So here’s the thing. If I sniff a piece raw ginger, I feel nauseous. It’s ironic because ginger is what people sniff when they feel nauseous. I can never eat a ginger candy. I hate biting into ginger pieces that are added to upma (I always grate and add it) and such. BUT. I love the flavour of it as long as it’s not dominating the dish – like ginger chicken, or adding it to coconut chutney, or even fresh lime juice with ginger. There’s an exception though (I told you this is weird) – Inji Curry. Inji curry is a condiment that’s an essential part of an Onam sadya and the star ingredient is obviously. ginger. AND, I love it.
Amma makes inji curry and stores it in the refrigerator for weeks. She never restricts dishes to festivals, and makes them as she pleases, when she wants. The inji curry in the pictures here are made by her to send back with me during my last trip to Kottayam.
It’s super easy to make Inji Curry so I hope the lack of step by step pictures doesn’t deter you. Will try to update if and when I make this myself. Here’s a list of Onam Sadya Recipes, just for you. Pulissery and Cabbage Thoran go really well with this Inji Curry.
Inji Curry / Puli Inji Recipe
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Makes ~ 2 cups of Inji Curry
Ingredients:
1 cup of peeled and chopped fresh ginger
1/2 cup of thick tamarind juice (soak and squeeze juice of a lemon-ball sized ball of tamarind in 1/2 cup warm water)
1 tsp of red chilli powder (adjust to taste)
2 of green chillies
1/4 tsp of kaayam / asafoetida
2-3 tbsp of grated or powdered jaggery (adjust to taste)
1/4 cup of oil
1/4 tsp of mustard seeds
1/4 tsp of fenugreek seeds
Salt to taste
A few curry leaves
Instructions:
1. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the ginger until dark golden brown. It should be just short of burning but do not burn it, that would ruin the flavour completely. Before removing the fried ginger, throw in the green chillies, fry for a few seconds, and drain along with the ginger. Set aside to cool.
2. Once the ginger cools down, grind well and aside.
3. From the oil used to fry ginger, remove all except 3 tbsp oil. Heat it and add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add the fenugreek seeds. They will brown quickly so as soon as they do, throw in the curry leaves. Fry for a bit.
4. Next, add the ground ginger, asafoetida, red chilly powder, jaggery, tamarind, and salt. Mix well and simmer for about 10-12 mins until the oil starts to separate. If you’ve added too much water, this may take longer.
5. Remove from fire, cool, and store in a dry bottle in the refrigerator. We usually keep it for around a month, so you can too, provided you always remember to use a dry spoon to take some.
Notes:
– you can follow the same recipe for maa inji (mango ginger) too. It tastes equally, if not more, delicious
– you can adjust the sweetness level according to your personal taste. This quantity results in a perfect balance that suits us
– the spice level with these quantities tend to be on the slightly higher side so lower it if you have lesser tolerance
– the picture was taken of refrigerated Inji Curry. When you make it fresh, it will be a bit ‘looser’ than this
– even if you hate ginger, give this one a shot. Trust me on this 🙂
I know it’s a bit early to post an onam recipe but I was going through some of the pictures and when I saw this, I was reminded of amma bottling it up for me and me keeping it for weeks and weeks, eating a little at a time, fearing it will be over soon. Made me smile, so felt I should share it with you immediately!
PS: This year I will be in Kottayam for Onam. Wheeee! 😀
I wasn’t a fan of inji curry.
But ever since I’ve tried this recipe, I’ve become a big fan.
Now this inji curry is in high demand from my family & friend circle.
Big thanks to you… On behalf of all of us.
thank you so much!
I tried out this version of the Inji puli=grinding the ginger and green chilies after frying.I loved it for the texture and that fact there is nil wastage.Otherwise the ginger will be thrown away or the green chilies.
Thank you!
Hi, for the mango-ginger version, should we be cooking the mango along with ginger in the oil first?
use the exact same recipe but replace ginger with mango ginger
you can add some sugar to it while cooking. sugar adds taste of puli inchi. and also dont use salted jaggery. It has different names in kerala. puli inchi, inchippuli, inchicurry and some says inchappuli. It can also be made by using one or two grinded dates along with jaggery ( will be sweet)
Superb recipe! My mom does a killer version too.
Does it go well with rice, or should it be used as an accompaniment for idly/dosa?
rice is the main combo for inji curry but you can eat it with idli, dosa, chapati, anything really 🙂
never heard or tasted this before sounds very interesting. thanks for sharing
delicious…
infact my mother in laws makes a chutney with same ingradients you listed but sightly different methods that goes well with idly/dosa etc. My son calls it as 'Bamma's ketchup' (bamma (telugu) = grandma).
I like ginger, yes dont like biting them unless its a pickle that my mom makes with small ginger pieces! Like this recipe and the click!
i love ginger… if don't have ginger i know i am missing it badly. helps me with the migraines as well.
the inji reminds me of our keralite neighbor who used to make on onam and serve the whole onam platter to us.
This is my fav. My mom makes it similarly.. 🙂
Mouthwatering here, wat a terrific and super tempting inji curry.
I love ginger in anything and love to chew on dried ginger. I never had inji puli before though. Very new to me and I feel like dipping my finger in! Mmmmmm 😉
This is an awesome looking picture. With hardly any chillies , how did you get that pretty color? So mouth watering. Thanks.
The colour comes from the fried ginger. You must fry it until it's nice and dark brownish-red, and then it's perfect to make puli inji 🙂
Nags, Deep frying of ginger will not give bitter taste ???
🙂 Ditto feeling with Ginger!
One of the cooks who used to come in my native for ceremonies used to make a killing pachadi with Jaggery & tamarind!
Love your site.
Thanks Nags… Was searching for this recipe… My favy one…
http://recipe-excavator.blogspot.com
I love Ginger in all dishes.. My mum used to do this .. Same as you I eat little by little (need to keep till I get next stock right?) Thanks for sharing
Would it sound weird if I told you I share the same sentiments?I hate biting into ginger pieces too and always make sure either it is chopped finely or grated.Love puli inji too(now this is getting weird;)!!Happy looking-forward-to-Onam days:)
I love this…my friend's mom made this on Onam:)
I hear ya. I hate mint ice cream and mint-chocolate candies/mouth-fresheners, but I love mint chutney & mint-flavored water. I don't like ginger on its own either. But ginger tea & ginger chutney is cool with me. It really is weird, and I'm sure I'd love this curry too 😀