Potato-Kadala stew (Ishtu) - Going Minimalistic on ingredients for a burst of flavors

I am not a movie buff, by that I mean I am not the kind of person that has the need to go catch a movie the day it is released and nor am I the kind of person that watches all/many movies. There are some genres I favor over others but my movie watching at best is far and few. With Netflix making streaming movies so easy and accessible, I don't even feel the urge to go to the crowded theatres any longer. My own family room, a pot of home made butter less popcorn, fruits on the side, some throws to keep me warm and cozy - best theater in the World :-). But then yesterday DD had to go watch a Spanish movie for a class credit and paired up with a classmate. We went to drop the girls off and since we didn't have anything else planned for the rest of the afternoon (wonder how that happened??), on a whim decided to go watch a movie ourselves. It was a toss between 'Enough Said' - a story of two middle aged divorced parents or 'Prisoners' - a dark thriller starring Hugh Jackman. Since the facial expression on BH's face was enough to understand that he had obviously written off 'Enough Said' as a sure fire chick flick, I decided to go with him to Prisoners as it promised Hugh Jackman on the big screen if nothing else :-).

The movie is well made, not so suspenseful as I kinda knew who the real culprit was (this is what comes of watching too many Law & Order episodes on Netflix I guess) but it is a movie that grows on you and makes you think or atleast ponder a little bit. There is no spoiler alert here but if you want, just google it and Wikipedia has the entire story typed out. It is rated R for violence and language so definitely not for younger kids, both HJ and Jake Gyllenhaal act well and get into the skin of their respective characters. I would watch Les Miserables any day over this movie if I wanted to catch a glimpse of HJ, the bonus being beautifully sung songs. Here is the story line - HJ's 5 year old daughter is kidnapped along with a friend from the neighborhood on Thanksgiving day and he believes that a man whom police have confirmed as not a suspect has the key to finding his daughter, abducts him, imprisons and tortures him. While I could empathize with the father that has lost his daughter, I couldn't condone his treatment to the other man especially since he knew all along what he was doing :-(. So how far do you go when you are pushed to the wall or options are limited? Is compromising on core values ok if that is the only way to get at where you want to be? Does the end always justify the means? I didn't think so, I realize I am being judgmental here, but something to ponder over. Well, so much for a fun Saturday evening.

But then we had a great Saturday brunch at home before the movie and a heavy one at that. Home made, silky smooth akki shavige with gasagase payasa and for a change some Kerala special stew instead of our usual lemon shavige or other savory options. There is a restaurant in the neighboring town which many of our friends kept giving glowing recommendations, and we kept putting off going there for a while now. It is quite a drive from home, not on the way to any place we generally go to, so it didn't get bumped in priority. Finally we made it a couple of weeks back with visiting family. Food is totally worth the drive and the wait. Menu is limited and quantity is just right, the best part of the experience was it felt like eating fresh Indian food after a long time. DD tried their Idiyappam and Kappa-Kadala stew and loved it. The mild flavors of this curry made her wipe her plate clean (and the fact that she was hungry and had not eaten in hours :-)). Since I have never tried my hands cooking Kappa and do not know how to select one (I welcome any tips on this from you guys as I do want to try this vegetable at home), I chose to try the same dish with potato replacing kappa and the end result was delicious and extremely flavorful.

This stew or Ishtu or Eshtu as it is called in Malayalam, is a very mild (no strong spices at all) but bursting with flavors curry and usually served with Idiyappam or Appam. If you are like me and love fresh ginger and curry leaves, this stew is for you. Very easy to make if you have some fresh coconut milk on hand (or go ahead and purchase a tin from your Indian or Thai store), gets done in a jiffy and stays with you a long time on a happy tummy. The important thing is to let cook the vegetables along with ginger and green chili. I found that mashing up/pounding part of the ginger to get the juices going helps concentrate the ginger flavor.

