Traditional Inji Puli 2- Ginger Tamarind Relish

Onam is the harvest festival of Kerala and is celebrated by all the people regardless of religion, caste or social standing. 

Every year, for as long as I lived in Kollam, my neighbours would serve up the most amazing dishes for Onam.  They would prepare a proper "sadya" (feast) and invite us over for lunch.  This post is dedicated to my Puthenpura family and especially to Aunty Anantham, Usha chechi, Rema chechi and Shobha chechi.  This is a special recipe from Aunty Anantham - before I left for Australia I took my diary over to her house and wrote down the recipe so I could make it by myself.

I met Aunty Anantham earlier this year and though she is very old now, she still remembers me.  Happy Onam to all of you and may your year be blessed!

I had previously published a recipe for the same dish - that recipe is the cheat's version - this is how the recipe is made traditionally.

Ingredients:

1 cup finely chopped ginger

1/3 cup finely chopped green chillies

1/2 cup finely chopped shallots ( or red onion)

1 handful washed curry leaves

1 lime sized piece of tamarind, soaked in 1 cup hot water and juice extracted

1 small piece of jaggery (about a tablespoon)

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon fenugreek powder

1/2 teaspoon asafoetida powder

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

2 teaspoons Kashmiri chilli powder

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons oil

Method: 

Heat oil in a saucepan. When the oil gets hot, add the ginger.  Cook till the ginger gets reddish.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the ginger from the oil.  Set aside.  Next, cook the green chillies.  Fry them till they turn crisp.  Remove from the oil and set aside.  Using the same oil, cook the onions till they turn golden.  Use a slotted spoon, get the onions out and set aside.

Place the mustard seeds in the oil.  As soon as they start to splutter, add all the powders and curry leaves and turn off the flame.

You do not want the powders to get burnt in the oil - which is why you need to turn off the flame at this stage.  

Add the tamarind extract into the saucepan with the powders and turn the flame back on.  Add the jaggery.  Let the mixture boil.  Check for salt and if you need more salt, add it now.

When the liquid starts to boil, add the fried ingredients back into the saucepan.

The dish is done when the oil floats on top.  Wait till it cools down and bottle it.

Ensure that the bottle you use is clean and 100% dry.

Use after 3 days.  The spices, jaggery and tamarind will mellow in with the ginger and chillies and you will have an amazing condiment for rice, chappaties, steak or even a ham and cheese sandwich!

Keep refrigerated and use within a week to 10 days after opening.