Chena Erissery

Erissery is a traditional Kerala dish. It forms an integral part of any feast, be it for marriages or festivals like Onam and Vishu. It is prepared usually with vegetables like yam, plantain or Pumpkin. The vegetables are cooked and simmered in a coconut – cumin paste. The tempering of fried coconut, mustard seeds, urad dal, red chillies and curry leaves is what gives this dish all its flavour and aroma. It is usually served as an accompaniment with Moru Kootan or Samabar.

What you’ll need

1. Yam/Chena/Suran – 2 ½ cups, peeled and cut into big cubes
2. Fresh Scraped Coconut – 1 cup
3. Black Pepper Powder – ½ tsp
4. Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
5. Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp
6. Salt to taste

For Tempering

1. Fresh scraped coconut – ½ cup
2. Urad Dal – 1 tsp
3. Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp
4. Dried Red Chilly – 1
5. Curry Leaves – 8 to 10 leaves
6. Coconut Oil – 1 tbsp

Method

1. Wash the yam pieces well and transfer into a kadai.
2. Add about 3 cups of water, turmeric powder, pepper powder and salt to taste. Mix well.
3. Cook partially covered on medium heat till the yam pieces are cooked.
4. In the meanwhile, grind the coconut and cumin into a fine paste adding some water.
5. Pour this ground paste into the yam pieces once they are cooked. Mix well and bring to boil.
6. Remove from heat after about 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Heat another kadai with coconut oil.
8. Add mustard seeds, once they splutter add urad dal. Add the scraped coconut once the dal starts changing color.
9. Fry the coconut till it becomes nice and brown. Add curry leaves and pour this tempering over the prepared erissery. Mix well.

Serve this as an accompaniment with Moru Kootan or Sambar.

Note:

1. You can reduce the yam by a cup and add 1 raw plantain.
2. This can also be prepared using Pumpkins.
3. Do not skip on the final step of tempering as it is the most important part of this recipe and gives all the flavour to it.
4. You can pressure cook the yam pieces if you feel they may not cook, by boiling, but the pieces should stay intact they should not get mashed and become mushy.