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Kerala Style Mixed Vegetables

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By Suneeta Vaswani

Posted December 26th, 2007

This article is reprinted with permission from Complete Book of Indian Cooking: 350 Recipes from the Regions of India, by Suneeta Vaswani, (2007, Robert Rose)

Complete Book of Indian Cooking: 350 Recipes from the Regions of India

Author Notes:	This is the signature dish of the Nairs of Kerala. It is both a popular home style dish and one served at weddings.
Ingredients:	1 cup plain nonfat yogurt, at room temperature 1 teaspoon cornstarch 3/4 cup grated coconut, preferably fresh - or frozen thawed, or dry unsweetened coconut powder 2 tablespoons minced green chiles, preferably serranos 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 green plaintain 4 cups thinly sliced cucumbers or chayote squash - 1 squash and 2 cucumbers 2 medium carrots, cut into 2 by 1/4 inch batons 10 green beans, preferably slender, cut into 2 inch lengths 1 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste 1/4 teaspoon turmeric 2 tablespoons coconut oil 1 sprigs fresh curry leaves, stripped - 12 to 15 leaves
Instructions:	1. Stir yogurt and cornstarch together until creamy. Set aside. 2. In a blender, combine coconut, chiles, cumin seeds, and 1/4 cup of the yogurt mixture. Grind coarsely. Set aside. 3. Cut plaintain, unpeeled, into 1/4 inch thick disks. Cut each disk into 1/4 inch strips, so that there is some skin on each piece. 4. Place plaintains in a saucepan. Top with layers of chayote or cucumber, carrots, and green beans. Stir salt and turmeric into 1 1/2 cups water. Pour over vegetables. Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until vegetables are half-cooked, 5 to 8 minutes. 5. Stir remaining yogurt and coconut mixture into vegetables and simmer until vegetables are tender, 8 to 0 minutes. The sauce should be fairly thick. 6. Remove from heat. Stir in coconut oil and curry leaves. Serve over steamed rice. Tip: coconut oil is available in Indian markets. If unavailable, use any oil you prefer.