Kaalan

Cooked sour curd with spices. This dish is a MUST for onam and all sadyas.
The best part is the dish can be prepared in advance, and the day of Onam or sadya, the dish can be finished off.
So this recipe is in 2 parts.
The first part deals with the prior prep till onam day.
The second deals with the final bit before serving.

Before we start....A confession. I had NO YAM. So I made my kaalan with just the raw banana. Please excuse.

Kaalan  - to be stored

Curd - made from 1 liter milk (use home made variety 24 -36 hrs after fermenting)
Yam - 1/4 kg , skin removed and cut into big chunks
Banana - starting to ripen - Nethirakka - 1 large, washed and cut into thick pieces with skin
salt  - 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 2tsp
Pepper - 1tbsp
Chilli powder - 2tbsp

Cook the yam with a little salt and turmeric powder until a knife can run through it but it retains shape.
(I usually pressure cook and wait for 2 whistles.)
Boil the banana in another vessel until cooked.
While the vegetables are cooking, start boiling the curd with the salt, chilli powder, turmeric powder and pepper.

Keep on a steady boil stirring in between.

When the banana / yam is cooked, add it without the water into the curd.

After nearly half hour this mixture would have reduced more than 1/2.

This is almost done but the easiest way to find out if done is to not stir for a minute and wait for the smoky burnt smell from the thick slew settled at the bottom.
You might feel that it is liquidy at the top and thick at the bottom, but wait till this cools.
Cool until room temperature and store in single portion size vessel.
Cover tightly and freeze.
Keeps well for a long time.

Kaalan - when ready to use

Kaalan mixture - 1 large cup
Coconut - 1 cup
Green chilli - 2

To splutter :
Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard - 1 tbsp
Red chili - 1 or 2 broken into pieces
Fenugreek seed / methi - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaf - 2 sprigs

Grind the coconut and green chilli into a fine paste.
Add to the kaalan mixture and heat until frothy.

Splutter the mustard, red chilli, fenugreek seed and curry leaf in coconut oil.
Add to the kaalan and mix well.
Serve at room temperature.