Ginger Curry / Puli Inji

Sadhya - in Malayalam, means traditional Kerala food served on Banana leaves.  During the festival of Onam, all the Keralites would prepare the traditional dishes and sit together to eat the Sadhya on the Banana Leaf.

In Pune, Onam Sadhya is organized every year by the Malayali Group and my favourite of all the dishes served on this occassion is the spicy, sweet & tangy Inji Puli served as an appetizer.  No Sadhya is complete without this dish! The taste of ginger predominates the sweet and sour taste of jaggery and tamarind in this dish.

My colleague at Office Tripuri Godbole loves this dish that I prepare and I ensure that whenever I make it  I take some for her to office!

I am going to the Kitchen to grab some Rice and Curd with Inji Puli & Pappadam... Hope you could have joined me :)

Do try making this dish and do remember me when you make it :)

Ingredients :

Grated Ginger - 1/2 cup

Green Chillies - 3-4

Tamarind - Lemon Sized (soaked in water)

Turmeric - 1/4th tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Jaggery - 1/4th cup

Red Chilli Powder - 1 tbsp

Asafetida - 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek Powder - 2 pinch

Curry leaves - few

Mustard

Red Chilli - 2

Roasted rice powder - 1/2 tbsp

Method :

Clean, wash and grate ginger.  Fry it in little oil until the colour changes to light brown ( it should take 2-3 minutes).

In a pan put oil and add the mustard seeds and allow it to splutter. Then add the green chillies, Asafetida, Fenugreek Powder & Curry leaves and Turmeric powder, Red Chilli Powder and saute.  Now break red chilli into 2 pieces and put it in this tempering.  Squeeze the water from the tamarind and pour this in the pan.  Allow it to boil.  You may add half cup of water to this mixture.  Add salt and ginger and jaggery and cook this till the sauce turns thick.  Check for the sweetness and salt and adjust accordingly.  Add 1/2 tsp of Rice powder and mix and allow this to boil.  Add few more curry leaves.  Cool this and store in air tight container.  Refrigerate when not in use.  You can use this as pickle, side dish with Rice / Roti etc.