Kerala Style Rasam Recipe

"Spice up Your Day with Authentic Kerala Style Rasam" 

Introduction to Kerala Style Rasam: 

    The culinary history of Kerala does indeed have a rich tapestry of flavours and dishes, but the prominence of Rasam in the traditional Sadhya wasn't as widespread in the past as it might be today. Rasam has evolved and become a beloved part of the cuisine, including Onam Sadhya, over time.

    Historically, Sambar, Pulissery, and Moru (buttermilk/sambharam) were indeed more commonly found on the Sadhya spread. These dishes were considered staples and intrinsic to the traditional Sadhya experience. Rasam, while a popular South Indian dish, might not have been as prevalent on the Sadhya menu in earlier times.

VELLIRIKKA MORU CURRY/PULISSERY

     Moru Curry/Moru Kootan is a simple Kerala Style Curry prepared with Curd(Yogurt) /Buttermilk.  Moru Curry can be prepared with or without Coconut. 'Moru' means 'Buttermilk' in Malayalam, but more or less the recipe usually calls for sour Curd/Yogurt as a base for Moru Curry/Moru Kootan.
 

    Moru Curry is one must-have item served under Ozhichu Curries in Kerala Sadhya(banquet) i.e. the ones normally mixed along with rice and eaten. Moru Kootan is normally prepared with Coconut(Kerala Dishes without Coconuts?) ground to a fine paste along with Green Chillies, Ginger/Garlic, Cumin Seeds, and then it is mixed along with Curd/Yogurt. The flavour of Moru Curry is enhanced with its mild seasoning, normally with Mustard seeds, Fenugreek seeds, Dry Chillies and Curry Leaves.  Some recipes call for Shallots while seasoning, but when it is prepared for a Sadhya/Banquet, shallots and garlic are avoided in the dish.   

    You can find a wide range of Moru Curry or colloquially called Pulissery when it comes to Kerala Cuisine. Moru Curry/Moru Kootan is a commonly & frequently prepared side dish in a Kerala household.

Prevalent Moru Curry/Pulissery from God's own Country:

• Kumbalanga/Ash Gourd Moru Curry
• Simple Moru Kachiyathu/Morukoottaan (with no Vegetables/fruits)
• Chena(Elephant Yam) Moru Curry
• Chembu(Taro) Moru Curry
• Nendhra Kaya Moru Curry
  
• Vellirikka(Yellow Cucumber) Moru Curry 
• Vendakka Moru Curry
  
• Mathanga Pulissery
  
• Mambazha Pulissery
• Pineapple Pulissery
• Nendhra Pazha Pulissery

    The list is long enough, but the recipe remains the same irrespective of the type of Vegetable or Fruit used for this Curry. In this recipe, I have used fresh Cucumber slices.  I have not cooked the Cucumber, and I love the freshness and crunchiness of fresh Cucumbers in this Moru Curry.  Just add a few slices of fresh Cucumber when the Moru Curry is still hot and leave it aside until you serve.

VELLIRIKKA MORU CURRY/PULISSERY

    Fresh Cucumbers & Moru Curry would be one best dish for Summer and also would suit well to be served in a Sadhya for the upcoming Vishu.  It is quite common in an Indian household to cook accordingly during seasons and in summer you can find a wide range of recipes with water laden vegetables and body cooling ingredients. Vellirikka Moru Curry along with Yogurt/buttermilk and mild seasoning is an absolute treat when served with hot white rice/Kerala Rose Matta Rice. Apart from being a wonderful and soothing curry, this fresh Cucumber Moru Curry also serves best for digestion.

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Preparation Time - 7 - 10 Minutes
Cooking Time - 15 - 20 Minutes

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HOW TO MAKE VELLIRIKKA MORU CURRY/YOGURT CURRY WITH FRESH CUCUMBER

VELLIRIKKA MORU CURRY/PULISSERY

 INGREDIENTS:

FOR MORU CURRY WITH FRESH CUCUMBER:

To Grind:

For Seasoning:

METHOD:

• Whisk the Curd/Yogurt with a pinch of Salt and keep it aside.
• Wash, and cut off the ends of the Cucumber and then cut it into big pieces. Keep them aside.
• Grind grated Coconuts with Green Chillies, Garlic clove and Cumin Seeds to a fine paste, adding 1/4 Cup of Water.  If required, adjust the water needed to grind the paste.  
• Pour the ground coconut mixture into a pan, add turmeric powder & salt to it and mix well.
• Cook this on a very low flame until the Curry is just about to boil.
• Pour in the beaten Curd/Yogurt mix and give a quick stir.
• Keep this on a very low flame and cook for a brief moment, stirring continuously.
• Switch off the flame.
• For tempering, heat Coconut Oil in a pan, splutter Mustard Seeds, Fenugreek Seeds, Dry Red Chillies and Curry Leaves in it.
• Pour the tempering into the Moru Curry
• Now add fresh Cucumber pieces and give a quick stir.
• Cover and keep it aside until you serve. 
• Serve Vellirikka Moru Curry along with steamed white Rice/ Kerala Rose Matta Rice.
  

