No doubt, Kichadi, pachadi and pulissery are inevitable flavours of Kerala vegetarian meal. Each place make these items with a slight difference. But of course, these three dishes can't be avoided in a sadhya(feast) in southern parts of Kerala. In fact, it is very easy to make these delicious dishes at home and since curd is added, they suit best for vegetarian meal. These 3 dishes tastes best with boiled rice.

Cucumber kichadi

Ingredients:

Cucumber cut into fine rectangle pieces - 2 cup
Green chillies - 2
Mustard - 1 tsp
Garlic - 3 cloves
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Coconut scrapped - 1/2 cup
Salt - As needed
Coconut oil - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - A little
Curd/Yogart - 1/2 cup

Method of preparation:

Take half cup water in a container and add finely cut cucumber to it. Cook it for 7-8 minutes. Water should be almost absorbed.
Grind coconut, green chillies, garlic, cumin seeds and 1/2 tsp mustard seeds to a very fine paste.
Add this paste to the cooked cucumber. When it just starts to boil put the flame off.
Heat oil in a pan and add remaining mustard seeds. When it splutters add curry leaves and pour this oil to your kichadi.
When kichadi cools well, add curd to it and stir contents well.
Note: You can also add finely grinded coconut paste to the cucumber after removing from flame. It gives another taste. Curd used for making kichadi should never be too sour.

Pine apple pulissery

Ingredients:

Pine apple cut into small pieces - 1/2 cup
Coconut - 1/2 cup
Jaggery - Size of a lemon
Salt - As per taste
Ginger finely chopped - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 - 1/2 tsp
Green chillies - 2
Sambar chillies (optional) - 1
Cucumber (optional) - 1 small piece cut into square pieces
Okra (optional) - 1 cut into 1 inch pieces
Garlic - 2-3 cloves
Cumin seeds - 1/4 - 1/2 tsp
Coconut oil - 1 tsp
Red chillies - 1 or 2 broken into 2 pieces
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - A little
Thick curd/Yogart - 3/4 cup or as needed according to sourness

Method of preparation:

Take a little water in a pressure cooker and pine apple, sambar chillies, ginger, turmeric powder, jaggery, okra and cucumber and salt to it. Cook it well. Just 1 whistle and simmering it for 3-4 minutes itself is necessary.
Grind coconut, cumin seeds, green chillies and garlic to a fine paste.
When pressure dips to zero, open the lid of the pressure cooker and add the grinded mixture to it and stir the contents well. You can add a little water too.
Put it in high flame and when the curry begins to boil, put the flame off.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard and broken red chillies. When mustard splutters and chillies turn brown add curry leaves and put the flame off. Add this oil to your curry.
When it cools well, add curd to it and mix the contents well.
Note: You can substitute jaggery with sugar. Also adding cucumber, okra and sambar chillies are optional. You can make pulissery with pine apple only. You can even substitute pine apple with banana or mango to get other sweet varieties of pulissery.

Beetroot pachadi

Ingredients:

Beetroot - 1/2
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Garlic - 3 cloves
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Green chillies - 2
Coconut oil - 1 tsp
Red chillies -2
Curry leaves - A little
Coconut - 1/2 cup
Sugar or jaggery - 2 tsp
Curd/Yogart - 1/2 - 3/4 cup

Method of preparation:

Take a mixer and grind beetroot to a fine paste.
Also grind and make a fine paste of coconut, green chillies, cumin seeds, garlic and 1/4 tsp mustard separately.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and red chillies. When mustard splutters and chillies turn brown add curry leaves.
Then add beetroot paste and jaggery to the pan. You can add a little water and boil it for 1 minute.
Add the coconut paste; stir the contents well and when it begins just to boil, put the flame off.
When it cools, add curd to it. Stir the contents well.
Your beetroot pachadi is ready to serve.

Kichadi, pachadi and pulissery is a part of vegetarian cuisine. Pulissery is a curry while the other two are side dishes when served with boiled rice.

• Written by Sandhya Rani.
• In category Recipes.
• 12 years ago.

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