Ulli Theeyal-Kerala Onam Sadya Recipe

I m always in search for spicy South Indian kuzhambu especially one with tamarind base as M is a very big fan of it and anything spicy and tangy he can have it.

Long back when we were in Abu Dhabi one fine day our good neighbour invited us for Onam sadya treat and there M happened to taste this and he liked it which is very rare or highly unlikely to happen because you see he isn’t that adventurous when it comes to food and he doesn’t “embrace the awesomeness” quite easily. He is that kind of guy who will happily opt for a bowl of curd rice and pickle instead of a 25 course Italian/Mexican buffet on the other side. Yeah! So when he likes or asks for something then I am obliged to do it just so I don’t feel guilty whenever I devour in delicacies while he watches me in peace! So I have been making this for 3-4 years now and pretty much the recipe is standardized. Do try it!

Ingredients:

Pearl Onions/Shallots-20-25, peeled and sliced

Tamarind extract-1 lemon size tamarind soaked in 1 cup of water and juice extracted

Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp

Jaggery-1-2 tsp

Salt-as needed

To Roast and Grind:

Coconut-1/2 cup, grated

Coriander seeds-2 tbsp

Black Peppercorns-1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds-1 /2 tsp

Fenugreek seeds-10 seeds

Dried Red Chilies-5-8

Roast all ingredients well with a tsp of oil and cool them. Grind them to a fine paste with little water.

To Temper:

Mustard seeds-1 tsp

Urad dal-1 tsp

Curry leaves-1 sprig

Asafoetida/Hing-1 pinch

Coconut/gingelly oil-1-2 tbsp

How It Happened:

1. Heat oil in a kadai, add the ingredients given under the ‘to temper’ list. When they pop add the sliced shallots and cook until they become translucent.

2. Add turmeric powder and salt and mix well. Add the tamarind extract and regulate the flame to medium.

3. When the mixture starts boiling, simmer the flame and add the ground coconut paste and mix well to dissolve any lumps formed.

4. Stir well and add 1 & ½ cups of water and mix well. Let it cook in medium flame for 15-20 minutes until the mixture thickens and reduces to half the volume.

5. Add grated jaggery and mix well, let it cook for 2 minutes.

6. Switch off the flame and serve hot with rice and papad.

Notes:

 * As you can see I didn’t have curry leaves but I highly recommend adding them as they give a unique flavor to the dish.

* Do not add more than mentioned peppercorns as they tend to turn the curry bitter when added more.

* The mixture should reduce to half the volume and give out oil which indicates that the mixture is well cooked with no raw smell.

* Do not skip the jaggery, as they balance the acidity of tamarind. If you don’t want slight sweet touch then reduce the quantity in that case 1 tsp would do for this measurement. Also do not cook for a long time after adding the jaggery as they will caramelize and will turn the curry bitter.