Puli Inji / Inji curry

During Ona Sadya or for that matter ANY sadya, this dish is served on the left top corner of the banana leaf. It is tangy, sweet and spicy. Made with ginger and green chilly, this dish provides 'zing' to 'paavam' / mild curries like parippu. Or you can simply lick it after having an overdose of payasam!!

Make this dish a day in advance and store in airtight container and all the flavours have to infuse.

Recipe Source - My mother, Mrs. Rajalakshmi (Radha) Parameswaran and Pazhayidom Mohanan Namboodiri

While both my mom's and the namboodiri's recipe are similar, I have incorporated what my mother does. That is add the methi powder and asafoetida powder at the very end.

Ingredients :
Ginger - 150 gms
Green Chilly - 75 gms
Curry leaf - 5 sprigs
Tamarind - gooseberry size
Salt
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp heaped
Chilly powder  - 1 tbsp
Asafoetida / kayam gum - 1 small ball (or) Asafoetida powder - 1 tbsp
Uluva / Methi / Fenugreek seed - 1 heaped tsp
Jaggery / Gud - 50 gms
Coconut oil - 5 tbsp
Mustard - 1 1/2 tsp
Red Chilly - 5

Prep work:

Dry fry the Methi seeds till they pop and keep aside. Powder when cool.

Heat 1 tsp coconut oil and fry the asafoetida gum on a low flame till it gets crispy on all sides. Allow to cool. Powder once cool.

Chop the Ginger and green chilly into small pieces

Soak the tamarind ball in hot water.

Method:

Heat the rest of the coconut oil in a thick bottoed vessel and splutter the mustard and add the red chillies.

Into this add the chopped ginger, green chilly and curry leaf.

Fry on a low flame till the ginger turns golden brown.

Now add the tamarind pulp and the salt, turmeric powder and chilly powder with the jaggery.

Allow to boil for 5 minutes until gravy thickens and jaggery melts.
Turn off flame and add the methi powder and asafoetida powder.
Mix well.

Cool and store in an air tight jar.