VELLIRIKKA MORU CURRY/PULISSERY

NOTES:

• Sour Curd/Yogurt serves best for the recipe.
• Let the Curd/ Buttermilk be at room temperature before adding it into the Curry.
• Do not over boil after adding Curd/Buttermilk to the Curry.
• Otherwise, the curry may curdle and become watery.
• Stir continuously while boiling the coconut mix and after adding Curd/Buttermilk.
• Coconut should be ground to a fine paste with the required amount of water. Make sure not to pour in more water, which can make the Moru Curry Watery.
• I have used fresh cucumber(green tender variety) pieces in this moru curry.  I have not cooked it.
  
• Can cook the same Vellirikka Moru Curry with Yellow Cucumber.  
• While using Yellow Cucumber, Cook the Vegetables with very little water, just enough to cook them and make sure the water is dried up before adding the Coconut Paste.  Otherwise, the Moru Curry would tend to become watery.
• Can add a pinch of Sugar, if preferred.
• Coconut oil gives an authentic flavour to the dish, can use any other vegetable oil for the purpose. 
• If preparing for Sadhya can avoid adding the garlic clove.

CHAKKA AVIYAL - JACK FRUIT AVIYAL

     "Summer proclaims its arrival with a Midas touch" - Bunches of Golden Shower Flowers drooping out from the trees - Kani Konna Poo.  Shredding the beauty and bounty announcing the arrival of New Year in South India.  Vishu - Malayalam New Year & I have loads of memories celebrating this festival as 'Vishu' at home.  Vishu is round the corner and many of us have already been thinking what could be prepared for the special day's Sadhya spread out - Vishu Sadhya.

    When the Summer hits, the seasonal fruits like Chakka & Manga(jack fruit & Mango) could be found in abundance in the households.  A Kerala backyard would surely have a Jackfruit & a Mango Tree by default, and it is the season when the produce finds its peak.  Even the market would be loaded with Jack fruit & Mangoes.  Vishu which comes during the Season and a Vishu Sadhya would mostly showcase dishes with Raw or Ripe Jack Fruit & Mangoes.  Dishes like Mango Pachadi, Mambazha Pulissery, Manga Curry, Chakka Aviyal, Mambazha Pradhaman or Chakka Pradhaman would be cooked for Vishu Sadhya when Mangoes and Jack fruits are in season.  So, why not try out a dish with the seasonal produce for this year's, Vishu Sadhya?

    In a long list of side dishes served in a Sadhya, 'Aviyal'  takes a special place. It is a wonderful combination of cooked Vegetables in a Coconut-Curd (Yogurt) Mix, mildly spiced and seasoned to perfection.  Mostly local Vegetable are used to while preparing Aviyal. Here comes, a dish with a twist to the traditional Aviyal - Chakka Aviyal.  Chakka Aviyal is one of the most traditional methods of cooking Raw Jackfruits along with Jack fruit Seeds & Mangoes.  It is normally prepared with Raw Jack fruit & Mangoes.  Though the seeds from Raw Jackfruit are added, the Seeds from Ripe Jackfruit tastes great in this Chakka Aviyal adding an overall texture to the dish.  

CHAKKA AVIYAL - JACK FRUIT AVIYAL

    Raw/unripe Jackfruits have a neutral flavour and more or less it tastes like a root. You can add it to a variety of dishes, such as curries, Chakka Aviyal, Stir-fries or prepare Chips(Chakka Chips) etc.,   The idea of cutting into a massive, thick-skinned rind is quite intimidating. And if you have no experience doing such chores like me, then it is absolutely a feat which needs some help.   Jackfruit is green when unripe, with soft and not so-yellow interior.  Choose a Jackfruit which is Raw but not very tender and immature for Chakka/Jackfruit Aviyal.  It should have Fruit Pods and the seeds should be soft too. 

