Description
Chettinad cuisine, enjoys a special place among food lovers, let it be a normal veggie dish or sizzling non-veg , they always include a radically distinctive blend of spices covering up the key ingredient, which wakes up your taste buds. Here is one such recipe... mixed vegetables tossed with freshly ground spice blend
Tamil to English ~~~ Kaikari - Vegetables, Pirattal - Tossed/Stir-fry
KaiKari Perattal / Mixed Vegetable Pirattal / Chettinad Vegetable Curry / Pirrattal / Kaikari Piratal
Traditionally this curry is prepared with mixed vegetables like carrots, potatoes, beans, peas and cauliflower. I've ignored potatoes and beans here to suit my taste. You may also adapt to your needs.
| Ingredients-1 | |
|---|---|
| 1 no | Mace/jathipoo(just one petal) |
| 1 tsp | Fennel seed |
| ¾ tsp | |
| 3 tsp | Split roasted gram/pottukadalai |
| 3 tbsp | Dry coconut flakes/ desicated / coparai thengai |
| 1 no | Cinnamon stick (very small)(1/2") |
| Ingredients-2 | |
|---|---|
| 2 nos | Onion (or 20 shallots)(cut lengthwise) |
| 2 cup | Mixed vegetables (cauliflower, carrots, peas) |
| 2 clove | Garlic (crushed) |
| ¼ no | Tomato (diced) |
| ¼ tsp | Turmeric powder |
| ½ tsp | Coriander powder |
| ¼ tsp | Red chili powder |
| 1 tsp | Salt (or to taste) |
| ¼ tsp | Mustard seeds |
| ¼ tsp | |
| 5 nos | Curry leaves |
| 2 tsp | Oil |
Instructions
For the spice blend: Using a dry mixie or coffee grinder, grind cinnamon, mace flower, poppy seeds, fennel seeds, roasted gram and dry coconut to a fine powder.
For the curry : Veggies can be steamed separately and then added to the curry. Here in this recipe, I prefer to cook along with the other ingredients. Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Add the onions and garlic, saute for few minutes. Add the raw veggies, diced tomatoes, sprinkle little water, cover and steam for 4 minutes over low flame or until they turn soft and firm. Now add the tumeric powder, red chili powder, corainder powder and salt. Fry for few seconds, add the spice powder and toss to coat evenly. Switch off and serve as a side for rice.
Notes
Yield: 4 servings approx.
If you don't have a dry mixie, just grind to a paste adding little water and include at the final stage. Make sure all the water evaporates coating the masala evenly.
Spice blend includes roasted gram flour which has the tendency to turn sticky when contact with water, making the masala stick to the bottom of the pan. So make sure the flames low and switch off as soon as you add the powder.
Source
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Mullai, Just want to
Mullai,
Just want to know if the coparai thengai u've mentioned is the sun dried one's which we use for making coconut oil or is it just mature dry coconut. A little doubt 'cos i hail from the land of coconuts "Kerala". Pls help.
Thank you