To be honest, I am not a big fan of coconut. When I was a kid, I never had anything made up of coconut – poriyal or kuzhambu. My mom always used to prepare poriyal without coconut for me and with coconut for rest of the family members. With such aversion to coconut, I have never tried coconut dishes in restaurants or in my kitchen. But my husband is a fig ban of coconut milk and dishes made out of it. Whenever we went to a restaurant, he always ends up in ordering appam with thengai paal. Though I always love appam, I never had it with coconut milk until he forced me to have. From then, I loved the flavor and richness of coconut milk. This love for coconut milk made me search for recipes made up of coconut milk. I came to know about this vellai kurma through one of my friends and she suggested that it is a perfect combination for appam, idiyappam and white rice. I have never tried with white rice but I vouch for appam and idiyappam.
Thengai paal kurma is often known as Vellai Kurma and is commonly known curry in Chettinad area. Tender vegetables like cauliflower, potato and peas are cooked with green chili and coconut milk. This can be prepared in few minutes and green chilies are enough for the spiciness. The addition of coconut milk adds creamy texture and rich flavor to the gravy. Coconut milk is the only thickening agent in the curry and adjusts them according to your needs. Serve Appam or idiyappam with Thengai paal kurma.
Now, here to the recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 medium sized potatoes
- 1 small sized cauliflower florets
- ½ cup peas
- 1 medium sized onion, chopped
- 3 – 4 green chilies, slit vertically (adjust the number of chilies according to your spice level)
- 4-5 Garlic pods
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 3 cardamom
- 3 cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon of ghee/ oil
- ¾ cup Thick coconut milk
- Salt as required
Method:
- Pressure cook potatoes for two whistles and cut them into small cubes
- Chop cauliflower into small florets and cook them in boiling water for about 3 minutes until they are cooked
- Heat ghee/oil in a kadai and add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and bay leaf
- Saute’ them for few mins until they emit flavors
- Add onion, chilies and cook until onions become transparent
- Add cooked potatoes, cauliflower florets and peas to the mixture
- Add salt and a cup of water. Once the water starts boiling, add thick coconut milk and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes
- Adjust coconut milk according to the thickness of the gravy. If the gravy is too watery, mash a boiled potatoes and mix them with the gravy
- Serve hot with idiyappam
Newbie Pitfalls:
- Don’t over cook vegetables
- Don’t cook coconut milk for a longer time, It should not boil for a longer time
- Leave the dish for few minutes, at least a standing time of 20 minutes
- You can ground paste of few cashews soaked in hot water and add to the gravy to enhance its richness
