Kaalan

This recipe is from northern Kerala. And it is one of the most important dish which is kept on the plantain leaf. May be a year or two before, I got a chance to have this from one my friend’s lunch box. She is from Northern Kerala. Kaalan has all the taste of pulishery but still it is different. The ingredients are almost same but tiny tweaks take this recipe to another level.

What I understood is, while North Kerala serves Kaalan, South serves Pulishery in a sadya…

I got this recipe while watching a cookery show

• Raw banana – 1 skinned, slit from middle and sliced in medium thick pieces
• Yam – 1 cup, skinned, washed and cubed
• Water – 1 cup
• Turmeric – 1/2 tsp
• Pepper powder – 1.5 teaspoon
• Yogurt – 4 cups
• Ghee – 1 teaspoon
• Curry leaves of 1 spring
• Asfoetida – a pinch

• Freshly grated coconut of 1 coconut
• 2 green chili
• cumin – 1 tsp 

• Coconut Oil – 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves of a spring

• In a sauce pan take the raw banana pieces, yam and add 1 cup water, turmeric and 1.5 tsp pepper powder
• Cook in medium flame till cooked.
• Add salt followed by ghee once the pieces
• Now add whisked yogurt and let it boil. 
• Add the curry leaves at this stage
• Boil till all the water absorbs and the mixture dries up.
• Sprinkle hing and mix well. 
• Mean time prepare tempering
• Heat oil in a pan. 
• Add mustard and allow to pop up. 
• Add curry leaves and saute. 
• Pour this over the prepared kaalan, remove from flame

Pulishery has become one of our staple food.. Similarly kaalan  can also be tried. You can have this with rice..