What do you need to make Potato-Kadala Ishtu?
1 cup cooked black chana/black chickpeas
1 cup cubed potatoes
1/2 cup chopped carrots (optional, I added to enhance the nutrition boost)
2 Tblsp onion - chopped small
1.5 inch piece fresh ginger
2-3 green chilies
1 inch piece cinnamon (broken in two)
2 cloves
1 Tsp salt (adjust to taste)
1 Tsp oil (coconut oil for extra flavor or any other oil if you prefer)
1 cup coconut milk
12-15 curry leaves

How do you make Potato-Kadala Ishtu?

• Soak black chick peas the previous night, rinse and cook until soft in pressure cooker with a pinch of salt.
• Wash potatoes and carrots and chop them into similar sized cubes (bite size pieces work perfectly)
• Clean and peel ginger, chop them into thin juliennes, mash half of them in a mortar and pestle to get the juices going.
• Clean and slit green chilies vertically.
• Heat a deep pan, add oil and add cinnamon and cloves. Let them sizzle for 30 seconds before adding chopped onions.
• Mixing frequently, let the onions sweat and turn translucent, do not fry to make them crisp or change color.
• Add the ginger (juliennes and the mashed), green chilies and half of the curry leaves. Mix them in the oil.
• Add the chopped potatoes and carrots along with salt and a cup of water. Cover, reduce heat to medium and let cook for 8-10 minutes until the vegetables are fork tender.

• Add the cooked black chick peas, add the coconut milk and let it come to a gentle boil.
• Tear the remaining curry leaves roughly and add it in.
• Switch off when the curry starts to boil, cover and set aside for 5-10 minutes for the flavors to mingle.
• Serve warm with Idiyappam, appam, dosa or rotis. Yum!

Notes:

• I do not use coconut oil in my cooking so I just seasoned with my regular sun flower oil.
• Coconut milk: Use fresh grated coconut and grind one cup of grating with 1.5 cups of water to get the milk. I used a store bought tin this time which worked well too.
• I find that roughly tearing up curry leaves before you let them float in boiling liquids brings out their flavor better, try this trick when you throw in curry leaves into your curries, sambars etc.

 

Kadala Curry or Chick peas gravy - of roasted coconut, curry leaves and fennel seeds

My Kerala experience is from the one house boat trip we went on a few years ago. I loved the place, its serene beauty, lush greenery, vast pockets of water, sudden showers from above and people crossing the waters on natively built rafters. Our chef on the boat treated us to many wonderful Kerala delicacies including the Puttu and Kadala curry and the lacy appams. I came back loaded with bags of fresh chips, wheat halwa and other goodies. Though it was a short trip,  the memories are etched forever.

My SIL is from Kerala and her mom is one of the greatest cooks I have come across. This aunty is very elaborate, follows the traditional methods of cooking to date and spends long hours in the kitchen dishing out one yummy dish after another. She has always humored me with recipes whenever I have asked her for some. I have tasted one of the best Puli inji in her kitchen. She tells me that a good avial is not only defined by what vegetables go into it but also by how they are cut as each different kind of vegetable has to be cut and cooked separately to reach the desired consistency. The sweet lady that she is, she hands me a packet of fresh home made jack fruit or banana chips for me to carry whenever I visit.

The other day, I was home waiting for a garage door repairman to come and fix something. It was a rainy day and the grey skies just made me miss home terribly and everything and everyone connected with home. I was really not in the mood to cook much as we had had a dinner party over the weekend and been eating off of left overs, I badly craved for something yummy in my tummy that would also soothe me down. I found some plump black chick peas and knew exactly what I would make for lunch. I just followed my instincts to recreate a magic I had a few years before.  I had a few hand written notes for this recipe, had a general idea of how it is cooked and had seen many versions flashing in the blogosphere but I have not followed any specific recipe here rather gone with the way my senses guided me. While I do not claim this to be the authentic Kerala Kadala curry (notice, I didn't call it Kerala Kadala curry :-)), it surely is a great tasting curry. For that matter, you may never find one authentic recipe of this dish since there are so many variations based on which pocket in Kerala it came from and who cooked it.

