Inji Curry

Ingredients

• 100g ginger finely chopped
• Tamarind small ball
• 2 tbsp jaggery
• Green chillies
• Mustard seeds
• Dried red chillies
• Coconut oil
• Curry leaves
• Turmeric
• Salt

Method

1. Prepare ginger: Peel 200g fresh young ginger. Cut into thin discs or julienne. Soak in cold water with a pinch of salt 10 minutes to reduce sharpness. Drain.
2. Make coconut paste: Blend half cup fresh grated coconut, 4 dried red chillies, 1 tsp coriander seeds and half tsp cumin to a smooth paste.
3. Soak tamarind: Soak a marble-sized tamarind ball in half cup warm water 15 minutes. Extract pulp and strain.
4. Fry ginger: Heat 2 tbsp coconut oil. Add ginger and fry on medium heat 8-10 minutes until golden and mellow.
5. Add jaggery: Add 1 tbsp powdered jaggery to the ginger. Stir and cook 2 minutes until it melts and coats the ginger.
6. Add tamarind: Add tamarind extract and salt. Cook on medium heat 5 minutes.
7. Add coconut paste: Add ground coconut paste. Cook 5-6 minutes stirring until raw smell disappears.
8. Make tempering: Heat 1 tbsp coconut oil. Add 1 tsp mustard seeds — when they splutter add half tsp fenugreek seeds, dried red chilli and curry leaves.
9. Combine: Pour tempering over inji curry. Simmer 2 minutes.
10. Serve: Inji curry should be thick, sweet, sour and spicy. Serve with steamed rice as part of a Kerala sadhya.