Chenna Erissery & Chakkakuru Mezhukkupuratti - Kerala Special

                         Happy Tamil New Year and Happy Vishu 

Kerala is known as 'Keralam' and 'God's Own Country' is a state in South west region of India on Malabar coast.Sadya is a famous feast meal of the Keralian traditional cuisine, which is mainly served during Onam festival and also in various special occasions. This meal is a strictly pure vegetarian, which is served to the guests with rice and other delicious side dishes. Payasam, which is also called Ada Pradhaman is also served in Sadya and it is actually a dish made of sweet milk, mixed with cooked rice pieces called ada,which is prepared with steamed rice paste and cut as small pieces, is favourite to people of Kerala.Various other popular traditional Keralan food items goes for Boiled rice, Parippu, Kaalan, Sambar, Aviyal, Theeyal, Pulissery, Thoran, Puliinji, Olan, Mooru, Pappadam, Sharkara upperi, Kaya upperi, Appam, Puttu  a Steamed Rice Cake, Kappa aka Tapioca, Banana Paayasam and Puzhukku, all these are served in a banana leave for Sadya.Kerala foods are extremely prepared with coconuts, thus they have the distinct flavour and various spices are also used in this cuisine.

Now coming to Kerala's non vegetarian dishes, they are quite famous, the biryanis made by the families in Thalassery are very popular, the traditional dishes of Kerala cuisine includes cooked tapioca along with fish curry called Meen molee, rice congree and cooked moongbean called payaru. Some tradition dish have their influence from Arabic cuisine,  a type of pancake cooked with rice flour called 'Pathiri' is said to be originated from 'fateerah' which means Pastry.Also Harees, an another Arabian dish cooked with wheat,chicken or meat is also popular too.Kerala is the only state in India where there is no communal distinction between the different foods. People of all religions share the same vegetrian and non vegetarian dishes. For my today's Kerala special, i cooked chenna erissery aka elephant yam curry along with a simple and delicious jackfruit seed stir fry.With a bowl rice, these both dishes tastes absolutely fantabulous.

Recipe Source: Palakkad Chamayal
3cups Elephant yam/chena (peeled and cubed)
1cup Grated coconut
1/2tsp Pepper powder
1tsp Cumin seeds
1/2tsp Turmeric powder
Salt

For tempering:
1tsp Urad dal/blackgram
1/2tsp Mustard seeds
1no Dry red chilly
Few curry leaves
2tbsp Coconut oil
1/2cup Freshly scraped coconut

Grind the grated coconut and cumin seeds as fine paste,keep aside.

Take the cubed yam pieces with turmeric powder,pepper powder,salt and enough water in a pan, cook everything in medium flame until the yam pieces gets cooked.

Add the grounded paste to the cooked yam pieces, bring to boil, put off the stove.

Heat the oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds,urad dal and dry red chilly fry everything until they turns brown.

Add the scraped coconut, fry it until turns brown.

Finally add the curry leaves, pour this tempering to the already cooked erissery..

Chakkakuru Mezhukkupuratti - Jackfruit seed stirfry
2cups Jackfruit seed (skin removed & sliced lengthwise)
1tbsp Chilly powder
1/4tsp Turmeric powder
1/2tsp Mustard seeds
Salt
Few curry leaves
2tbsp Coconut oil

Cook the sliced jackfruit seeds with turmeric powder with enough water in medium flame until the seeds gets well cooked.

Strain the water.

Heat oil in a pan, let splutters the mustard seeds, add the curry leaves and fry.

Add the cooked jackfruit seeds, chilly powder, salt.

Cook in simmer until the jackfruit seeds gets well coated with the spices.

Serve hot as side dish.

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