Festivals are an opportunity to gorge on food delights. For the ongoing Onam celebrations, go for some homemade delicacies using ingredients like raw mango and coconut milk.
Chef Padmanabhan Anand, Chef Jinson Varghese and Chef Rakesh Singh from restaurants Sanadige, Mahabelly and The Classroom, respectively, list down three dishes that one can enjoy this Onam.
* Recipe of Olan, which is ash gourd and cowpeas stewed in coconut milk by Chef Padmanabhan Anand, Corporate Executive Chef at Sanadige —
Total time to prepare and cook: 40-45 minutes
Ingredients: Cow peas (Vanpayar): 1/2 cup; Ash gourd: 1 cup (chopped); Pumpkin: 1 cup (chopped); Green chillies: 3 (slit); Thin coconut milk: 1/2 cup; Thick coconut milk: 1/2 cup; Curry leaves: 10; Coconut oil: 1 tablespoon; Mustard seeds: 1/4 table spoon; Pomegranate seeds: 1/4 of the pomegranate; Salt to taste
Method: Soak the red cow peas (Vanpayar) for 4-5 hours, dice the pumpkin into small cubes, add green chillies (sliced length wise), salt and the soaked red cow peas to this. Cook it for a few minutes and drain. Add the thick coconut milk and within 2-3 minutes add the thin coconut milk too. Allow it to boil. After 5-7 minutes, take it off the flame and add three tablespoons of thick coconut milk. Add salt, if necessary.
Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. When the seeds start crackling, turn off the flame and add these to the dish. For garnishing, pomegranate seeds could be added.
* Recipe for Kaalan, a raw mango and yoghurt curry, by chef Jinson Varghese of Mahabelly —
Ingredients: 1 cup peeled green mangoes; 4 slit green chillies; 1/2 cup water; 1 teaspoon salt; 2 tablespoons oil; 1 teaspoon mustard seeds; 1/4 teaspoon ground fenugreek; 6 curry leaves; 3 red chillies cut halved; 4 cups plain yoghurt, lightly beaten
For Coconut Paste: 1 cup grated fresh coconut; 1 pinch cumin seeds; 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder; 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
Method: In a medium pan, cook the mango pieces with the green chillies, salt and water until all the water has evaporated. Keep aside. Heat the oil in a small skillet and add the mustard seeds. When they burst, add the fenugreek, curry leaves and red chillies. Add the prepared coconut paste (see above) and saute for a couple of minutes over low heat, stirring continuously, taking care not to brown the mixture. Add the cooked mangoes and yoghurt. Keep stirring over low heat to prevent curdling for 2-3 minutes until the gravy becomes thick. Remove from heat and continue to stir until the Kaalan cools.
* Recipe for Kerala veg stew by chef Rakesh Singh of The Classroom —
Ingredients: 20 ml coconut oil; 0.05 grams ginger; 0.05 grams chopped garlic; 0.05 grams green chilli; 50 grams carrot; 50 grams beans; 50 grams potato; 5 curry leaves; 20 grams onion chop; half tea spoon cumin powder; half tea spoon coriander powder; salt to taste; fresh coriander; 10 grams refined flour
Procedure: Take a saucepan. Add coconut oil in a pan. Then add some chopped onion and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes. Add green chilli, cinnamon stick, bay leave and curry leaf. Add refined flour for texture. Then add coconut milk. Boil on slow flame. When milk boils, then add carrot beans and potato into the small cups. When vegetable is cooked, add salt to taste. In the last step, add lemon juice just before serving.
