Kalan is a traditional Kerala curry prepared with plantain in yogurt and coconut base. You can also use other vegetables like elephant yam (chena). Let's see how to make this super easy dish with step by step pictures and video.
This can be prepared as part of Onam sadhya or Vishu Sadhya. You can also make this on regular days to enjoy this dish.
Check out my erissery recipe and inji puli recipe in this website.
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Kalan is a curry with yoghurt as base apart from the typical coconut cumin seeds paste. This in fact is the first Kerala dish I posted when I started blogging. But I just learnt it from a recipe book and turned out to be a wrong recipe which many of the readers pointed out. So I had to take down the recipe. After that, I never turned towards Kerala cuisine.
I have few follower friends whom I can refer and post, but somehow did not felt comfortable. Last year, I had browsed may recipes and Instagram allows you to see a lot of Kerala dishes during onam via reels.
After trying this Kaalan, I wondered why I was not trying such simple recipes for long time. I understand that another version called kurukku kalan is thicker and drier.
Ingredients
Here are the simple ingredients that are available in your kitchen to prepare Kalan.
- Plantain - Unripe banana - Raw banana - Main ingredient in the recipe.
- Yogurt - Indian curd - Gives the distinct taste to the curry.
- Coconut - Main ingredient in all kerala dishes that gives thickness to the gravy.
- Cumin seeds - For flavour, added in most of the coconut base Kerala gravy.
- Chillies - Green chilli for grinding coconut and red chilli to impart the smoky flavour and heat in the tempering.
- Red chilli powder - For spice while cooking the plantain.
- Black pepper powder - for it's goodness with turmeric as well as spice.
- Turmeric powder - Adds colour.
- Mustard - For tempering.
- Coconut oil - Must for all Kerala dishes, which gives it's distinct flavour.
- Salt
Check my recipe card below for full list and exact quantities.
Step by step images
Lets see how to make Kalan.
- Boil plantain firstly in 1 & ¼ cup water with turmeric, red chilli powder, required salt and black pepper powder.
2. Cook until it gets cooked just right, not over cooked. Mine is easily cooked in 3-4 minutes usually.
3. Meanwhile, grind coconut with green chilli, cumin seeds and water.
4. Grind smoothly like this.
5. Add it to the cooked raw banana.
6. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes.
7. Once thick and homogenous, lower the heat.
8. Beat curd smoothly.
9. Add curd to the kalan.
10. Then add roasted fenugreek seeds powder.
11. Mix well and simmer furthermore for 2 minutes.
12. Then heat oil in a small pan and splutter mustard seeds, followed by red chilli and curry leaves.
13. Add to Kalan and mix well.
Serve Kerala Kalan with matta rice and pappadam, or as part of your Onam Sadya, Vishu Sadhya.
Substitutions & Variations
You can use combination of Yam and raw banana, which is how I see in many of the recipes.
You can use other vegetables like ash gourd, cucumber, yellow pumpkin.
Storage
If you boil kalan for long time until it is thick, it can stay good comfortably in room temperature for couple of days. Have not tried this on my own, but you can store in fridge easily for 4 days.
My notes
I know there's all types of spice used in this recipe like green chilli, red chilli, black pepper powder. But we add to balance the taste since we are cooking with yogurt.
Top tips
- Beat the curd smooth so that it looks homogenous in the curry. You can even blend it and add.
- Adjust spice level according to the curd's tanginess to balance the taste. Use more green chillies while grinding coconut.
- While adding curd, I suggest to lower the flame and add as you mix.
Serving suggestion
Serve kalan as part of Sadhya with matta rice and some pappadams.
Recipe card
Kalan Recipe | Kerala Kalan Curry
Ingredients
- 1 Raw banana
- ¼ cup Curd
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon Red chilli powder
- ⅛ teaspoon Fenugreek seeds
- powder Roasted
- Salt
To grind to a paste
- ½ cup Coconut
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 Green chilli
Instructions
- Boil plantain firstly in 1 & ¼ cup water with turmeric, red chilli powder, required salt and black pepper powder.
- Cook until it gets cooked just right, not over cooked. Mine is easily cooked in 3-4 minutes usually.
- Meanwhile, grind coconut with green chilli, cumin seeds and water.
- Grind smoothly like this.
- Add it to the cooked raw banana.
- Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Once thick and homogenous, lower the heat.
- Beat curd smoothly.
- Add curd to the kalan.
- Then add roasted fenugreek seeds powder.
- Mix well and simmer furthermore for 2 minutes.
- Then heat oil in a small pan and splutter mustard seeds, followed by red chilli and curry leaves.
- Add to Kalan and mix well.
Video
Notes
- You can use combination of Yam and raw banana, which is how I see in many of the recipes.
- You can also use other vegetables like ash gourd, cucumber, yellow pumpkin.
- Beat the curd smooth so that it looks homogenous in the curry. You can even blend it and add.
- While adding curd, I suggest to lower the flame and add as you mix.
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