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Cuisine - Kerala (South India)
Course - Side Dish
Spice Level - Low - Moderate
Difficulty - Easy
Serves - 4
Author - SM 

Preparation Time - 15 - 20 Minutes
Cooking Time - 20 - 30 Minutes

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HOW TO MAKE CHAKKA AVIYAL - JACK FRUIT AVIYAL - VISHU SADHYA SPECIAL

CHAKKA AVIYAL - JACK FRUIT AVIYAL

INGREDIENTS :

For Chakka Aviyal:

Unripe/Raw Jackfruit - 2 Cups
Jack Fruit Seeds - 1 Cup
Raw Mango - 1/2 Cup
Turmeric Powder - ½ Teaspoon
Water - 1/4 Cup
Salt - To Taste 
Sugar - a Pinch 

To Grind :

For Final Seasoning:

METHOD:

To Clean & Cut the Raw Jack Fruit:

• Cut open the unripe/raw Jackfruit, remove the centre core(which has latex).
• Cut through the rags and remove the Fruit Pods along with the Seeds.
• Can use few soft rags sticking on to the fruit pods for cooking.
• Cut open the Fruit Pods and remove the seeds from the pods, discard the soft seed shells, then clean & peel the Jackfruit Seeds.
• Chop the Fruit Pods and the soft Seeds & keep them aside.
  

To Clean & Cut the Jack Fruit Seeds:

• Use a handful of Jack fruit seeds from fully ripe Jackfruit pods.
  
• Peel off the white shell from the Jackfruit Seeds.
• Soak the Jackfruit Seeds in Water for at least 3–4 hours or overnight.
• Scrape out the brown skin from the Seeds (Soaking helps you to scrape out the skin easily)
• Cut the Seeds into small pieces, wash and keep it aside.
  

For Chakka Aviyal: 

CHAKKA AVIYAL - JACK FRUIT AVIYAL

• Cook the chopped Jackfruit Pods, soft jack fruit seeds & Jack fruit seeds (from Ripe Jack fruit) in 1/2 a Cup of Water along with Turmeric Powder and a dash of Salt. 
• Alternatively, can cook the above ingredients in a Pressure cooker for a Whistle or two.
• Cover the pan & cook the ingredients on a medium-low flame, stirring occasionally.
• Once the Jackfruit Pods and Jack fruit Seeds turn soft and tender, switch off the flame.
• Now add chopped Raw Mangoes and cook this on a low flame until the mangoes turn soft & cooked. 
• Meanwhile, heat 1 Teaspoon of Coconut Oil in a pan, add slit Green Chillies and sauté in a very low flame for few seconds.
• Immediately add Grated Coconuts, Curry leaves and give a quick stir.
• Fry this on a very low flame for about a minute.
• Grind this coarsely and keep it aside.
• Add the coarsely ground Coconut Mix and mix well.
• Leave this on a low flame for a few minutes, or until the raw flavour goes.
• Pour in the Curd and give a quick stir.
  
• Add a pinch of Sugar and mix well.
  
• Simmer the mix for about 2–3 minutes, or until it turns semi-dry.
• Finally, finish off the dish with a drizzle of Coconut Oil and garnish it with Curry Leaves.
• Chakka Aviyal goes well with Kerala Rose Matta Rice or steamed Rice. 
• Aviyal is one must-have dish when it comes to a Kerala Sadhya/Banquet.
  

NOTES :

• Do not overcook the ingredients for this Aviyal.
• I have used Raw Jack fruit, soft jackfruit seeds, Jack fruit seeds from ripe Jack fruits and Raw Mangoes in this Chakka Aviyal.  
• Can also add Nendhra Kaya (Raw Nendhra Banana), Vellirikka(Yellow Cucumber), Drumsticks et., into this Aviyal.  Some even add a few pods of Ripe Jack Fruits into this Aviyal, which gives a slight sweetness to the dish.
  
• Adjust the amount of Raw Mangoes to suit your preference of tanginess.
  
• Do not over-fry the Coconut, the idea is to just give a quick stir in Coconut Oil, which would enhance the overall flavour of the dish and also removes the raw flavour from Green chillies and Coconuts. This is how my Mom does it.
• Chakka Aviyal is a semi-dry dish.  Adjust the consistency accordingly.
• Adding Sugar helps to balance the overall taste of this dish, but it is truly optional.
• Fresh Coconut Oil & Curry Leaves gives an authentic taste to Aviyal, can use any oil of your choice.