As I was finishing up cooking, my garage door guy finished up fixing the door and came in to collect his check. As soon as I opened the door, his first reaction was, "God, what is this awesome smell", so I asked him if he wanted to try some and shared a piece of puttu and the curry. He sat there spooning it down and told me stories of how his wife cooks a red curry and a green curry and how old his kids are, how the younger one is starting full day kindergarten in the Fall etc. And I gave him my 5 minute gyan on why there is no such thing as 'curry powder' and the name curry is a misnomer at best :-). Seeing him enjoy the curry made me feel totally gratified. Well, that story was just to prove a point and encourage you all to try this delicious curry in your own kitchens.

What gives the most flavor to the kadala curry is the roasted coconut - be patient and roast it over medium heat. Fennel seeds bring in the 'oh so heavenly' aroma to the dish, I have used this spice in a few other recipes and am totally in love with it. Fennel seeds have the right instinct of being all encompassing yet not overbearing and when used in the right amount, they wield the power to make you crave for more. I have seen recipes using garam masala and coriander powder but I skipped both and used a few fresh whole spices to create the magic. It was like walking into your lush green back yard (complete with a few coconut trees swaying and curry leaves on a tree exuding the fragrance), the only thing missing was the vast Vembannad lake and the sultry climate but my Seattle rains and the grey skies more than made up for its absence.

And once the curry was made, seeing that it turned out so good, I made some puttu with brown rice flour on an impulse. Now, I have made puttu before and keep a packet of puttu flour handy but had never paired it with the Kadala curry. They are a match made in heaven, what makes the marriage rock is a bowl of home made yogurt on the side and your gastronomic journey is totally blissful.

What do you need to make Kadala curry? 
1 cup dry black chickpeas
1 cup coconut
1 Tsp fennel
1/2 Tsp pepper
1/2 Tsp coriander seeds
4 dry red chilies (adjust to taste)
2 cloves
1 inch piece cinnamon
10-12 curry leaves
3 Tblsp oil (divided use)
1 Tsp salt (adjust to taste)
2 Tblsp roughly chopped onions
2 Tblsp roughly chopped tomatoes
2 Tblsp finely chopped onions
1 inch piece ginger grated or chopped fine

How do you make Kadala Curry? 

• Soak chick peas in 4-5 cups of water overnight, they will plump up to double their size. 
• Drain water and cook the peas in pressure cooker until soft (mine took 3 whistles) with 1/4 Tsp salt and 3 cups of water. 
• Heat a kadai and roast grated coconut on medium heat for 8-10 minutes until the coconut turns light brown and gives out a wonderful nutty aroma. Keep aside.
• Heat 1 Tsp oil in the same kadai, add the fennel, cloves, cinnamon, coriander and red chilies. Fry on medium heat for 2 minutes or until the spices are fragrant. Add the curry leaves and fry for 30 seconds. Keep aside. 

• Heat 1 Tsp oil, add the roughly chopped onion and fry for 2 minutes, add the tomotoes and continue to fry for 4-5 minutes until onion and tomatoes wilt and turn limp. Keep aside. 
• Once cool, Grind all the ingredients from step 3, 4 & 5 together into a smooth paste adding some water from the cooked chickpeas. 

• Heat remaining oil in the same kadai, add the finely chopped onion fry for a minute, add the grated or chopped ginger, mix it in and let them cook for another minute or so until onion cooks and turns slightly crispy - The crunchy onions here take your dish to the next level popping up in unexpected bites, yumm :-)
• Add the cooked chickpeas, ground up masala and salt. adjust the consistency with water (use the chick peas cooked water to start with) and let it come to a good boil. 

• Add a few fresh curry leaves on top when it is boiling for added flavor. 
• I served it with puttu but it goes equally well with rotis or plain rice. This is not a very spicy hot dish but extremely flavorful because of the ingredients.

