Milind G
Rasakalan is a tasty curry made with a variety of vegetables in a mixture of coconut and curd or yogurt.
Rasakalan is a tasty side dish for rice from Palakkad, Kerala. It can be served as a side dish for Onam sadya.
It is a Palakkad Bhrahmin special recipe.
The name rasakalan stands for ” very tasty kalan”. Kalan is a coconut and curd based curry which is very famous in Kerala and is a must for every functions. Kalan is often made with yam or plantain, but in rasakalan, you will find a variety of vegetables. The addition of arbi gives a unique taste to the dish.
The method of making rasakalan is very similar to that of moru curry or moru kootan with a little difference that cumin seeds are not added and roasted red chili is added where as in moru kootan, green chili, cumin seeds are added.
If you are using mangoes in rasakalan, then reduce the amount of curd. You can add mangoes when the curd is not sour enough. But if you don’t have mangoes with you, then use sour curd instead. I didn’t have a lot of vegetables with me, so made rasakalan with ash gourd or kumbalanga and raw mango alone.
Serve rasakalan with rice and mezhukkupuratti (dry vegetable dish).
Ingredients:
- ashgourd , yellow pumpkin, yam – 250 grams
- mango – 1 (raw – chopped)
- turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon
- jaggery – 1/2 – 1 teaspoon
- curd / yogurt – 1 1/2 cup
for spice paste
- coconut oil – 1 teaspoon
- fenugreek seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
- dry red chili – 2
- green chilies – 2
- coconut – 1/2 cup (fresh – grated)
- raw rice – 1/2 teaspoon
for tempering
- coconut oil – 1 teaspoon
- mustard seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
- dry red chili – 1
- curry leaves – 1 sprig
Procedure:
1. Wash, peel, clean and cut ash gourd, yellow pumpkin, yam and other vegetables into 1/2-inch cubes.
2. In a pan or kadai, heat 1/2 teaspoon of oil. Add dry red chili, fenugreek seeds, rice and roast in low flame till it becomes fragrant. You will notice that fenugreek seeds become golden brown in color. (Take care it should not get burnt. )
3. Add these sauteed ingredients along with grated coconut, to a mixer jar. Add little water and grind it to a smooth paste. Transfer the ground mixture to a bowl. To this add curd, salt and mix well. Keep aside.
4. In the same pan used for roasting, add water and let it boil. Then add the vegetable pieces, turmeric powder and bring it to boil. Once it starts boiling, reduce the flame, cover and cook till the vegetables get cooked well. The time taken for cooking the vegetables depends on the vegetables used. I have used ash gourd alone. So it took less time, but for vegetables like yam, it may take more time for cooking.
5. Once the vegetables are cooked well, add the ground mixture. Take care that the flame should be in low. Stir well. Wait till it starts boiling and then turn off the flame. (Don’t allow it to boil for a long time. As soon as you see bubbles coming, turn off the flame. )
6. In another pan, heat oil. Add the items given under “for tempering”. Stir fry for 1 minute or until the seeds starts spluttering. Turn off the flame and add the tempering to the curry. Cover and keep aside for some time so that the flavors get locked in the curry.
