Chettinad Vegetable Kurma

My kids absolutely love having kurma with chappatis. I too find it easier to feed the kids as much vegetables as I can when making them. I try out many kurmas changing the ingredients that I use usually to make them. You get varied taste by this and this Kurma is my absolute favorite and also my Athamma’s (MIL) among the side dishes that I make which I learned from a karaikudi Aachi who was her neighbour.



You’ll need:


Boiled vegetables- 2 cups (I used cauliflower, carrots, peas and beans)
Poppy seed (khus-khus) - 2 tbsp

Cashew nuts- Broken in small pieces- 1 tbsp

Onions – 1 (large) chopped

tomatoes- 2 (Large) chopped

Curry leaves- 1 sprig

Turmeric powder- ½ tsp

Red chilli powder- ½ tsp

Milk- 1cup

Oil- 2 tbsp

salt- to taste


For the special chettinad masala:

Freshly grated coconut-1/2 cup

Coriander seeds- 1 tsp

Cumin seeds- ½ tsp

Whole red chillies - 3

Cardamom - 3

Fennel seeds - 1 tsp

Cloves - 2

Cinnamon – 1 inch piece

Oil- 1 tbspn


Method:


Heat oil in a pan and fry the ingredients mentioned under chettinad masala separately one by one till you get an aroma. Keep aside to cool. Soak the poppy seeds and cashew nuts in hot water. Drain and add it to the roasted ingredients. Grind to a smooth paste.

Heat the remaining oil in a pan. Add the curry leaves and onions. Saute for few minutes till the onion turns pink and then add the tomatoes, ground paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt.


Cook till tomatoes blend well with the masala and oil separates on the sides. Mix well and add one cup of water, boiled vegetables and milk. Cover and simmer for a few minutes. Serve hot. This goes well with chappatis and pulao.