CHETTINAD VEGETABLE CURRY

CHETTINAD VEGETABLE CURRY

Chettinad cuisine from the State of Tamil Nadu is famous for it's spicy yet tasty food. Today's dish is a vegetable curry cooked in the Chettinad style, famous for its distinctive masala.

For the mixed vegetables, I used cauliflower, peas, carrot and potatoes instead of the suggested cauliflower, beans and peas. The recipe calls for the adding of 1/2 cup of coconut milk at the final stage but I didn't add this.

This recipe has been adapted from Chettinad Curry  (South Indian Recipes) by Tarlaji Dalal.

Ingredients:

• Mixed Vegetables, (Cauliflower, Carrot, Potatoes, Peas), 3 cups
• Poppy seeds, (Khus Khus) 2 tbsp
• Broken Cashewnuts, 2 tbsp
• Onions, chopped, 1/2 cup
• Tomatoes, blanched and chopped, 3
• Turmeric Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder, 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves, a few
• Salt, to taste 
• Oil, 2 tbsp 

Ingredients for the Chettinad Masala:

• Coconut Gratings, 1/2 cup
• Coriander seeds, 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Whole Dry Red Chillies, broken into pieces, 2
• Cardamom, 3
• Fennel Seeds, (Saunf), 1 tsp
• Cloves, 3
• Cinnamon, 1 " piece
• Oil, 1 tbsp

Method:  

Wash, cut and boil the vegetables, and keep aside

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a thick-bottomed pan and when it gets hot, add the ingredients specified above for the Chettinad Masala and fry them till you get a good roasted aroma.  Keep aside to cool.

In a small bowl, soak the poppy seeds and broken cashew nuts in warm water for 10 minutes and then drain the water.

In a mixer, grind the soaked poppy seeds and broken cashew nuts along with the roasted Chettinad Masala that has been prepared, adding 1/4 cup of water, to make a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Heat the remaining oil in a kadhai. When it gets heated, add the chopped onions and saute till they become translucent

Add the tomatoes, salt, turmeric powder, and chilli powder, and cook till the tomatoes become soft

Now add the ground paste and curry leaves, mix well and saute till the oil separates

Next add 1 cup of water and the boiled vegetables

Mix well and cook covered on medium flame till the gravy thickens

Serve hot with steamed rice