Festive feast

Onam is a festival where celebrations go on for almost 28 days in many parts of India. Different dishes too are made in different ways according to the change in regions. Here are some recipes that you might not have tried yet but is worth doing. These recipes are by home cook Veena, currently living in Dubai and specialising in authentic Kerala cuisine. Veena has a Facebook page, a YouTube channel and a blog called Veena’s Curryworld.

Thrissur Aviyal 
Ingredients

• Carrot - 1
• Green plantain - 1
• Beans - 4
• Drumstick - 2
• Long Beans - 4
• Cucumber - 1/4 cup
• Yam - 1/4 cup
• Snake gourd - 1/4 cup
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2tsp
• Green chilly - 4
• Curry Leaves - a few
• Coconut Oil - 2 tbsp
• Curd - 1/2 cup
• Salt - to taste
• Small Onions - 8 nos
• Cumin seeds - 1/2tsp
• Grated Coconut - 1

(You can use more or less vegetables )

Method

• Rinse all the vegetables and cut it in about one inch length.
• Heat one table spoon of oil, add all vegetables and saute for five minutes.
• Add chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt, curry leaves, slit green chilli (2nos) and 1 tsp of coconut oil. Mix well.
• Close the kadhai and cook the vegetables in medium heat. Stir occasionally. (If using a non-stick pan, no need to add water mostly. Otherwise, add water to cook the vegetables )
• Crush cumin seeds, slice small onions, remaining chilli and curry leaves.
• Add this to grated coconut and mix well with hand. Add a pinch of turmeric powder and salt to this and mix well (or give it a quick whip)
• Don’t make coconut into fine paste. It should be like we blend for thoran.
• Mix the curd with a fork to let loose the lumps. Add this curd to the cooked vegetables and cook again for five minutes. 
• Add coconut mix and stir gently. Gently press the avial with the spoon and cook for a few minutes in low flame till the steam comes.
• Add crushed onion and green chilli on the top during this time (optional)
• Sprinkle coconut oil and a few chopped curry leaves
• Close the pan immediately and keep it like this for 5 to 10 minutes. 
• Blend well and serve.

Note: Spicy flavour depends on the chilli you use. Add or reduce the number according to taste. The same with curd also. Sour curd is suitable for making avial.

Soochi Gothambu Payasam 
Ingredients

• Broken wheat - 1 1/2 cup
• Grated coconut- of 5
• Jaggery - less than 1/2 kg
• Cashew nuts - 50gm
• Coconut slices-handful
• Salt - one pinch
• Water - 3 litres
• Ghee - 2 tbsp

Method

• Take 3 types of coconut milk from 5 coconuts. 1 1/2 cup of first extract, 4 cups each of the second and third extracts and keep aside.
• Wash the wheat thoroughly and cook in three litres of water .
• Cook till five to six whistles are heard.
• When done, strain and pour some more hot water to the cooked rice and drain  well.
• Turn on the heat.
• Add third extract to the cooked wheat and stir well in medium heat.
• When the mix begins to thicken,  add second extract and melted jaggery. Add a pinch of salt also. Stir continuously till it gets thick.
• Add first extract when the payasam begins to thicken
• Mix well and remove from the stove. (No need to boil the payasam after adding the first extract)
• Roast coconut slices and cashew nuts in ghee and add to the payasam. 
• The amount of jaggery depends on your taste. Increase or decrease the amount accordingly.

(The payasam turns thick when it cools. Try to serve hot. If the payasam is so thick, add some boiled water and stir well. Check the sweetness and add more jaggery if you want. Colour of the payasam will depend on the colour of the jaggery. If dark coloured jaggery is used, the product will have a light brown shade otherwise it will be light yellow)