Notes: 

• Take time and roast the coconut on medium heat until it turns light brown and gives out a wonderful nutty aroma. 
• You can add red chili powder and/or garam masala while boiling the curry to suit the taste but this dish was perfect as is and I didn't add anything. 
• You can fry pieces of tomatoes before adding the boiled chickpeas instead of grinding them but I usually grind up tomatoes to avoid DD picking at tomatoes. 
• Do not skimp on curry leaves, get fresh ones and load the curry with them. 
• Use black or brown chickpeas (smaller than Garbanzo beans) in this recipe as they taste better. 

Since this protein rich curry is so loaded with legumes, I am sending this off to My Legume Love Affair 60 hosted by Nupur of One Hot Stove. This event is one of the longest running events in the blogosphere started by Susan, The Well Seasoned cook and now maintained at Lisa's Vegetarian kitchen. See you all there with your own creations.

Beet root palya/thoran and a trip to God's own country

A few years back we took a vacation and went on a house boat trip on the Vembannad lake in Kerala which is the longest lake in India and the largest fresh water lake in Kerala. It was a beautiful experience and as we sailed in a small houseboat on the calm waters, we were treated to some of the most delicious food over the course of 2 lunches, a dinner, a breakfast and a few snacks in between including the famous Kerala appam. One of the dishes that caught my fancy is the simple beetroot thoran or palya as we call in Kannada. It was very close to the palya nammamma makes with a few variations and the coconut lover that I am, I fell in love with the thoran that had almost the same quantity of grated coconut as the beetroot pieces - Hehehe.

Palya in Karnataka is typically steamed or sauteed vegetables with seasoning. These do not have a lot of masala ingredients and amma didn't use onions unless it was the potato-onion palya. The masala palyas are made for different purposes such as mixing it with rice to convert into a Bhaath. Gojju, chutney and other condiments bring the spicy accompaniment in Karnataka meals. I liked the house boat version as it had finely chopped onions which gave a distinct flavor to the palya. Nammamma typically cooks the vegetables and then pours over the seasoning on top but for this dish I follow my houseboat cook's method of cooking the vegetables in the seasoning. Amma uses chana dal & urad dal in the seasoning and they stay crunchy since they are poured on top.

Let us get ready to cook up a simple beetroot palya. With flavoring agents added in to this palya, I can just eat up a bowlful like salad. You can serve it as a side dish. Either way, treat yourself to a rich in antioxidants, heart healthy palya.

What do you need to make Beetroot Palya? 
2 medium sized beetroots
2 Tblsp finely chopped shallots or red onions
1 Tblsp grated coconut (fresh/frozen)
1 Tsp oil
1 Tsp mustard
1/2 Tsp cumin
1/8 Tsp asafoetida
2 dry red chilies broken into pieces
5-6 curry leaves
1 Tsp salt (adjust to taste)
1/2 Tsp sugar

How do you make Beetroot palya? 

• Wash, peel and chop beetroots into really small pieces. 
• Heat oil in a pan, add asafortida, mustard and cumin. Let the mustard crackle.
• Add the chili pieces and curry leaves followed by chopped onions. 

• Let the onions sweat for a minute, add the beetroot, grated coconut, salt and sugar.

• Cover and cook on medium heat for 6-8 minutes, the pieces cook in the juices released.
• Stir it once, cover and cook for another 4-5 minutes or until the pieces become soft. 

• Switch off, serve hot or warm. I can eat this palya by itself like a salad. 

Notes: 

• Choose fresh, juicy beetroots for this recipe for best taste.
• Choose onions that are milder in flavor (shallots work best followed by the regular red onions)
• I like finely chopped beetroot which actually cooks faster too, alternatively, you can grate them on the bigger side of the grater for a similar effect.
• If you are worried about the beetroot getting burnt, add a Tblsp of water.
• Addition of sugar helps retains the rich color of beetroot and also brings out the natural sweetness of beetroots.