White Kuruma: When I mention white kurma I can think of only hotel Saravana Bhavan's white kurma. The hotel's dishes were quite popular those days. As we were living quite close to the hotel( we were able to see the hotel's kitchen from our verandah), any party or a weekend lunch, the hotel holds an important place in our celebration. This is a one-pot dish, can be made in the pressure cooker/pan, kadai on the stove-top, or in an insta-pot or a rice cooker.
I'm also giving a second method that doesn't require elaborate preparation like the first one. The vegetables used in method 1 can be used for this and curd is not required. Ok, let's get started...
First Method:
Any vegetable other than naatu Kai( country variety) can be used for the kurma. Cut the vegetable into cubes. Potatoes, cauliflower, peas, carrot, turnips, chow-chow, beans can be used. I used only potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, beans, and peas as I had only those vegetables. Regular onions along with shallots are used. Regular ripe tomato or country variety tomato can be used. Use a small one to give a little sourness to the kurma. Tomato is optional for this kurma as we are using curd. So skip if you want.
For paste 1, a handful of shallots with chilies, saunf, ginger, garlic, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala is ground to a fine paste. If you don't have shallots use 1 small regular onion instead. Instead of garam masala whole spices such as cinnamon, cloves and cardamom can be used.
For paste 2, coconut, poppy seeds, fried gram Dal, Cashew nuts are used. Fresh or Desiccated coconut can be used. Soak the Desiccated coconut in warm water for 10/15 minutes before using it in the recipe.
Fresh curd is used finally. Do not use sour curds. Milk can be used for adjusting the consistency. If you do not want to use curd mix 1 tbsp of cornflour with water and add at the end, to thicken the kurma. This technique can also be used if the curd gets curdled during cooking.
Any neutrally flavoured oil can be used for cooking, cold-pressed sunflower oil is used, white crystal salt is used. Groundnut oil can also be used.
Second Method:
This one doesn't require spice powders.
Vegan:
Use coconut milk and coconut curd in the place of dairy.
Substitutions:
Make the kurma healthy by adding a tbsp of melon seeds or pumpkin seeds, in the place of fried gram dal.
Suggested Serving:
This is specifically prepared for idiyappam though chapathi, appam, biryani goes well with the dish.
Equipment used: Pressure cooker/pan, blender.
Recipe:
Total time taken: 30 minutes
No. Of servings: 5
1 cup = 200ml
Method 1:
Ingredients with measurements:
Oil - 1 tbsp
Potatoes - 1( big)
Tomato -1 small
Onion - 2 medium-sized
Carrot - 1 medium-sized
Peas - a handful
Cauliflower - 5/6 florets
Salt - to taste
To grind:
Paste 1:
Ginger - 1/2"
Garlic - 4/5 cloves
Shallots 1 handful
Saunf - 1 tsp
Green chillies - 4
Spice powders:
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Paste 2:
Coconut - 1/2 of a small coconut
Fried gram - 1 tsp
Poppy seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curd - 1/4 cup
water for adjusting consistency.
Directions:
1. Chop the vegetables.
2. Heat oil in the cooker/pan, add cinnamon, cloves, cardamoms and bay leaf.
3. Add the onions, saute till pink, salt.
4. Add the remaining vegetables including tomato. Pressure cook for 2 whistles. Allow to cool down.
5. Grind the ingredients under paste 1.
6. Open the lid of the cooker/pan, add paste 1.
7. Pressure cook for 1 whistle. Allow to cool down.
8. Grind the ingredients for paste 2.
9. Add the paste 2 after opening the lid of the cooker.
10. Cook for a few minutes.
11. Add curd allow to cook on a very low flame stirring continuously to avoid curdling till frothy. Switch off.
12. Add water to adjust the consistency mix well and serve.
Method 2:
Ingredients with measurements:
Onion - 1(big)
Turnip - 1/2(small)
Carrot - 1
Potato - 1
Peas - a handful
Cauliflower - 1/4 of a flower
Beans - 4/5
Milk - 1//2 cup
Salt - to taste
To grind:
Coconut - 1/2 of a small coconut
Green chillies - 4
Gram dal - 1 Tbsp
Poppy seeds - 1 tsp
ginger - 1/2"
garlic - 4/5 cloves
saunf - 1 tsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
cinnamon, cloves, cardamom - each 2
Tempering:
Bay leaf -1
Oil - 2 tbsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig.
Garnish:
Coriander leaves
Directions:
1. Chop onion lengthwise and other veggies into cubes.
2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker/pan, add the spices, bay leaf.
3. Add onions, other veggies, water, salt. Pressure cook for a whistle. Let the pressure settle down on its own.
4. Grind the ingredients given under ' To grind'.
5. Open the cooker/pan, add the paste. Add water if required.
6. Pressure cook for a whistle. Allow the pressure to settle down.
7. Stir well and serve.
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