NENDHRA PAZHAM PULISSERY

      Nendhra Pazham Pulissery is a wonderful Curry prepared with Ripe Nendhra Pazham, Coconut paste and Yogurt/Curd.  This Curry has a combined taste of Sweet, Sour and Spicy nature.  Nendhra Pazham pieces are cooked with a hint of Turmeric & Red Chilli Powder until soft and then laced with ground coconut paste, Curd/Yogurt and finally tempered with local spices undoubtedly in Coconut Oil.  This gives Nendhra Pazham Pulissery a typical Nadan Ruchi. 

    Pulissery is a dish, unique to Kerala cuisine.  It is an easy recipe which can be prepared with Kerala's own Banana - Nendhra Pazham alias Etha Pazham.  You can use over ripe or slightly under ripe Nendhra Pazham in this recipe.  Over ripe Nendhra Pazham tends to get mushy when cooked.  So cook accordingly.  This Nendhra Pazham Pulissery is sure to grab your taste buds with its wonderful combination of taste & flavours.  

    When it comes to the dishes prepared for a Sadhya, you can see extensive use of Local fruits and Vegetables.  Fruits like Mangoes, Jackfruit, Pineapple, Nendhra Pazham, Grapes, Dates & Apples are used in a variety of dishes. Pulissery is served as one of the Ozhichu Curries or as Koottans in a Sadhya. Try preparing different types of Pulissery for each day of Onam or just prepare it as curry for Lunch. It can be prepared with Vegetables like Ash Gourd(Kumbalanga), Cucumber(Vellirikka), Elephant Yam(Chena), Ethakka(Raw Nendhra Banana), Chembu(Taro) and with fruits like Nendhra Banana, Pineapple for Pineapple Pulissery or Ripe Mango for Mambazha Pulissery.  But when it prepared with Ripe local fruits like Pineapple, Mango or Nendhra Pazham, this subtle curry goes to the next level.  

    Serve this Nendhra Pazham Pulissery with steamed rice or Kerala Matta Rice and Veggies for a complete lunch. Or serve it as one Ozhichu Curries in Sadhya.

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Cuisine - Kerala (South India)
Course - Side Dish
Spice Level - Low-Moderate
Difficulty - Easy
Serves - 4
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 5 -10 Minutes
Cooking Time - 15 - 20 Minutes

For more PULISSERY/MORU CURRY RECIPES, Click here...

HOW TO COOK NENDHRA PAZHAM PULISSERY/ETHAPAZHA PULISSERY

NENDHRA PAZHAM PULISSERY

 

INGREDIENTS:

To Cook Nendhra Pazham:

To Grind:

For Tempering:

For Nendhra Pazham Pulissery:

METHOD:

For Nendhra Pazham Pulissery:

• Dry Roast the Fenugreek Seeds and grind it into a fine powder and keep it aside.
• Clean, peel, and dice the Nendhra Pazham.  Cut it into thick slices and then can cut it into two or fours.
  
• Add Turmeric Powder, Red Chilli Powder and Salt to Taste to the Nendhra Pazham pieces.
• Add 1/2 Cup of Water and cook until Nendhra Pazham pieces turn soft. Do not overcook.
  
• Grind the ingredients mentioned under 'To Grind' with some water into a fine paste.
• Add the ground Coconut paste to the cooked Nendhra Pazham pieces and allow it to boil on a low flame.
• Beat the Curd/Yogurt and pour it into the Nendhra Pazham-Coconut Mix.
• Add Jaggery to the Nendhra Pazham Pulissery and mix well.
• Lower the flame and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, heat Coconut Oil in another pan.
• Splutter Mustard Seeds, Dry Red Chillies and Curry Leaves in it.
• Pour the tempered ingredients to the Nendhra Pazham Pulissery and give a quick stir.
• Sprinkle powdered Fenugreek Seeds and mix well.
• Serve Nendhra Pazham Pulissery hot with steamed rice or Kerala Rose Matta Rice.

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NENDHRA PAZHAM PULISSERY

 NOTES:

• I have used the ripe Nendhra Pazham, in the recipe.
• Can also use overripe or slightly under ripe Nendhra Pazham.
• Use fresh Yogurt/Curd(Not sour) for the recipe.
• Instead of adding powdered Fenugreek Seeds, can also splutter whole fenugreek seeds along with Mustard seeds while tempering.
• Adjust the number of spices to suit your taste preference.
• Nendhra Pazham on its own adds a tinge of sweetness to this Pulissery.
• Adjust the amount of Jaggery to suit your taste preference.
• Can prepare the same recipe with Pineapple  for Pineapple Pulissery or Ripe Mangoes for Mambazha Pulissery.