e texture of cassava reminded me of chena, Elephant foot yam, a staple in my mom's kitchen when it is in season. My mom's famous chena-elavan koottu is an all-time favorite.
he texture of cassava reminded me of chena, Elephant foot yam, a staple in my mom's kitchen when it is in season. My mom's famous chena-elavan koottu is an all-time favorite. I haven't had it in ages, as I can't find Elephant foot yam in my neighborhood markets. But, when I made the cassava fries, I thought it might be worthwhile to try cassava as a substitute for chena in this recipe.
The coconut-cumin yogurt sauce is pretty standard in south Indian cooking, Palakkad-style.
The purple kohlrabi that came in the CSA basket was handy, along with all the kohlrabi, radish, and chard leaves I had saved.
Mung beans, aka Moong dal, adds body and protein to this packed-with-goodness veggie dish that can be served as-is or with some perfectly done brown rice.
Ingredients
1 small kohlrabi diced
2 to 3 cups chopped radish, chard, and kohlrabi greens
1 cup diced cassava
¼ cup spit yelllow moong dal
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
For the Coconut-Cumin Yogurt Sauce:
1 to 1½ cups thick plain yogurt, beaten till smooth
¼ cup dry grated unsweetened coconut
3 dry red chilies
1 Tablespoon cumin seeds
Tempering: (optional but recommended for enhancing flavors)
1 teaspoon canola oil
½ tsp black mustard seeds
¼ tsp cumin seeds
Preparation
- Combine the vegetables in a pan, along with mung beans, turmeric, and brown sugar, add enough water, cover, and allow to simmer till vegetables and mung beans are tender but not mushy
- Meanwhile, combine the coconut, chilies, cumin seeds in a blender or food processor and grind to a fine powder
- When veggies are cooked, stir in the coconut-cumin-chilies mixture, adjust salt to taste, simmer gently for a few more minutes till well incorporated, then turn off heat
- Allow to cool slightly before folding in the beaten yogurt
- Tempering: Heat oil in a pan, when it shimmers add the mustard seeds, when that pops add in cumin seeds and turn off heat; pour this tempering over the dish just before serving, stir well
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