Idiyappam with Green peas Curry

Idiyappam with Green peas curry – A tasty curry, goes well with Idiyappam (string hoppers)

Serves: 2 - 3

Ingredients

100 ml / ½ cup / 4 oz (Indian standard measuring cup) dried green peas

300 ml water

½ teaspoon salt

Method

In a bowl, wash and soak green peas with 300 ml water. In a pressure cooker, boil soaked green peas (along with  water in which it’s soaked) and ½ teaspoon salt. Final water level should be ½ - inch level above green peas in pressure cooker. Close the pressure cooker lid and cook until 2 quick whistles. Switch off the cooker and allow to cool naturally. Open the lid and check whether it’s cooked. If it’s not cooked and water level is reduced, add ¼ cup water and cook again for 1 whistle. Normally green peas will cook very fast and more than 3 whistles will overcook green peas.

For the coconut paste:

Ingredients

6 tablespoon grated coconut

½ teaspoon red chilli powder or 4 dried red chillies

½ level teaspoon thick tamarind paste

2 tablespoon water

Method

Make a  smooth paste of above ingredients in a small mixer bowl. Keep aside.

Other ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

6 curry leaves

Boiled green peas

Coconut paste

50 – 75 ml water

½ teaspoon homemade meat masala powder or  garam masala powder

Method

In a pan / karahi, heat oil on a medium heat. Add thinly sliced onions and fry till golden color on a medium heat.

Add curry leaves and fry well for 1 minute.

Add boiled green peas, coconut paste, adjust salt to taste, extra 50  - 75 ml water and ½ teaspoon garam masala powder. Mix all the ingredients well. Cover with a tight lid and cook on a medium to low heat for 10 minutes.  Serve with idiyappam / appam / chapati ..

Homemade Kerala Meat Masala powder (Recipe from Kuttanadan Ruchikal by Ashok and Meril)

Makes: 45 g

Ingredients

3 tablespoon fennel seeds (perumjeerakam)

2 teaspoon cardamom (elakka) seeds from 18 cardamom, do not use skin

2 teaspoon cloves (grambu)

2 teaspoon or 4 small size star anise (thakkolam)

2 cinnamon sticks (karuvappata)

2 teaspoon khus khus (poppy seeds)

Method

Please select good quality spices. Gently wipe cinnamon sticks with a soft dry towel.

Heat iron  karahi / pan on a medium heat. Reduce  the heat to low and gently dry  roast above spices until light fragrant (approximate time 8 - 10 minutes on a medium to low heat). Keep aside to cool for half an hour.

Transfer dry roasted ingredients into  a small mixer bowl and make a fine powder and then sieve it through a fine sieve (now the net weight is 45 g). Store it in an airtight container (or in Tupperware dry storage box). ½ teaspoon meat masala powder required for egg curry  and mushroom (2 servings, 2 boiled eggs or 200 g mushroom) and 1 teaspoon meat masala powder required for 500 g  chicken  / mutton preparation (for curry and biryani).