Erissery

Erissery

Erissery

Veg Vegan

A thick, earthy curry of pumpkin and cowpeas cooked with coconut milk, finished with a generous topping of roasted coconut and cumin. An essential dish of the Kerala Sadya feast, representing the state's vegetarian tradition.

Cuisines

Travancore Kerala

Best for

Lunch Dinner

Build a full meal around Erissery

Get a matched combo of sides and accents

Recipe

Prep: 15 min Cook: 30 min Total: 45 min 2-3 servings

Ingredients

Pumpkin 1 cup Pumpkin , yellow, diced
Red Cowpea 1/4 cup Red Cowpea
Coconut 1 cup Coconut , grated
Cumin 1 teaspoon Cumin , seeds
Garlic 2 cloves Garlic , finely chopped
turmeric powder 2 teaspoons Turmeric powder
red chili powder 1 teaspoon Red chili powder
coconut oil 1 tablespoon Coconut oil
Mustard Seed 1 teaspoon Mustard Seed
Curry Leaf 2 sprigs Curry Leaf
salt Salt , to taste
water Water

Instructions

  1. 1 Soak the red cowpeas in water for at least 4 hours or overnight.
  2. 2 Pressure cook the soaked cowpeas with a little salt and water until soft. Drain and set aside.
  3. 3 Cook the diced pumpkin with turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt in a pan with enough water until the pumpkin is soft.
  4. 4 Grind the grated coconut, cumin seeds, and garlic into a coarse paste with a little water.
  5. 5 Add the cooked cowpeas and the coconut paste to the cooked pumpkin. Mix well and simmer for a few minutes.
  6. 6 In a small pan, heat coconut oil and add mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add curry leaves and the additional grated coconut.
  7. 7 Fry the coconut until it turns golden brown, then pour this tempering over the erissery.
  8. 8 Mix well and serve hot with rice.

Tips

For a richer flavor, you can roast the coconut paste slightly before adding it to the pumpkin and cowpeas.