Monday 29 October 2012

Kerala Onam Special Recipe: Inji curry/ Puli inji


Don’t forget to make this recipe at least a day before the sadya. Inji curry is a must in the Onam sadya menu. The sweet, sour and spicy flavor of inji curry tantalizes the tongue and enhances the taste of all other Onam dishes. Jaggery provides the sweet taste; tamarind is for sourness while chilli powder makes it really spicy. Ginger is good for digestion and is believed to help in digesting the big Onam feast. Try out my other tried and tested onam recipes, like olan, kalan, erissery, pullisserypachadi, etc in onam sadya menu.

Ingredients:

1.       Ginger – 1 cup
2.       Coconut oil

Cut the ginger into short juliennes. Deep fry them in coconut oil. Crush the crisp ginger into powdery bits. [one pulse in the blender]

3.       Tamarind/ vaalan puli – 1 tbsp
4.       Chilli powder – 2 tsp
5.       Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
6.       Asafoetida / kayam – ¼ tsp
7.       Coriander powder – 3 tsp
8.       Jaggery – 2-3 tbsp
9.       Salt – to taste
10.   Water – ½ cup

Mix the tamarind in a tbsp of water. Mix with all the other ingredients, adding the crushed fried ginger.

11.   Coconut oil
12.   Mustard seeds
13.   Curry leaves

Heat coconut oil; add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add the curry leaves. Add the ginger mixture and cook till thick.

14.   Roasted Fenugreek powder – 1 tsp

Add fenugreek powder and mix well. Keep in an airtight container when cool. Serve with hot rice and other delicious Kerala curries.

Secret Grandma tips:
  • The quantity of jaggery, tamarind and chilli powder can be varied according to preference.
  • Inji curry tastes better when made a day or two earlier.
  • This keeps for a week in the fridge, without spoiling.
  • Roast fenugreek seeds in hot pan with little or no oil. Powder them when cool. Keep in an airtight container. This is used in many Kerala dishes like sambar, fish curry, pickles, inji curry, etc.
  • Inji curry is a thottu-kootan, like a pickle and is intended to be served in small quantities.
  • Try making this recipe with mango-ginger [manga-inji], tastes awesome.

No comments:

Post a Comment