Kurrukku Kaalan / Vegetable in thick curd gravy

This is a Keralite dish which is served as a part of sadhya and is made of curd, coconut and any  vegetable like yam or plantain. The consistency and ingredients vary from place to place. This has a thick gravy. In this recipe, the important thing is that the curd should be sour.

I learnt this dish soon after my marriage as I did not know what to cook and my Husband liked Kerala food a lot ( I had this recipe with me from so long), so I thought of making this and surprise him as soon as he comes back from office. To my surprise, I didn’t know that he doesn’t like most of the veggies :)  But thank god, he liked this a lot as this contains of curd (he likes curd a lot), from then on this is made regularly in my kitchen.

Ingredients:

1. Raw banana(peeled and diced)- 1no
2. Green chillies- 3nos
3. Curry leaves- few
4. Pepper powder- ½ tbsp
5. Salt- as required
6. Water- ½ cup
7. Curd- 2cups
8. Turmeric powder- 1tsp
9. Red chilli powder- 1tsp
10. Salt- as required
11. Coconut (grated)- 1cup
12. Cumin seeds- 1tsp
13. Coconut oil- 1tbsp
14. Mustard seeds- 1tsp
15. Fenugreek seeds- 1tsp
16. Curry leaves- few
17. Dry red chillies- 2nos

Method:

1. Cook raw banana along with green chillies, pepper powder, curry leaves and salt with required amount of water. Boil till the banana pieces are soft.
2. Mix curd, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt in a bowl without any lumps. Pour this mixture over the cooked banana pieces.
3. Grind coconut and cumin seeds together to a fine paste.
4. Heat oil in an earthen ware chatty (pan). Fry mustard seeds, fenugreek, curry leaves and red chillies in turn. Add the coconut mixture to this seasoning. Saute on slow fire, till all the masala is roasted. Remove from fire and let it cool.
5. Add this masala to the curd- banana mixture and stir well.
6. Put the chatty with the kaalan on a low flame and keep stirring carefully till the kaalan thickens. Lift it off the fire. Stir till it becomes cold.
7. Keep the kaalan in a porceline jar and use when required.

Note:
It can be kept for many days. But in my house it is finished the day itself :)

I am sending this to Treat to eyes -Series 2 hosted by Ruman of Spice Ur Sences. And also to Kerala Kitchen hosted by Magpie of magpies recipes.