KAALAN

Ingredients:

Raw banana/plantain - 1

Yam/suran - 200 gms

Sour yoghurt(beaten) - 5 cups

Turmeric powder - 2 tsp

Pepper powder - 1 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Coconut(grated) - 1 cup

Green chillies - 5-6

Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Methi seeds - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp

Ghee - 1 tsp

Method:

Wash and cut the vegetables into 2" square pieces. They should be thick.

Cook the vegetables, in just enough water, adding turmeric powder, pepper powder and salt in pressure cooker.

Transfer the cooked vegetables to a heavy bottomed kadhai, and add the beaten sour curds and boil, stirring occasionally, until the gravy is thickened to a semi solid consistency.

Remove from stove. Add a sprig of curry leaves.(The Kurukku kalan is usually prepared up to this stage and stored . It will keep good upto 1 month even under room temperature. Whenever needed, ground coconut and green chillies is mixed, also mustard seed- curry leaf seasoning and methi seed powder.)

Fry the methi seeds to a golden brown in a drop of ghee and grind to a fine powder and add to the gravy.

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. When the mustard splutters, add the curry leaves and add seasoning to the gravy.

Grind the coconut and green chillies to a thick paste, adding curds, if necessary. Do not add water while grinding. Mix to the thickened gravy.

Serve with hot plain rice.