Kaalen (without coconut)

Kaalen (Kalen) is a very traditional Kerala dish that is usually made using raw banana and youghurt(curd) mixed with coconut paste and green chilies. It is served as a an accompaniment to the main meal consisting of rice and other curries. 

Ingredients:

  1. 100 gms cucumber or papaya sliced
  2. Green chilies : 4  partly slit
  3. Chili powder : ¼ tspn
  4. turmeric powder : 2 tspn
  5. Salt to taste
  6. Yoghurt : 1 cup lightly beaten
  7. Asafetida ( Hing) : ¼ tspn
  8. Sugar : ¼ tspn
  9. Mustard seeds : 1 tspn
  10. Fenugreek seeds (Methi) : 2 pinches
  11. Dried red chilies : 2 broken into pieces.
  12. Curry leaves : 1 stalk
  13. Salt : to taste
  14. Oil : 2 tbspn
  15. Coconut oil :1 tspn (optional)

Method:

Cook first 5 ingredients with a little water.

When water has dried up, add yoghurt, asafetida and sugar. Cook over low heat for few minutes till thickened.

Heat oil, add mustard and when it splutters add fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and dried red chilies and pour over curry and remove from fire.