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Erissery
Pumpkin and cowpea curry
എരിശ്ശേരി: Onam pumpkin and red cowpeas with a coconut paste and deep-toasted coconut (soak the beans overnight)
Erissery is the golden, slightly sweet pumpkin dish of the Onam sadya in Kerala, and a favourite in homes all through the harvest season when the yellow mathanga pumpkins are piled up in the markets. Soft pumpkin and red cowpeas are bound with a coconut, cumin and green chilli paste, and the whole pot is crowned with grated coconut fried in coconut oil until it turns the colour of cinnamon. That crunchy, nutty topping is what makes it erissery. Serve with rice and parippu, or scoop it up with chapati. Chef's tip: keep the pumpkin pieces large so some stay whole while others melt into the sauce.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the pumpkin and beans
- 2 ⅞ oz dried red cowpeas (vanpayar)soaked overnight
- 14 oz yellow pumpkinpeeled and cut into 3 cm chunks
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup water
For the coconut paste
- 5 ½ oz grated fresh coconutdivided
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 garlic (optional)clove
For the toasted coconut
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 2 dried red chilliesbroken
- 15 curry leaves
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Drain 2 ⅞ oz dried red cowpeas (vanpayar), then pressure-cook them in fresh water for 3–4 whistles, or simmer for 40 minutes, until soft but whole. Drain.
40 minStep 2: Put 14 oz yellow pumpkin, ½ tsp ground turmeric, ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, 1 tsp salt and 1 cup water in a pan, cover and cook over a medium heat for 8–10 minutes, until the pumpkin is just tender. Add the cowpeas.
10 minStep 3: Grind 100 g of 3 ½ oz grated fresh coconut with 2 green chillies, 1 tsp cumin seeds and 1 garlic if using, adding 3 tbsp water, to a coarse paste. Stir it into the pan and simmer on a low heat for 5 minutes, mashing a few pumpkin pieces against the side, until thick and the raw coconut smell has gone.
5 minStep 4: In a small pan, heat 2 tbsp coconut oil over a medium heat and crackle 1 tsp mustard seeds. Add 2 dried red chillies, 15 curry leaves and the rest of the 1 ¾ oz grated fresh coconut. Fry, stirring constantly, for 4–6 minutes, until the coconut is evenly deep reddish-brown and smells like toasted nuts. Common mistake: taking it off while it is still pale gold. It needs to go fully brown to give erissery its nutty flavour; just stop before you see any black specks.
6 minStep 5: Tip the toasted coconut and oil over the erissery, stir half of it in and leave the rest on top for crunch. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does erissery take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
- What can I use instead of kashmiri chilli powder?
- Sweet paprika with a pinch of cayenne (gives the same colour, less heat).
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