Foods of Kerala

Photo by: Live to Eat
Kaalan-
Kaalan is a classic Kerala vegetarian delight, a must have dish in Sadhya, the traditional Kerala feast. Incidentally I got a request for this recipe from three different people in the past few weeks. It is a very simple recipe, and tastes heavenly with rice and a simple spicy stir fry. I normally make a moru curry without coconut which is even simpler, but I really had to post a recipe here before people start ... more 

Photo by: Live to Eat
Kaalan-
Kaalan is a classic Kerala vegetarian delight, a must have dish in Sadhya, the traditional Kerala feast. Incidentally I got a request for this recipe from three different people in the past few weeks. It is a very simple recipe, and tastes heavenly with rice and a simple spicy stir fry. I normally make a moru curry without coconut which is even simpler, but I really had to post a recipe here before people start forgetting that this is indeed a food blog. So I went through the whole shebang of grinding coconut et all and I must say the effort (if you can call it that) was totally worth it. Kaalan I used cucumber in my version, since that is what I had in the fridge. You can also use plantain, yam, different types of gourds etc. or mango or pineapple for a sweet and sour version. Plantains are the best choice in my opinion. Ingredients * 1 large cucumber skinned and seeded and cut into large cubes (substitute with plantain/yam/mango/pineapple) * 3 small Thai green chilies slit * 1/4 tsp red chili powder * 1/4 tsp turmeric powder * salt to taste * 3 cups yogurt stirred well * To Grind * 3/4 cup grated coconut (fresh/frozen available in Indian grocery stores) * 1/4 tsp cumin seeds * For Seasoning * 1 tbsp oil * 1/4 tsp mustard seeds * 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds * 3 whole dry red chilies * a few curry leaves Method Grind the coconut and cumin seeds with just enough water to make a really smooth paste. Cook the vegetabl less