Kaalan is a staple in any Kerala Sadya especially for Onam Sadya. The usual kaalan recipe has both elephant yam (chena) and raw bananas (pachakkai). I add only yam since that’s more readily available here. Also, its important that the curd is slightly sour, otherwise the curry will taste a bit ‘flat’. Adding a bit of tamarind might take care of this, I haven’t tried that though.
Kaalan
Ingredients:
Curd – 1.5 cups lightly beaten to remove lumps, best if slightly sour
Elephant yam (chena) – 1/2 cup, cubed
Coconut – 1/2 cup
Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Green chillies – 2 to 3
Fenugreek seeds (uluva) – 1/4 tsp
Dried red chillies – 2
Oil – 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves – a few
How to Make Kaalan
1. Heat 1 cup water with the yam pieces and cook till almost done. (A fork inserted should come out easily. Make sure that the pieces are not mushy, just cooked). Meanwhile, grind coconut with green chillies well, with very little water.
2. Add salt, pepper powder and turmeric powder to the pan.
3. Lower the fire to minimum and add the beaten curd along with the ground coconut. After about five minutes, removed from fire and set aside.
4. Heat oil in a pan and temper mustard seeds. Lightly fry the fenugreek seeds (take care not to burn it!) with the curry leaves and the red chillies. Add this to the above curry and mix well.
Hey Nags,
This recipe is very good! I made it today, and it came out very well! Can you please tell me how to make Yam and coconut masala curry! 🙂
I loved you training, now I love your blog!!
seems to be working fine! 🙂
🙂 this is my dads all time fav dish…
Just one point. Your recipe says oil. It can't be just any oil. It has to be coconut oil only. It just does'nt taste the same with any other oil. Even if you a flavourless oil for tempering, finally add a generous dollop of raw coconut oil after removing the kaalan from the fire. Simply divine even if TH does not agree.
You are right, of course Krishna
Hi
I like you am one of those Keralites that has lived anywhere but Kerala! What is it about some of us?
That said, the main reason I write is that I love Kerala food execpt that most staple of all – sambhar. I just dislike it. So when I visit Kerala, I have to make up excuses about why I don't like sambhar – allergy to drumsticks; too many onions; no potatoes or too many potatoes (flatulence) etc., etc.
Well there we go……………..!!
Quick food comment. I find that the single most necessary step in any Indian recipe is the need for the oil to seperate from the onion/gravy/masala. After that it is a dream.
Best wishes
GK
Thanks for dropping by Gopi. Totally agree on the oil-separating step 🙂
Would recommend you to post more Kerala veg recipes. Your Blog is promising enough and would be a great tool for the aspiring “better moms” and the newly wed. thanks a ton.
Nag, this is called pulisseri and is really easy to make..mostly we use mampazham, ethapazham etc. for this..also we use elavan, yam, plantain etc…kalan ususally takes much longer to prepare..you have to add the curd and leave for long and once prepared that looks somewhat like a semi solid item..
Preetha – Yeah, I know the usual kaalan they serve in sadya is much thicker. I just prefer it watery.
My mom makes pulissery in a different way. The consistency is the same but the ingredients differ slightly. Will post that soon 🙂
This is an excellent photograph.
Ya you have 2 post comments :D.
damn the network! Can’t view the pics 🙁
So will come back for sure 😀
So,this is kaalan!,now I could realize how funny when I posted my kaalan recipe ;p,
Love the colour and the serving bowl:)
Just trying if the comment section is wrolking
seems to be working fine! 🙂
🙂 this is my dads all time fav dish…
That’s a beautiful picture, Nags! Looks like a version of mor kuzhambu. Just lovely! 🙂
I guess adding tamarind is not a great idea after all 🙂 Thanks Jayashree 🙂
love it! my combination is with some spicy red curry.. 🙂
I’ve never made kaalan here! My mom makes this regularly but the consistency is thicker. I’ve started out wanting to make kaalan so many times but have always ended up making a pulissery instead! 😀
I have never heard of this dish.. sounds too tempting. nice pic
The picture’s beautiful, Nags.
And as Jayashree says, tamarind doesn’t work here.
But as weird as it sounds, I don’t (only me) like Kaalan with sour curds, so I make it with fresh curds and up the spice a bit!
Pretty picture! Looks lovely..
Love the colour of your kaalan. Adding tamarind instead of curd doesn’t quite work out well….it takes something away from the taste of the kaalan.
Yummy kaalan! looks lovely.
Kaalan, rice n papadam – heavenly combo!
I love kalan with plain rice, just the thought make me drool.
What a lovely pic! Yellow on black, and the kaalan is just awesome. Love the taste of it.
This curry looks close to our majjige huli what we make in karnataka..nice pics
I love the colours too 🙂
Love the color combination N… yellow on black, and the shape of the bowl is too cute! Kaalan is an all time favorite of mine 🙂