Wednesday 15 August 2012

Kootu Curry with Tyson Chick Peas and Yam

This post is part of Onam and Sadya. The recipe below will be enough to serve 6 - 8 people for Sadya. Measurements are only approximate.


Have I told you of the first time I prepared Onam Sadya, all by myself. It was our first Onam after marriage and we were living in Pune at the time. I was only learning to cook then, and to impress my husband, GC, I
decided to prepare Sadya for Thiruvonam. But the shock came when he mentioned his desire to invite all our friends (mostly singles) for our Sadya as well.

In my heart I knew that I was still learning half of the dishes that are unavoidable for Sadya. But my pride prevented me from admitting this and putting off the plan for Sadya. Blogs, let alone food blogs, weren't so common back then. And I didn't have any recipe books with me. Days and days of prayers were answered in the form of 'Vanitha', a fortnightly magazine in Malayalam, which had a collection of recipes for every dish that has to prepared.

That was the first time I prepared Kootu Curry and I pretty much follow the same recipe (though not hand-written and saved anywhere).

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup Tyson Chickpeas, soaked overnight and cooked
  • 3/4 cup yam, diced
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/2 cup water
  • Salt to taste
To grind
  • 1 tbsp ginger, grated
  • 1/3 cup grated coconut
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 green chilly
  • 10 peppercorns
To temper
  • 2 tbsp grated coconut
  • 2 tbsp eschallots, sliced
  • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • 2 red chilly
  • 1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil/ cooking oil
Method
1. Cook yam with water, salt and turmeric powder. Then add cooked tyson chickpeas and cook for a few more minutes.
2. In the meantime, grind all ingredients under 'to grind' to make a fine paste with very little water. Add this to yam and chickpeas mixture. Continue cooking till the mixture is dry.
3. To temper, heat oil in pan, splutter mustard seeds and add eschallots, curry leaves and red chilly. When eschallots change colour add coconut and roast till it turns brown. Add this to yam and chick pea mixture.

Kootu Curry is ready. Serve hot with rice or chapathi.

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