Kaalan

Kalan This dish mainly from Kerala Nambuthiri( Kerala native Brahmins) They use pepper instead of chillies. Now we use pepper and chillies for this recipe. This kalan is main dish for Onam festival.

Kaalan

Ingredients

• Thick Buttermilk.............. 4cups
• Pepper Powder................2 tsp
• Jeera(Cumin Seeds)........ 2tsp
• Yam or Plantain banana
• (Nentrakai).............. .......100gms
• Turmeric.Powder............. 1/4 tsp
• Grated oconut................. 1 cup
• Green Chilies................... 6
• Mustard................... 1tsp
• Red Chili..................2
• Curry Leaves.............few
• Salt to Taste

Method

• Cut the yam /banana into small pieces and cook them in water and remove the water.
• Boil the buttermilk with turmeric,pepper jeera powder cooked yam/ banana pieces till it becomes thick. (You can prepare this well in advance)
• Grind the coconut, chilli into coarse paste and mix with the buttermilk.
• Boil it,When it becomes thick add salt and change the kalan in to a serving bowl.
• Heat a pan with oil add mustard, chilli and curry leaves. When it splutters add to the kalan.
• You can keep this kalan for one month.
• Eat with rice and roasted pappads.

Avial (Mixed vegetable curry)

Avial

Avial is one of main dish in all sadyas. Every body likes avial.Eat with sambar rice /chapathi

Ingredients

• Cut Beans ............... 1 packet
• Capsicum ............... 1
• Potato .....................2
• Cut Drumstick .........6
• Carrot ......................2
• Grated Coconut .......1cup
• Green Chili ..............5
• Curd ........................half cup or(you can use tamarind paste 1 tsp)
• Coconut Oil .............1 tsp
• Turmeric................1/2 tsp
• Few Curry Leaves
• Salt toTaste

Method.

• Cut capsicum, potato and carrot in julienne (long) pieces to about 2". 
• Boil all the vegetables(capsicum, potato, carrot, cut beans, drumstick)with little water.
• Add turmeric,tamarind (use two tbsp yogurt instead of tamarind) and salt. Do not add more water
• Grind the coconut and green chillies coarsely.
• When the vegetables are cooked, add the ground coconut and curd. 
• Mix it well . It should be thick. 
• Add curry leaves and coconut oil. (If available, you can add raw banana, yam or snake gourd)