Rasakalan
30 mins
Serves 6 people
Rasakalan is a traditional mixed vegetable dish from the Palakkad cuisine. The dish is so rustic and delicious and very easy to make. It is great to go with hot rice or can be served on the sides with Dosa or Idli. The vegetables mostly used in this dish are Ash gourd, Sweet potato, pumpkin, that are cooked in a tangy tamarind sauce and then a flavourful coconut masala paste is added. It is the paste that makes all the difference. Finally the seasoning in coconut oil enhances the flavours of the dish and takes it to a different level.
In our family my aunt makes this the best, so this recipe has been adapted from her instructions. This recipe allows you to customize the vegetables as per your liking. I have used a mix of Ash gourd, Capsicum, Carrot, Beans and Potatoes.
While you are here check out my other recipes from the Palakkad cuisine like Unni Appam/Nei appam, Sukhiyan, Avial, Keerai Molagootal with Mathan puli pachadi and more…
Here is the recipe of Rasakalan for you all
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Ash Gourd 100 gm skin removed and diced
- Potato 1 peeled and diced
- Beans about 5 chopped to 1 inch pieces
- Carrot 1 peeled and diced
- Capsicum 1 chopped to small pieces
- Tamarind paste 1 tbsp or soak gooseberry size tamarind ball and extract pulp appx 1.5 cup
- Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
- Salt as required
- Coconut 2 tbsp
- Green chillies 2
- Dry red chillies 4 (or depending on spice choice)
- Jaggery 1 tsp
- Coconut oil or refined oil 1/2 tbsp
- Mustard seeds 1 tsp
- Chana dal ( gram dal) 1/2 tbsp
- Asafoetida 1/2 tsp
- Dry red chilli broken 1
- Curry leaves a few
- In a pan add the tamarind paste plus 2 cups water or tamarind pulp 1.5 cups and switch on the flame. Add turmeric powder and salt followed by chopped vegetables and cook until the vegetables are done.
- When the vegetables are cooked grind the coconut, green chillies, dry red chillies to a smooth paste adding a little water.
- Pour this paste into the vegetable and tamarind gravy and cook further for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the gravy comes together. Add the jaggery and put off the flame.
- In a tempering Kadai take some coconut oil or any oil of our choice and heat. Add mustard seeds, when they crackle add the gram dal, asafoetida and curry leaves. Add this tempering to the cooked curry. The delicious Rasakalan is ready to serve. Enjoy with hot rice or with Dosa, pongal or upma.
In a pan add the tamarind paste plus 2 cups water or tamarind pulp 1.5 cups and switch on the flame. Add turmeric powder and salt followed by chopped vegetables and cook until the vegetables are done. The vegetables should be well cooked but firm. Overcooking may ruin the taste of the dish. When the vegetables are cooked grind the coconut, green chillies, dry red chillies to a smooth paste adding a little water. Pour this paste into the vegetable and tamarind gravy and cook further for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the gravy comes together. Put off the flame. In a tempering Kadai take some coconut oil or any oil of our choice and heat. Add mustard seeds, when they crackle add the gram dal, asafoetida and curry leaves. Add this tempering to the cooked curry. The delicious Rasakalan is ready to serve. Enjoy with hot rice or with Dosa, pongal or upma.
Notes:
- As said earlier the vegetables can be customized to ones liking, keeping the vegetables traditional and Indian helps in retaining the traditional taste.
- Using coconut oil enhances the taste, but any other oil of preference can be used too. Note taste will vary though.
- The texture and consistency of this dish should be thicker then Sambar.
If you tried this recipe and liked it please comment below. I would love to hear from you. If you have a query about the recipe email us and ill respond as soon as I can.
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