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Thiruvathira puzhukku
Tubers and plantain with coconut
തിരുവാതിര പുഴുക്ക്: tubers, plantain and cowpeas cooked soft with crushed coconut and green chilli
On Thiruvathira, in the Malayalam month of Dhanu, Kerala women keep a vow for Shiva and Parvati: they stay off rice, dance the thiruvathirakali in a circle at night and eat a plate built from the earth's tubers instead. Puzhukku is the heart of that plate, a thick, gently spiced mash of elephant-foot yam, colocasia, sweet potato, raw plantain and red cowpeas folded through a coarse paste of coconut, green chilli and cumin, then finished with raw coconut oil and curry leaves. Each tuber goes in at its own time so the pieces end up tender but still recognisable. Common mistake: stirring hard once everything is soft, which turns it into glue; it is done when a piece of yam crushes easily against the side of the pot and the water has almost gone, then you only fold. Eat it warm with koova payasam or a glass of buttermilk. Chef's tip: undercooked yam and colocasia can make the throat itch, so taste a piece before adding the coconut and keep cooking if it is still firm in the centre.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the vegetables
- 2 ⅝ oz dried red cowpeas (vanpayar)soaked overnight
- 7 oz elephant-foot yam (chena)peeled, 2 cm cubes
- 5 ½ oz colocasia (chembu)peeled, halved
- 5 ½ oz sweet potatopeeled, 2 cm cubes
- 1 raw green plantainpeeled, 2 cm cubes
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 cups water
For the coconut paste
- 3 ½ oz fresh grated coconut
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
To finish
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 sprig curry leaves
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Drain 2 ⅝ oz dried red cowpeas (vanpayar), cover with half the 1 ½ cups water in a pressure cooker and cook for 3 whistles, about 12 minutes, until soft but whole. Let the pressure drop.
15 minStep 2: Wear gloves or oil your hands to handle the yam. Put 7 oz elephant-foot yam (chena) and 5 ½ oz colocasia (chembu) in a wide pot with the rest of the 1 ½ cups water, ½ tsp ground turmeric and 1 tsp salt and simmer, covered, over a medium heat for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 3: Add 5 ½ oz sweet potato and 1 raw green plantain and simmer for 10–12 minutes more, until a knife slides through every piece and only a few spoons of water are left.
12 minStep 4: Meanwhile, crush 3 ½ oz fresh grated coconut, 3 green chillies and ½ tsp cumin seeds in a blender or mortar to a coarse paste with no water.
3 minStep 5: Tip the cowpeas (with any cooking liquid left) into the pot. Taste a cube of yam: it must be soft right through. Add the coconut paste, fold gently and cook on a low heat for 3–4 minutes until the mash is thick and the raw coconut smell has gone.
4 minStep 6: Take off the heat, pour over 2 tbsp coconut oil, scatter 1 sprig curry leaves, cover for 2 minutes, then fold once and serve warm.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does thiruvathira puzhukku take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 40 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 sweet potato?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
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