Erissery
Pumpkin and black-eyed beans cooked soft in a turmeric and pepper broth, thickened with a ground coconut paste and topped with roasted coconut.
Photograph credit: എരിശ്ശേരി (image of Erissery on Wikidata Q13110689) by Varghesepunnamada · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · this resized copy is shared under the same licence
It looks like a thick pumpkin stew and tastes of two kinds of coconut, which is why the dish has more depth than its ingredients suggest. Erissery is part of the Onam feast in Kerala, but it is simple enough for an ordinary Tuesday.
The pumpkin and beans cook together, with turmeric, chilli and pepper, until the pumpkin starts to collapse. Mash a few pieces against the side of the pan to thicken the stew. Do not drain off the cooking water. Some of it makes the base of the sauce.
Half the coconut is ground into a smooth paste with cumin, and stirred in to bind everything. The other half is roasted in coconut oil, with mustard seeds and curry leaves, until it is deep golden brown. That roasted coconut goes on top, and it is the best part: sweet, nutty and a little crunchy.
Watch the coconut closely. It changes from golden to bitter in under a minute, so keep stirring and take it off the heat early.
How to Make Erissery
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Put the pumpkin, beans, turmeric, chilli powder, pepper, salt and water in a pan. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes until the pumpkin is soft. Mash a few pieces against the pan.
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Grind the 60 g coconut and the cumin with 3 tablespoons of water to a smooth paste. Stir into the pan and simmer for 5 minutes.
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Heat the oil in a small pan. Add the mustard seeds until they pop, then the 40 g coconut and curry leaves.
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Stir for 2 to 3 minutes until the coconut turns deep golden. Spoon over the erissery.
Worth Getting Right
- Watch the coconut closely; it burns fast.
- Use a firm pumpkin such as butternut.
- Add a splash of water if the stew is too thick.
Pairs Well With
Steamed rice · Pappadam · Thoran · Pickle
Leftovers and Storage
Keeps in the fridge for 2 days. Add the roasted coconut after reheating.
What's in a Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked.
First published ; last changed .
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