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Onam Recipes

This year, besides the usual Kerala dishes, cook something with traditional flavours of Onam but with a little different touch to lend a new taste.

Val Val

This is a specialty of south karnataka, a coastal district near south Kerala. The flavours are similar to those of Kerala cuisine, yet it would be an interesting change from the usual Onam dishes. Pumpkin - 200 gmsSweet potatoes- 200 gmsAsh gourd -200 gmsPotatoes - 200 gmsCoconut - 1 largeGreen chillies- 6-8Salt to tasteAsafetida - a pinchRice flour - 2 TbspCoconut oil - 2 tsp Peel the vegetables and cut into long pieces like finger chips. Grate the coconut , add 1/2 cup water and blend in a mixer. Line a colander with a thin cloth, pour the ground coconut in it and squeeze to exact the thick milk.Add about 3 cups of water to the residue , blend again and squeeze out The thin milk. Add the thin milk to the vegetables. Slit the chillies in Halves and add . Place on fire and and cook till the vegetables are just cooked. ( avoid over cooking) add salt and asafoetida. Mix rice flour with 1/4 cup of water and add to the vegetables. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add the thick coconut milk and let it just come to a boil. Switch off the flame immediately. Add coconut oil on top and mix gently.

Note to NRIs :

A cup of coconut cream( ready to use packs or cans ) may be used instead Of thick coconut milk and canned coconut milk or coconut cream diluted With water may be used instead of thin coconut milk. Or, coconut milk powder May be used as per instructions on the pack. If ash gourd is not available, Use zucini and add it when other vegetables are half cooked.

Hot and sweet pineapple Curry

This dish, as the previous one is also from South Karnataka district. It is a cold curry where the gravy is uncooked. Peeled and chopped pineapple pieces - 2 cupsCoconut - 1 medium sizeRed chillies - 3-4Tamarind - size of a marbleMustard seeds - 2 tspSalt - 1 tsp or to tasteSugar - 3-4 Tbsps If the pineapple is sour, add the sugar to it and cook for 3-4 minutes.add salt, allow to cool. Omit the Tamarind in the recipe. If it is sweet, just mix with sugar and salt. Grate the coconut. Fry chillies in 2 tsp of oil and grind to a smooth Paste with coconut and tamarind. Add mustard seeds, fried in 1 tsp of oil and grind briefly till just crushed. Add this paste to the pineapple. Add enough water to form a creamy gravy. Taste and correct the seasoning.

Note to NRIs:

Dessiccated coconut may be used if fresh coconut is not available. If using canned pineapple slices, adjust the sugar accordingly.1/2 tsp tamarind paste may be used instead of tamarind.

Kalan

Raw Bananas -2 (OR) Yam - 1/4 KgChilli powder- 1 tspTurmeric powder - 1/2 tspSalt - to tasteGrated coconut -1 cup ( 100 gms )Pepper Corns - 1/4 tspSambar onions ( shallots) - 3-4Cumin seeds- 1/2 tspCurds - 1 cup, beaten till smoothCurry leaves - fewCoconut oil - 2 TbspFenugreek - 1/4 tspMustared seeds - 1/2 tspRed chillies - 2, broken into piecesCurry leaves - few Peel aned cut bananas or yam into 2 cm cubes. Mix them with chilli powder, turmeric and salt. Add some water and cook. Meanwhile grind the coconut with pepper and cumin to a fine paste. When the vegetable is cooked, add the ground paste and curds. Simmer gently for five minutes, stirring the contents a couple of times. Remove from fire, add some curry leaves. Heat oil and temper with fenugreek, mustard, chillies and curry leaves. Add sliced onion and fry till brown. Add this to the kalan and mix well. The shallots in western countries are much bigger than those in India. So use only one.

Pulinji

Hot, sweet and sour ginger chutney Raw rice -1 tsp White gingily seeds(sesame seeds) 1 tspFenugreek - 1/2 tspTamarind - size of a big limeJaggery - size of a big limeChilli powder - 1 tspAsafoetida - 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder 1/2 tspSalt to tasteOil - 2 tspMustard - 1 tspMinced ginger - 50 gmsGreen chillies - 10, cut in thin slices Roast raw rice, gingily seeds and fenugreek without oil. Powder.Soak tamarind in 1 cup of water and extract tamarind pulp.( or use 2 tbsp of ready to use tamarind paste ) Dissolve jaggery in little water and strain.Mix with tamarind juice, chilli powder, turmeric and salt. Simmer till thick. add the masala powder and simmer for 2 more minutes. Heat oil, season with mustard. Add ginger and green chillies. fry for 1 minute. add to the tamarind mixture

Pal Payasam

( rich rice kheer)Raw rice( Basmathi) - 1/2 cupAlmonds - fewPista - fewMilk - 2 litresSweetened condensed milk - 1/2 tinCardamom powder- 1/2 tspSaffron - a big pinch Wash and soak rice in water for `1 hour. Drain and crush with your hands so that the grain break into small pieces. Soak almonds and piasta in hot water for 1/2 hour. Drain, peel and cut into thin slices. Boil milk and simmer till it is reduced to about 1 1/2 litre. Add the broken