This is another exotic dish straight from the Kerala kitchen. This dish goes all out to reveal that Kerala food is not just about chillies and spices but also offers many varieties even with the same recipe name. ‘God’s own country- Kerala’, has been blessed with abundance of coconuts. Hence most dishes of Kerala are prepared with coconut as a base.
To be noted, in these dishes the coconut or coconut milk (thick) is the last to be added avoiding much cooking, as it then becomes harmful for the body. Uncooked or par-cooked coconut is healthy for consumption.
The great Kerala culinary skills present a variety of dishes during the ‘Onam festival’. Among the festival dishes- the vegetable thoran, puliserry (which I have shared earlier); pachadi is also one of the must-serves for the Onam festival. I hope to share a few more festival recipes with you.
Pachadi–a South Indian version of raita is made with a variety of vegetables and fruits like pineapple and raw mango.
Ingredients
- 1 brinjal medium size-finely chopped (as if grated-as you can see in the image the brinjal pieces are not visible )
- 3 green chillis
- ½ cm ginger piece -2
- 3 tsps mustard seeds
- ½ cup grated coconut
- 2 cups curd/yoghurt-beaten
- Curry leaves for seasoning
- Oil for seasoning
- Salt to taste
Method
- Heat vessel with oil for seasoning. Add 1 tsp mustard seeds, curry leaves, and 2 slit green chillies.
- After it splutters, add 1 crushed ginger piece, salt to taste and the brinjal.
- Stir till water from the brinjal separates. Place lid and cook the brinjal
- Make a coarse paste in a blender with –1 ginger piece, 1 green chilli, and grated coconut. To it add the 2tsps of mustard seeds and make it into a fine paste.
- Add to the cooked brinjal, place lid and put off the flame.
- When the temperature reduces (when warm), add the beaten curds and cover with lid.
- Pachadi is ready to serve with rice, vegetable thoran and pulissery.
Preparation Time: ½ hour
Serves: 4