Erissery is an all-time favourite item in Kerala and several types of Erisseris are known. Of these, an easy-to-prepare erisseri is green gram-pumpkin erissery. Erissery is an Onam special item too. It is Erissery, that attracts you to the Onam feast with its hot spicy aroma of cooked pepper and roasted coconut. For Onam, Erissery is served in a thick consistency and if it is the only side dish you cook on some other day, say a busy working day, you can adjust it to a more easy consistency.

Now we are going to see how to make the pepper rich, aroma specialist at home to attract your loved ones to your dining table.

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Items List

Name	Quantity	Image
Green gram	150 g
Pumpkin	150g
Salt	enough to taste
Pepper Powder	1 tsp
Cumin seeds	½ tbsp
Turmeric powder	¼ tsp
Scraped coconut	10 ½ tbsp
Dried red chillies	6 nos
Curry leaves	12 nos
Water	1 ½ cups
Coconut Oil	½ tbsp
Mustard seeds	1 tsp

Preparation

Stage 1

For Erisseri, it is better to have the green gram soaked before you cook it. So that you may cook green gram (cherupayar) and pumpkin together in a pressure cooker and it might save you a lot of time. Soak 2/3 cup of green gram (approx. 150 g) for at least an hour before you cook it. I did it over night for convenience as I couldn’t wait to get it soaked on a busy morning. Cut the pumpkins into medium sized cubes. Transfer the Green gram and the pumpkin cubes to a pressure cooker and pour 1 ½ cup of water, add salt and turmeric. Close the cooker with the lid, keep it on high flame and let the steam rush out before you place the weight. Now as the steam rushes out place the weight and let one whistle blow. Lower the flame and let the whistle blow once again. Now keep the cooker aside to let the pressure relieve, while we prepare the coconut paste.

Stage 2

Blend 9 tbsp of coconut, 1 tsp pepper powder, ½ tbsp cumin seeds and 3 dried red chillies together to a smooth paste (add water occasionally to get the paste to a smooth consistency). Coconut paste is ready.

Stage 3

Open the pressure cooker, check for salt and add the coconut paste, boil the entire contents together for 3 -5 minutes at high flame (the raw smell of coconut goes away). Remove it from the flame and keep it aside.

Stage 4

Heat a tadka pan and dry roast 1 ½ tbsp scraped coconut until it turns brown. Then remove it from the pan and keep it aside. Heat the tadka pan again and pour ½ tbsp coconut oil, pop mustards, fry dried red chillies and curry leaves.

Stage 5

Add the roasted coconut and the mustard mixture to the curry and mix well.

Tips

• Soak the green gram over night, so that you can cook it together with pumpkin.
• You can also prepare the same recipe with soaked red cow peas (van payar), instead of green gram.

Stages

Stage 1- Add soaked green gram and cubed pumpkin in a pressure cooker. Pour water, add salt and turmeric and pressure cook for 1 whistle on high flame and one on low flame.

Stage 2- Blend scraped coconut, pepper powder, cumin seeds and dried red chillies to a smooth paste, by adding water occasionally.

Stage 3- Open the pressure cooker, add the paste and boil the mixture for 3-5 minutes.

Stage 4- Heat a tadka pan, dry roast 1 ½ tbsp of scraped coconut until it turns brown, remove it from the pan and keep it aside. Heat the pan again, pour coconut oil, pop mustard, fry dried red chillies and curry leaves.

Stage 5- add the roasted coconut and the mustard mixture to the curry and mix well. Serve hot.

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