PALAKKADAN KAYA PULI

    Well, when I talk about Kaya Puli, a typical Palakkaddan speciality, it is nothing but a simple Rasam like dish made with Tamarind. Tamarind based soupy dish tempered with Mustard Seeds, Shallots, Dry Red Chillies and Curry Leaves.  The ingredients are minimal, and the cooking time is just 2-3 minutes, and there you have a tangy concoction, a kitchen secret of the locale lesser known to the outer world in its real sense. Yet another small-time recipe from the untold stories of kitchen holds unique to Palaghat.

    I am into writing about a few of my family recipes, which are my Achan and Amma's specialities.  Almost four recipes back to back from their repertoire and which are my favourites, to commemorate their 50th Wedding Anniversary.  Maybe they are not delicacies, but simple dishes which warms your heart at the very thought of it and which has the utter ability to satiate your mind and your stomach all at the same time.  Such are the secrets, the dishes hold in which you grew up.  These recipes are history in its own terms and, family reminiscences.

    As any normal idea goes and also, contrary to the normality of how people learned to cook from their mother.  My mother wasn’t the one who taught me cooking. I feel that Cooking was like any other daily chore for her.   Cooking for her was mainly out of necessity, because my mom & dad worked long hours and thus there was a rotation of simple Sambar, Upperi combinations and the dinner went by with a simple Omelette or Mutta Chikki(Egg Bhurji) which was quick to get ready and serve with rice. This was the normal line-up until I learned how to cook, and I ended up cooking Dinner on weekdays, much to my mom’s relief. 

    But, even then there were the days when I admonished eating the same food, my mother cooked and my preferences set forth into my cooking trials. Long were the years since my marriage, parenting and living in a part of the world distant from the near and the dear. And eventually as I get older & when I find myself craving for these comfort dishes, I started asking my Mom & Dad for the recipe and tried recreating them to treat my nostalgic hit mind. I’ve tried many times to emulate the same flavours in my own cooking, and I’m still hoping to crack the cooking secrets. But I am damn sure what's missing in the dishes are not the flavours or the essences, but the love and care they put into the dishes.

PALAKKADAN KAYA PULI

    So coming back to Kaya Puli, it is one dish I remember during my childhood which made me eat an extra serving of Rice.  Anything tangy goes into my liking and that is a different story.  Along with Kaya Puli, comes an anecdote my Mother says, about my Dad's Cheriamma (Mom's sister) Madavi, who was not keeping well at that time and when they went visiting her with me (just 1 or 11/2 years old).  She instantly made this Kaya Puli and even as a kid I ate heartily.  

    If you like tangy dishes, then Kaya Puli would hit your taste buds for sure.  It is more or less like a Rasam, but the base is made with just Tamarind.  Rest of the flavours comes from the tempering and that is made in Coconut oil for the Nadan touch.  This Kaya Puli recipe is how my Mom makes, and I strictly stick to the style, and wrote all the ingredients in order(in this post) as my Mom listed it out.   Serve Palakkadan Kaya Puli hot with  Steamed Rice or Palakkadan Matta Rice and any side dish of your choice.  My personal liking is a handful of Vadagam or a Pappadam & it is more than enough to go along.

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Cuisine - Palaghat, Kerala
Recipe Type - Soup (Rasam)
Course - Side Dish
Difficulty - Easy
Serves - 3-4
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 10-15 Minutes
Cooking Time - 3 - 5 Minutes

 

HOW TO MAKE PALAKKADAN KAYA PULI - MULAGU VARUTHA PULI

PALAKKADAN KAYA PULI

INGREDIENTS:

For Kaya Puli:

Tamarind Extract - 2 Tablespoons
Water - 2 Cups 
Salt - To Taste 
Jaggery - a small piece (optional)

 

For Tempering:

Coconut Oil - 2 Teaspoon
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 Teaspoon
Dry Red Chillies - 2 No's
Curry Leaves - 1 Sprig
Shallots - 2 No's
Turmeric Powder - 1/8 Teaspoon

PALAKKADAN KAYA PULI

METHOD:

For Kaya Puli:

• Soak Tamarind in 1 Cup of Warm Water for about 10-15 minutes and then extract tamarind juice out of it and keep it aside.
• Alternatively, can mix the Tamarind Paste in 1 Cup of water and use it straight away. 
• Add a dash of Salt to the Tamarind Mix and give a quick stir.  Keep it aside.
• Meanwhile, heat Coconut Oil in a pan.
• Splutter Mustard Seeds, Dry Red Chillies (snapped into two or three pieces) and Curry Leaves. Let the flame be at low.
• Now add, sliced Shallots and sauté it on a low flame until it turns translucent.
• Add Turmeric Powder and give a quick stir. Fry this on a very low flame for a few seconds.
• Immediately pour in the Tamarind Extract and an extra cup of water and mix well.
• Let this boil on a medium-low flame until the raw flavour goes. 
• Add a small piece of Jaggery and mix well.
  
• Switch off the flame when it starts to froth.
• Serve Palakkadan Kaya Puli hot with steaming hot Rice and any side dish of your choice. 
  

PALAKKADAN KAYA PULI

NOTES:

• Adjust the amount of Tamarind to suit your taste preference.
• Adding Jaggery is purely optional, but it helps to balance the overall taste of Kaya Puli.
• I have used Coconut Oil for tempering the ingredients.  Can use any other vegetable oil of your choice.