Vishu - 5 traditional yummy recipes you need to try

Vishu is almost here and boy, are we excited to indulge in some scrumptous food! For those who aren't aware, in Kerala, the start of the Zodiac New Year is celebrated as Vishu. It is a day where prayers are offered to Lord Vishnu and the New Year is welcomed with open arms. There are quite a few traditions that are followed on this day, one of them being the 'grand Vishu lunch.' 

Food plays a very important role in the Vishu celebration and just like other communities, Keralites are extremely proud of their legacy of exciting cuisine on this day. The feasts organized during Vishu are famously called ‘Sadhya’( a variety of dishes traditionally served on a banana leaf)

Cuisine from Kerala is bursting with flavor and is  recognized for its typical mix of spices. If you are planning to organize a Vishu feast at home, here are some delicious recipes you can follow...

1. Avial 

Ingredients:

Vegetables of your choice: Pumpkin, beans, carrot, yam, or ashgourd,

Cumin seeds,

Green chili: 2-3

Salt

Turmeric

Yoghurt

Grated coconut

Black pepper powder

Coconut or vegetable oil

Mustard seeds

Method:

Cut all vegetables into equal sized cubes. Boil them with salt and turmeric powder. Grind together coconut, green chilli, cumin seeds and black pepper to make a fine paste. When the vegetables are done, add the spice mixture to it and cook for a while. Let the Avial cool off before adding yogurt to it. Prepare a tempering by crackling mustard seeds in coconut oil. Spread the tempering over the dish before serving. 

2. Pineapple Payasam 

Ingredients:

Pineapple: 2cup

Sugar: ½ cup

Coconut milk: 3cup

Condensed milk: ½ cup

Sabudana: 1/2cup

Salt

Dried ginger powder: ½ tsp

Cardamom powder-1/4tsp

Ghee-1tsp(opt)

Cashew nuts-10(opt)

Yellow colour-2tsp

Method:

Cut the ripe pineapple into small cubes. Add water and a table spoon of sugar to it and boil. When the pineapple is done put them in a blender and make a paste. Transfer the paste into a thick bottom pan and sauté till the color of the paste changes to light brown. Add sabudana in boiling water. Now add the boiled sabudana and drops of yellow color in the pineapple mix. Put it in the oven again and add sugar and a pinch of salt to balance the taste. Boil for another five minutes. Add coconut milk and condensed milk and stir well. Finish off with cardamom and ginger powder. 

3. Beetroot and Carrot Thoran 

Ingredients:

1 cup grated beetroots 

1 cup grated carrots 

1/2 cup grated coconut 

1 tsp of cumin seeds, jeerakam 

2-3 shallots, ulli 

1 tsp red chilli powder (or 2 green chilllies)

1/4 tsp turmeric powder 

1 tbsp coconut oil 

1/2 tsp of black mustard seeds 

1/2 tsp of split urad, uzhunnu parippu 

1 strand of curry leaves 

1 tsp of salt (adjust to taste) 

1 clove of garlic

Method:

Heat oil and add the mustard seeds and urad dal.When the mustards pop, add the grated beetroot, carrots, and some salt. Mix well to coat the beets with the oil and cook on low flame, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, grate the coconut, shallots, chilli powder, turmeric, garlic, and cumin into a course mixture without adding any water. When the beets are almost soft, add the ground coconut mixture to it along with the curry leaves. Mix well and continue to cook on low flame, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are completely cooked and soft.

4. Cabbage Thoran

Ingredients:

Cabbage: ½

Onion : 1

Carrot

Green chilies, chopped: 2-3

Red chilies: 2-3

Grated coconut: 1 table spoon

Grated ginger: 1/2 tea spoon

Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves: 4-5

Oil: 1 tsp

Turmeric powder

Salt

Method:

Cut cabbage, onion and carrot into thin pieces. Cut juliennes of ginger. In a pan heat 1tsp oil and add mustard seeds to it. Fry them till they start to crackle. Add aromatics of red chilies, ginger, curry leaves and sauté for few seconds. Add sliced cabbage, onion and carrot and stir fry for few minutes. Add green chilies, turmeric powder and salt. Put a lid and cook over low flame till the vegetable is tender. Mix in grated coconut and cook for another few minutes. You may serve it hot with boiled rice. 

5. Pulissery

Ingredients:

Buttermilk - 3 cups

Vellarikka (Golden Cucumber ) - 1 cup (about 200 grams chopped) 

Turmeric Powder - a pinch

Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt - as needed

(To grind)

Coconut - 3/4 cup

Garlic - 3-4

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Green Chilies - 1 or 2

(For Tempering)

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Shallot onions - 4-5 (chopped)

Dry red chilies - 1 or 2

Fenugreek seeds - 1/8 tsp

Curry Leaves - 1 strand

Oil - 3 tbsp

Method: 

Grind together all the ingredients under 'to grind' to a coarse paste. Take the chopped vegetables in a pan with turmeric powder, salt, pepper powder and little water. Cook it for about 5-10 minutes till the veggies are soft. (If you do not want any vegetables, skip this step.) Once the water almost evaporates, add the ground paste and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the buttermilk and required salt. Keep stirring continuously for the next 5 minutes till the curry gets warmed up. Do not let it come to a boil. Switch off. Heat oil in another small kadai and splutter the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, dry red chilies and curry leaves. Add the chopped shallots to this and fry till it turns dark brown and crispy.Add this seasoning to the curry. Mix and serve.