Erisseri with butternut squash and adzuki beans

When onam is around the corner, any keralan turns a veggie eater. And I'm no exception. What's coking today? Yes Erisseri. Erisseri is one dish that excites you each time you eat it. It is definitely the taste of home for me. 


Presented here is my mum's recipe with very minor changes that I made to suit the availability of ingredients in this cold part of the world. My ammamma who was a great cook herself, used to say the proof-of-an-erisseri is in the 'sssiiii' sound when roasted coconut falls on the cooked pumpkin and gram.   :D  Many of the experts have one or two points on which they score a dish. Isn't my ammamma's point a classic? 

Now, the classic recipe calls for 'mathanga' - pumpkin and 'van payar' - red beans. I use pumpkin when I can get my hands on it or I settle down for butternut squash. I never manage to get good van payar, so I often use black eyed beans or adzuki beans.

Here you go!

Ingredients

1. Butternut squash - 400g, which comes to about half of one.
    Adzuki beans - 200g / 1 cup
   Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
   Curry leaves - a few sprigs
2. Coconut - 1 cup - grated or dessicated(pre-soaked)
    Cumin - 1 tsp
    Green chilli - 2
    Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
    Shallots/ Chuvannulli - 3 small
    Salt to taste
3. Grated/ dessicated coconut - 2 tbsp
4. Dried red chilli - 2
    Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
    Oil - 2 tbsp

Method

- cook the beans in a pressure cooker with enough water, salt and turmeric powder for 10-15 minutes after the first whistle depending on your cooker.
- grind together (2)
- when the beans are 3/4th cooked, add the squash cut in square chunks and ground paste and cook for a further 5-10 minutes.
- dry roast the grated coconut in a pan with no oil till nice aroma hits your nose and the coconut turns brown. Make sure to shake the pan constantly to get an even roast.
- tip this on top of your cooked squash-bean mixture to get the official 'ssssiiii' sound
- heat some oil in a small pan add rest of (4) and heat till mustard seeds splutter. 
- pour this on top and voila your erisseri is ready. 
- one could avoid the last step to get a healthier erisseri, but trust me the mustard, chilli and oil gives it the authentic taste and aroma.

Enjoy!!!

Tips

- Pre-soak your beans for perfect buttery end result.
- If your butternut squash is crisp and raw try cooking it together with the beans for the full time.