Kalan – Onasadya Recipe

 Kalan – Onasadya Recipe

Onam is around the corner, right? You can expect some sadya recipes here in the coming weeks. Let’s start with one of my fav item in sadya, Kalan. Wait there is some correction in the previous sentence, my first and foremost fav item in sadya is payasam, especially jaggery based payasams. I’m craving some payasam as I write this, sigh! What about you? Do you have any favourite sadya dish?

Anyways, coming back to our kalan recipe… I like yogurt based curries with rice, may be that explains my love for Kalan. I think it has different versions including different types of plantain/banana and other veggies. I’ve used raw green banana in this recipe. You can also make it with medium ripe plantain (Kerala banana) if you like mildly sweetened kalan.
So shall we go and make this yummy dish?
Cook the diced banana, with sliced small onion (2), chopped green chillies, ginger, garlic and salt. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer till the banana is cooked…



Grind together coconut, cumin and turmeric powder with 3-5 tbsp of water to a smooth paste. Start grinding with 2-3 tbsp of water and add more if required. Add this to the whisked yogurt…

Combine the whisked yogurt and coconut paste. Remove the cooked banana from fire and add the yogurt coconut mixture. Mix well. Bring it back to fire and let it simmer. Stir continuously until steam comes from the back of the spoon, around 5-7 mins…

Heat oil in a small pan and crackle the mustard seeds. Add sliced small onion (3) and curry leaves. Fry it till the small onion turns golden brown. Add this to the curry…

Kalan – Onasadya Recipe

Author: Maria Jose Martin

Recipe type: Side dish

Cuisine: Kerala, South Indian, Indian, Onam

Serves: 4-5

 

Ingredients

• Raw Banana (Vazhakka/Pachakaya) – 1.5 cups, cubed/diced
• Small onion – 2, sliced
• Green chilli – 3, chopped
• Chopped ginger and garlic – ½ -1 tsp each
• Water – 1 cup
• Coconut – 1 cup
• Cumin (jeera) – a pinch
• Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
• Whisked yogurt – 3 cups @ room temp
• Small onion – 3, sliced
• Mustard – ½ tsp
• Curry leaves
• Salt
• Coconut oil

Instructions

1. Cook the diced banana, with sliced small onion (2), chopped green chillies, ginger, garlic and salt. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer till the banana is cooked.
2. Grind together coconut, cumin and turmeric powder with 3-5 tbsp of water to a smooth paste. Start grinding with 2-3 tbsp of water and add more if required.
3. Combine the whisked yogurt and coconut paste. Remove the cooked banana from fire and add the yogurt coconut mixture. Mix well. Bring it back to fire and let it simmer. Stir continuously until steam comes from the back of the spoon, around 5-7 mins.
4. Heat oil in a small pan and crackle the mustard seeds. Add sliced small onion (3) and curry leaves. Fry it till the small onion turns golden brown. Add this to the curry.

Notes

You can also use medium ripe ethakka (Kerala banana) to make this. I’ve seen some people using a combination of vazhakka and ethakka.Also in some places chena (yam) is also added along with banana to make kalan. The gravy tends to thicken as it rests. While reheating, it’s better to use double boiler method, otherwise it may curdle.