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Kalan
Yam and banana yogurt curry
കാളൻ: thick, peppery Kerala curd curry with yam and raw banana, cooked down for the sadya
Kalan is one of the old curries of the Onam sadya in central Kerala, made days ahead in temple kitchens and big family homes because it keeps so well. Elephant yam and green nendran banana are cooked with plenty of black pepper, then soured curd is stirred in and slowly reduced until it is thick enough to coat a spoon, before a fine coconut paste goes in. It tastes sharp, peppery and rich, with the toasted fenugreek of the tempering coming through at the end. Spoon a little over hot rice and ghee. Chef's tip: use curd that has sat out for a day and turned properly sour; mild fresh yogurt gives a flat kalan.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the vegetables
- 9 oz elephant foot yam (chena)peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
- 1 raw green nendran bananapeeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
- 1 ½ tsp black pepperfreshly crushed
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ¼ cups water
For the curd and coconut
- 1 ⅛ lb sour full-fat yogurt (curd)a day old
- 3 ½ oz grated fresh coconut
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
For the tempering
- 1 ½ tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
- 2 dried red chilliesbroken
- 15 curry leaves
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 9 oz elephant foot yam (chena), 1 raw green nendran banana, 1 ½ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp ground turmeric, ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder and 1 ¼ tsp salt in a heavy pan with 1 ¼ cups water. Cover and cook over a medium heat for 12–15 minutes, until the yam is tender all the way through and most of the water has gone.
15 minStep 2: Meanwhile, whisk 1 ⅛ lb sour full-fat yogurt (curd) until completely smooth, with no lumps. Grind 3 ½ oz grated fresh coconut, 3 green chillies and ½ tsp cumin seeds with 3–4 tbsp water to a very fine, creamy paste.
Step 3: Turn the heat to low and pour the curd over the vegetables. Cook, stirring every minute or so, for 15–20 minutes, until the curd has reduced by about a third and coats the back of a spoon thickly. Common mistake: hurrying this on a high heat. The curd splits into grainy whey, and kalan should be glossy and thick.
20 minStep 4: Stir in the coconut paste and warm through for 3–4 minutes on low, until it smells of cooked coconut. Do not let it bubble hard. Take off the heat.
4 minStep 5: Heat 1 ½ tbsp coconut oil in a small pan over a medium heat. Add 1 tsp mustard seeds; when it crackles, add ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds and fry for 20–30 seconds until reddish-brown (not black), then add 2 dried red chillies and 15 curry leaves. As soon as the leaves crisp, pour the tempering over the kalan.
Step 6: Leave it to settle for at least an hour before serving. Kalan thickens and sharpens as it rests and keeps for 3–4 days in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 200 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kalan take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of raw green nendran banana?
- Mango, same weight (in smoothies and shakes).
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
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Perfect for:Onam & Vishu