Kerala Breakfast Platter ~ Idiyappam Kurma

I am not in the habit of cooking thaalis regularly at my home excepting those couple of mini spreads that happen in the name of festivals annually. Even the thaalis that have rarely happened are because of the blogging marathon, I have to admit. I made about a dozen meal thaalis in January and my son who was away at his college did not get to taste even one of those. The breakfast dishes and the flat breads were therefore cooked and some were redone when he came back home. This simple breakfast platter from Kerala is one of those cooked last month and is replacing a breakfast dish from Delhi that I originally cooked for today though I am not happy with the way I have plated this meal. I made this for our weekend lunch and everyone were hungry and I wanted to be done with the clicking part and it shows. 

I picked idiyappam and instant appams from the state. I have cooked idiyappam before but this was the first time I served them as a meal. Usually I end up preparing other dishes using idiyappam. I gathered that it is served with a kurma, khara chutney, coconut chutney and sweetened coconut milk at restaurants. I tried to recreate that meal and the appams were last minute addition as I happened to see a Youtube video that morning.

What do I have in my thaali? 

1. Idiyappam / String hoppers - A popular steamed breakfast / meal in southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu and also in the neighboring Sri Lanka. The rice flour is pressed into flat disc shaped noodles and are steamed. 

2. Instant Appam - Instant pancakes. I found an online version which did not include either yeast or grinding and were made on the regular flat griddle. They were super spongy as they were made with Eno's fruit salt. Yes, you read that right.

3. Idiyappam Kurma - Restaurant style vegetable curry that serves as a side dish to idiyappam and appam. 

4. Khara Chutney - Spicy tomato chutney is again a side dish

5. Fried Gram Chutney - I made this instead of coconut chutney that pairs well with both appam and idiyappam

6. Coconut Milk sweetened with jaggery and some Shredded Coconut

I decided to post the kurma recipe today as I did not click step by step pictures for this. Idiyappam and appam posts were lengthy enough to deserve different posts. I made this kurma for the first time and came up with this after going through not one but various online sources. It seems that there is a difference between the restaurant style and home made versions of kurma in Kerala. The Kerala version one is supposedly whitish in color opposed to the yellowish ones from the restaurants and redolent with coconut and fennel flavors. One can increase the coconut quantity in the recipe if going with that version. 

I made a garlic free version but the kurma preparation includes garlic as well. I had to improvise the recipe as my husband doesn't eat coconut and I don't eat garlic. I skipped the garlic from the recipe and added more cashews to replace the coconut. Coconut and cashews both lend a unique and rich flavor of their own and the base is delicious for the kurma here. We enjoyed it and I am planning to make it with rotis sometime. This kurma serves a wonderful side dish to any south Indian style breakfast dishes like dosas, appams, idiyappams, etc. 

Ingredients:
2 cups, cut mixed veggies (I used carrots, beans, potatoes and peas.)
1 tbsp. oil
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
Few curry leaves
1 bay leaf
2 cardamom pods, lightly bruised
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Chili powder to taste
2 tbsp. yogurt
Cilantro to garnish

Ingredients to grind:
1/3 cup coconut
6 - 8 cashews
1 tsp. poppy seeds
1.5 tbsp. fried gram
2 cloves
2 one inch cinnamon pieces
2 green chilies
One inch piece of ginger

Directions:
* Pressure cook vegetables for one whistle. (I used peeled and diced carrots, chopped beans, peeled and cubed potatoes and frozen peas.)
* Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When mustard seeds start to splutter, add bay leaf, cardamom, and curry leaves. Next add onion and fry until done. Next add tomatoes and cook until mushy. Add salt, chili powder and turmeric and cook for few seconds.
* Grind the ingredients mentioned under the 'to grind' list to a smooth paste adding water as needed.
* Add the ground mixture and the yogurt to the pan and saute stirring continuously for 4 or 5 minutes. Then add the cooked vegetables, and water as needed. Stir the mixture and adjust the seasonings if needed. Cook on low medium  flame for about 10 minutes and turn off the stove. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

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