I should have posted this recipe years ago! If you make a list of top ten comfort food of Keralites, “Kanji and Payar” (rice porridge and dal) will be a strong contender for the top slots. Steaming kanji with slightly mashed cherupayar thoran, freshly grated coconut drizzled on top and some pickle and pappad on the side! Ohh.. I miss home now :((
Back home we used to have kanji and payar mostly during lent season, also the days that follows Easter and Christmas. When we want our tummys to recover from the food abuse caused by heavy feast during Easter and Christmas, we go for kanji and payar.
Here you go with the recipe, please dont forget to read the “notes” part before proceeding with the recipe.
Dry roast the cherupayar for 2 mins in a pressure cooker (refer notes). Add 2.5 cups water to the roasted cherupayar and pressure cook. Once the pressure drops, open the cooker and drain the excess water…
Combine coconut, sliced small onion, chopped garlic and green chilli, pepper powder, cumin (if using), turmeric powder, curry leaves and salt in a bowl. Mix it well using your finger tips (njeraduka)…
Heat oil in a wide pan and crackle the mustard seeds. Add the coconut mixture and cook for 2-3 mins…
Add cooked cherupayar and mix well. You can add 2 tbsp hot water, just to make sure the payar and coconut mixture is well combined. Cover and cook for 2-3 mins on low flame…
- Cherupayar (whole moong beans/green gram) – ¾ cup
- Water – 2.5 cups
- Coconut – ½ cup
- Small onion/shallots – 3,sliced
- Chopped garlic – ½ tsp
- Green chilli – 3, chopped
- Pepper powder – ¼ tsp
- Cumin (jeera) – a pinch (optional)
- Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
- Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
- Curry leaves
- Salt
- Oil – I used coconut oil
- Dry roast the cherupayar for 2 mins in a pressure cooker (refer notes). Add 2.5 cups water to the roasted cherupayar and pressure cook. I cooked it for 6 whistles on high flame (refer notes). Switch off the flame and keep it closed till the pressure drops, 10-15 mins. Open the cooker and drain the excess water.
- Combine coconut, sliced small onion, chopped garlic and green chilli, pepper powder, cumin (if using), turmeric powder, curry leaves and salt in a bowl. Mix it well using your finger tips (njeraduka).
- Heat oil in a wide pan and crackle the mustard seeds. Add the coconut mixture and cook for 2-3 mins. Add cooked cherupayar and mix well. You can add 2 tbsp hot water, just to make sure the payar and coconut mixture is well combined. Cover and cook for 2-3 mins on low flame. Switch off the gas and serve hot with Rice or Kanji.
Though I cooked it for 6 whistles, it can vary. If it’s not cooked after 6 whistles, pressure cook it again for 3 more whistles. Again, it depends on the texture that you like for cherupayar.
I recommend using coconut oil for authentic Kerala taste.