Recipe: Rasakalan

The word rasa in Tamil or Malayalam means "taste", so rasakalan means, a very tasty kalan. Kalan is a very famous curd based curry of Kerala, which is a must for all big functions, like marriage or festivals, like Onam.

This again is a special dish of my mother, who makes it even on a routine basis and she makes wonderful rasakalan. I have learnt it from her and I should say everybody who tasted the dish has loved it.

Now for the recipe. The below vegetables add a special taste to the dish. It can be prepared with only few of the vegetables mentioned, in case of non-availability. The raw mango and arvi (taro root) add special taste to the dish. In short, each vegetable imparts a unique taste to the dish and when all the tastes blend, it makes the dish, rasakalan.

Ingredients:

Pumpkin(red)	100gms.
Ashgourd	100gms
Raw banana	1 no.
Drumstick	1 no.
Raw mango	1 no.
Arvi(colacacia)	100gms
Chena (elephant yam)	100gms
Turmeric powder	1 tsp
Salt to taste
Jaggery	a small piece
Sour curds	2 cups
Coconut	1 cup
Green chillies	4 nos.
Red chillies	4 nos.
Methi seeds	1 tsp.
Mustard seeds	2 tsp.
Oil	1 tbsp.
Curry leaves	2 sprigs

Method:

Wash and cut all the vegetables into cubes. Cut drumsticks into 2" pieces. Cook the vegetables, adding turmeric powder, salt and jaggery, in 3 cups of water.(this can be done in a pressure cooker).

Meanwhile, heat ½ tsp oil and fry ½ tsp methi seeds and 2 red chillies. Grind the coconut with the fried methiseeds, red chillies, and green chillies, adding little curds, to a smooth paste.

When the vegetables are cooked, add the ground paste and beaten curds. Allow to boil once and remove from the stove and add one sprig of curry leaves.

Heat the remaining oil, add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start spluttering, add the remaining methi seeds, red chillies cut into small pieces and one sprig of curry leaves. When the methi seeds turn red in color remove from stove and add to the rasakalan.

Enjoy with boiled rice, idli, dosa or chappathi.