Try these four special dishes this Onam

It's Onam and your list of recipes for this year's sadya would be ready as of now. Still, if you want to reconsider, here are four more recipes to try out this season.

Erissery
The thick and delicious erissery would be the perfect addition to your special Onasadya. Check out the recipe.

Ingredients
½ cup cowpeas
1 onion (finely chopped)
4 tsp ginger (finely chopped)
4 green chillies (sliced)
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tbsp turmeric powder
Salt as required
1 cup water
½ kg pumpkin
½ cup grated coconut
5 shallots
½ tsp cumin
1 sprig curry leaves
2 green chillies
½ tsp pepper powder
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
5 shallots
2 dried chillies
1 tbsp grated coconut

Preparation
Cook the cowpeas with onion, ginger, green chilies, turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt and water
Add the pumpkin pieces when the cowpeas are almost done
Grind the grated coconut, shallots, cumin, curry leaves, curry leaves and green chillies
Add the coconut paste into the erissery
Add pepper powder and salt as required
Heat coconut oil
Splutter mustard seeds
Roast the shallots, dried chillies and coconut
When the coconut turns brown, add this tempering into the erissery
Mix well
Delicious eriserry is ready.

Almonds dates payasam
The traditional Onasadya is incomplete without a sumptuous payasam (dessert) in the end. Try this recipe of dates almond payasam to make your sadya extra special.

Ingredients
1 ½ litres milk
250 gms sugar
2 tbsp ghee
250 dates (pitted and cut into small pieces)
50 gms almonds (skin removed; grinded to fine paste)
1 tsp cardamom powder
Chopped almonds (for garnish)

Preparation
Boil milk and sugar
Turn off the flame when the milk thickens up and reduces to 1 litre
Heat ghee in an uruli
Sauté the dates
Into it add the almond paste Mix well
Now add the thickened milk
Mix well
Allow this mixture to boil well
Finally sprinkle cardamom powder
Garnish with chopped almonds.

Varutharacha koottu curry
Koottu curry is an inevitable part of the traditional Onasadya. Here is the recipe of a special koottu curry made with roasted coconut paste.

Ingredients
50 gms Bengal grams (soaked)
5 tsp onion (finely chopped)
5 tsp ginger (finely chopped)
5 tsp garlic (finely chopped)
½ tsp chili powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1 carrot
1 raw plantain
2 potatoes
1 small piece yam
10 beans
¼ snake gourd
½ cup grated coconut (dry roasted)
1 ½ tbsp tamarind water
1 tbsp jaggery syrup
Salt as required
1 tsp coconut oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
¼ cup coconut shards
10 shallots (chopped)
3 dried chillies
2 sprigs curry leaves

Preparation
Cook the Bengal gram with onion, ginger, garlic, chili powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder
Cut the veggies into small pieces
Add the veggies when the Bengal gram is almost done
Add the dry roasted coconut, tamarind water and jaggery syrup
Mix well
Add salt as required
Cook until the water is reduced
Heat coconut oil in a pan
Splutter mustard seeds
Roast the coconut shards
Now sauté shallots, dried chilies and curry leaves
Add this tempering into the koottu curry
Mix well
Enjoy the tasty and thick koottu curry.

Vazhapoo thoran
Check out the very simple recipe of vazhapoo or plantain blossom stir fry which could be served for Onasadya.

Ingredients
4 tsp coconut oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp urad dal
4 dried chillies (cut into small pieces)
100 gms onion (finely chopped)
20 gms ginger (finely chopped)
20 gms garlic (finely chopped)
20 gms green chilies (finely chopped)
1 sprig curry leaves
¼ tsp turmeric powder
Salt as required
200 gms plantain blossom (finely chopped and soaked in water)
½ coconut (grated)
5 shallots
¼ tsp cumin seeds
2 green chillies
1 sprig curry leaves

Preparation
Heat coconut oil in a pan
Splutter mustard seeds, urad dal and dried chillies
Sauté onion, ginger, garlic green chillies and curry leaves
Add the plantain blossom with turmeric powder and salt
Mix well
Cook for some time
Crush the grated coconut with cumin seeds, green chillies shallots and curry leaves
Add this mixture into the plantain blossom mix
Mix well
Cook until the water is reduced
Tasty plantain blossom stir fry is ready.