage, Mix well and let this cook with the lid on for 5 mins.
4. Do not add the salt till the cabbage is cooked well as it reduces to half. After 5 mins add the salt and sugar and cook for a minute. 
5. Add the coconut and stir it for 30 seconds. 

The Toran is ready!!!


Some trivia Asofoetida is optional. For veggies like carrots, french beans, Ivy gourd, gherkins, Elephant yam, boil with salt and turmeric before you follow the above recipe.

Remember each vegetable has a unique taste so even if the recipe is same the taste of each Toran is different. 

Onam Sadya Special: Kalan (MoruKuttan) Mildly spiced buttermilk with Vegetables)

Kalan (MoruKuttan) 

Morukuttan this is the Keralite Kadi, usually served as a side dish for a sadya. Depending upon the time of the year the vegetables can be changed. The most commonly used vegetables are Elephant Yam or Raw Bananas (Ethakaya the long bananas found in abundance in Kerala) you can also get this vegetable in a south Indian market. If you are in Mumbai you will definitely get this in Matunga. In the summer during the festival of Vishu (The Keralaite New Year, April 14/15) the best fruit for this recipe is ripe mangoes.

Kalan is thick and Morukuttan is thin in consistency. Kalan is served for any sadya. 

Amma had some theories about vegetables she would say that elephant yam (suran, chena in Malayalam) would cook well only after the Malayalam calendar month of Karkadam, all most after the rainy season. I never understood why she would say that, Amma never liked using the pressure cooker, she believed in the process of slow cooking. Whenever Amma made Kalan, she would ask us to stir the broth continuously, to prevent the mixture from curdling, for Amma to give us this task it was a happy feeling, kinda like you get promoted. Amma had unique ways to teach,this was one of them.  

Ingredients

Any of the below vegetables are used to make Kalan, but for a Sadya we use elephant yam and raw bananas, or ripe mangoes ( as per the season). You have flexibility to choose either one or two vegetables, but because each of these has a distinct flavour the best combination for a sadya is elephant yam and raw bananas.

Elephant Yam (Suran, Chena): 1 cup (unevenly cut in 1inch cubes)

Raw Bananas: 1 cup (unevenly cut in 1inch cubes)

Ripe Mangoes: 2-3 nos (Cut unevenly along with the kernel)

Turmeric powder: 2 tsp

Green chillies: 2-3 nos

Grated coconut: 1 cup

Cumin seeds: 1-2 tsp

Pepper: 1-2 tsp

Buttermilk or yogurt (Buttermilk has to be thick add very little or no water to the yogurt) 2 cups

Curry Leaves; 3-4 nos

Sugar: 1-2 tsp

For Tempering

Fenugreek seeds: 1/4 tsp 

Dried red chillies: 3-4 nos

Mustard seeds: 1 tsp

Oil: 3-4 tsp

Water: upto 200 ml

Salt to taste 

Method

1. Boil the vegetable with adequate water and turmeric( you can add salt but adding salt slows the process of cooking so add it when it is cooked half way) ( if there is excess water drain it a little and use the water as stock) Too much water makes the curry watery.

2. Grind coconut +green chillies + cumin seeds+pepper into semi smooth paste.( Coconut chutney consistency)

3. Add the yogurt to this paste and grind again.

4. Add this mixture to the cooked vegetable, Keep stirring till the mixture starts to boil ( this is the most important step if you stop stirring the mixture will curdle, if there curry is too watery keep stirring at a low heat till you get a thick consistency) 

5. Add the sugar and salt.

For tempering

1. Heat oil in a non stick pan. 

2. Add fenugreek seeds when the colour changes add mustard seeds, red chillies and curry leaves

3. Add this to the curry. 

Enjoy!!!!

Some more tips

Kalan is called a koottu curry which means a side dish, you savour this Sambar and rice, but I like this best with Rice and Pooli Inji  and Pappad.

Do not overcook the vegetables.If you use pressure cooker put very little water for the vegetables. 

Ensure that the buttermilk or yogurt is not too sour or bitter. 

Pepper is optional, I love the flavour of pepper.

Kalan is another delicacy that can be prepared the previous day, this dish should not be served hot you cannot savour its taste when too hot. So my suggestion for a sadya is, make Kalan the first curry on your preparation list.

My mantra as Always taste your food before you serve