Raw Papaya Erissery(Kannur Style)-Raw Papaya in ground coconut

Erissery is a traditional Kerala Dish made with Vanpayar(Red Moong Beans) and any of the Vegetables like Mathanga(Pumpkin) or Yam(Chena) or Pachakkaya(Plantain Banana) cooked in ground coconut and finally seasoned with roasted coconut. You can use any of these vegetables or a combination of veggies as well. I have used the very nutritious Kappakka(Raw Papaya) to make this Erissery which is said to be great for diabetic patients as well.

I remember my grandma's backyard with lot of Papaya trees with tremendous amount of papaya on them especially in the monsoon season. The papaya trees are not too strong but fast growing herb and I remember the trees falling off in heavy rain with lot of raw and ripe papayas. When the rain stops my granny and we kids will be picking  up all the papayas and my granny use to sound sad when she talks about the fallen papaya trees. But then with-in a couple of months new papaya trees pops up from the seeds of ripe papaya she drops in her backyard and she will be in all smiles again :) It will be all papaya based curries, thoran(Subzi), side dishes then and she makes this raw papaya erissery as well. She does the seasoning either with chopped shallots/onion or with some generous amount of grated coconut roasted and both tastes great.

Now that I have given the title as Kannur Style I'm sure you guys guessed it right, yes making of erissery mentioned here is totally  different from the typical traditional Kerala Erissery even though few ingredients and process are same and it is still called Erissery in Kannur(Northern Kerala). I remember a friend of mine who is from travancore region scolding me when I said this is our way of making Erissery and I knew very well she couldn't even imagine this to be Erisserry even in her wildest dreams ;) (I still remember her astonished face and I always burst into laugh whenever I remember that). I'm sometimes surprised to see the difference in cooking and flavor of same dishes with in the Kerala cuisine. I will be posting the authentic Kerala Erissery soon but for now here comes the recipe of simple Kannur Style Raw Papaya Erissery.

 Ingredients:-

1. Raw Papaya Chopped into cubes - 3 cups(I used half of a papaya)
2. Toor Dal - 3/4  cup
3. Green Chilies - 3(slit into halves)
4. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
5. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
6. Salt to taste
7. Curry leaves few
8. Water as needed(3 cups n more)

To Grind:-

1. Grated Coconut - 1 +1/2 cups
2. Jeera/Cumin-  1tsp
3. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp(Or 1 or 2 dry red chilly-adjust according to ur spice level and the spice of red chillies you use. This curry has a very moderate spice level)

Seasoning: -

1. Mustard Seeds - 1tsp
2. Curry leaves few 
3. Shallots Chopped - 2(can use 1/2 onion instead)
4. Dry Red Chilies -2 or 3 
5. Coconut oil(Or oil of ur choice) - 1tbsp

Preparation Method:-

• Wash the toor daal and put them in a cooker. Peel off skin of Raw papaya, wash and cut them into small cubes, add it to the dal. 
• Add turmeric, chilly powder, salt, and water just enough to cover the veggies, stir and mix. Cover and pressure cook for three-four whistles. Switch off the stove and let it cool completely. When the pressure is fully off open the cooker.
• Coarse grind the 'to grind' ingredients and add it to the dal-papaya mix and stir well. Mash few papaya while you mix to uplift the flavor of papaya. Add the green chillies now
• Put the cooker on the stove, bring the curry to boil. Simmer the heat to medium and let it boil for five-seven minutes stirring in between. Take off the stove.
• Heat another small frying pan, pour oil, crackle mustard seeds, add chopped onions, curry leaves and dry red chilies and roast till onions turns brown(not dark brown but bit more than golden brown)
• Pour over the prepared curry and serve warm with Rice/Roti.

Notes:-

1. I sometimes replace onion over 1/2 cup of grated coconut and roast well till brown while seasoning(instead of onion/shallots you can use grated coconut) 
2. You can use veggies like Yellow Pumpkin, Raw Plantain, Yam etc or a combination of veggies instead of Raw Papaya.
3. I normally coarse grind coconut but you can grind it bit more but this curry don't need coconut to be ground to fine paste compared to normal Kerala curries.

Sending this to The Kerala Kitchen Event hosted by Roshan @Roshan's Cucina and show me your Hits Event hosted by Sangee Vijay @ Spicy Treats

                    

    

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