Coconut Vegetable Curry

With all its exotic ingredients, unfamiliar dishes and tongue - tingling flavors, Indian cuisine can be both exciting and intimidating. This coconut curry recipe gives perfect spiciness, tanginess and saltiness with nice aroma. Coconut curry is my aunt's recipe. This recipe, uses coconut to form the base for a variety of fresh vegetables as well as heart - warming spices.

• Coconut - 1 cup
• 1 Onion or 4 Shallots
• Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon

To Temper

• Oil - 1 teaspoon
• Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Urad Dhal - 1/2 teaspoon
• 1 Onion or 4 Shallots
• Curry leaves - 1 Sprig

For Curry

• Cucumber - 1
• Tomato -1
• Tamarind - Small gooseberry sized
• Red Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric - A pinch
• Salt - As required

• Peel and cut the cucumber into small pieces.
• Chop onion and tomato.
• Soak tamarind water in hot water and extract the tamarind juice and keep aside.
• Grind coconut and cumin seeds to a smooth paste. Then add the onion and give a Ice crush.
• Coarsely grind the onion. Keep it aside.

• In a pan add vegetable, tomato, chilli powder, turmeric and salt.
• Half boil it by adding some water.
• After vegetable is half boiled, add the grinded mixture and tamarind juice.Stir well.
• Close with lid and boil till the vegetable gets cooked and the masala aroma reduces.

• In a separate pan, add a tsp of oil and temper with mustard seeds, urad dhal and curry leaves.
• When the mustard crackles add the chopped onion and fry till the onions are brown.
• Add the vegetable masala prepared before and add some water.

• When the water dries and gravy become thick, switch off the stove.
• Add the tempered items to the curry.

Serve Hot. The Coconut Vegetable Curry goes well with rice and pepper egg.

Hint:

• The vegetable like Plantain or Raw Banana, Brinjal can also be used for this recipe.
• If you don't have this 3 vegetables then, tomato alone is enough for the curry.
• You can adjust the coconut amount. the more you add, it becomes flavourful, the less you add, it becomes spicy.