Amban Heritage House Lunch—Kannur, Kerala

During my stay at Amban Guest House in Kannur, Kerala, I had the pleasure of Mrs. Shayana’s tutelage during her preparation of a typical Keralan lunch: fresh fried fish, fish sauce, Sambar dal, and a lovely side vegetable dish of turai. Most of the ingredients, except the fish and some spices, were harvested from the organic garden in front of the heritage home. The fish was freshly caught that morning, and Mrs. S hand selected the nicest ones from the back of the monger’s tuk tuk, much to the delight of the stray cat who wisely knows to haunt the kitchen’s back door late mornings.

Sambar Dal

(All vegetables are medium sized unless otherwise noted, and would tend to be called smallish-medium in the US.)

6 oz toor dal (sometimes known as pigeon pea)
2 potatoes, coarsely chopped
2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 onion, coarsely chopped + ¼ onion, chopped medium-fine

5 lady fingers (okra), ¾” slices
1 carrot, ½” slices
1 baby brinjal (eggplant), quartered then cut into ¾” slices
2 kovakka (ivy gourd), ¾” slices
2-4 green chilis, depending on how much heat you want, sliced lengthwise
2 tsp tamarind soaked in warm water for at least five minutes
1 tsp jeera (cumin) seeds
1/2 c fresh shredded coconut
1 pod garlic
½ tsp fenugreek
Pinch of hing (asafoetida)
1 tsp salt
1 leaf drumstick (Keralan spice that grows on a Drumstick tree)

 

For the tadka 
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 kashmiri chilis, whole
½ tsp black mustard seeds

Cook dal in pressure cooker with water to cover for 2 whistles. Add coarse chopped onion, tomato, and potato. Add tumeric and salt. Cook for 2 whistles more.

In a separate pot, cover brinjal, kovakka, and green chilis in water and bring to a simmer for five minutes.

While vegetables simmer, heat a small bit of oil in an kadai or heavy bottomed skillet. Add garlic pod, grated coconut, ¼ onion, jeera, and fenugreek; fry over medium heat, stirring often. After roasted coconut mixture turns deep brown and fragrant, remove from heat and add a pinch of hing. Add to a blender with enough water to make a medium-thick soupy blend.

Add 1 spoon coriander powder, 1 spoon red chili powder to simmering  vegetables. Cook ten minutes more. Finish off by adding roasted coconut blend to vegetables; add to dal. 

Dal Tadka:
A tadka is made by cooking whole spices and aromatics in oil until the fragrance is released. 

Heat oil in kadai or iron skillet. Add 3 cloves crushed garlic, 2 kashmiri chilis, and ½ tsp black mustard seeds. Fry until seeds pop. Add to dal and then turn off heat. 

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Turai

Also known as ridge gourd, this delicious vegetable is good for controlling diabetes and weight loss. It is considered a cooling vegetable in Ayurveda and, as such, is good for balancing Pitta disorders. 

3 medium turai
2 green chilis, slit length-wise
⅔ c fresh shredded coconut
½ tsp oil
Salt

Cut turai length-wise; scrape seeds. Chop coarsely. Put in an uncovered pot with a small amount of water and green chilis. Simmer 10 minutes.

Take ⅓ c. coconut and blend with a little water until milky liquid. Press through strainer into turai that is simmering. Simmer five minutes more; add salt to taste plus ½ tsp oil.

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Fish Gravy

½ c grated fresh coconut
1 tomato, coarsely chopped
¼ tsp tumeric
1 tsp red chili powder
3 green chilis, split lengthwise

Add coconut to blender with a little water. Add tumeric and red chili; grind until smooth. Add a little tamarind water; grind until smooth. Add ½-1 c. water. Grind again until thin sauce. Reserve 1 glass.

Pour coconut, tamarind water into bowl with chilis and tomato. Blend reserved glass of liquid with ¼ tst jeera. Put on to simmer.

Add fish pieces (about 1 cup) that have been marinated in red chili, salt, and tumeric to liquid. Simmer 10 minutes.

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Fried fish

Marinate fish in chili, tumeric, and salt for at least an hour. Lightly coat an iron pan in oil and fry over medium-high heat for 10 minutes each side.