White Kurma(Chettinad Style)

White kurma/ vellai kurma, is a  chettinad dish in which vegetables cooked in a coconut based white gravy and hence the name. It is popular side dish provided in hotel saravana bhavan, chennai for chappathi and idiyappam.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 2 to 3 people

INGREDIENTS:

Mixed Vegetables - 2 to 3 cups( I used carrot, beans, peas,chayote and cauliflower )
Coconut oil - 1 tablespoon
Ghee - 1 tablespoon
Curry leaves - as required
Bay leaf - 1 no.
Sugar - 1/4 teaspoon
Salt - as required
Thick Milk - 1/4 cup(Optional)

TO GRIND:

Grated coconut - 3/4 cup
Green chilli - 2 no.s
Ginger - 1/2 inch
Garlic- 4 pods
Fennel seeds - 1 teaspoon
Cinnamon - 1 inch sized
Cardamom - 1 no.
Cloves - 1 no.
Fried gram dal / pottu kadalai - 2 teaspoon
Cashew nuts - 5 no.s

METHOD:

1. Chop all the vegetables and wash . In a mixer, grind the items mentioned in the "to grind " section in to a smooth paste by adding less water.

2. In a pressure cooker, add coconut oil. Then add bay leaf, add the chopped vegetables, sugar and salt and mix well.

3. Now add the ground paste which you prepared and mix well. Add 1 cup of water.

4. When it starts to boil, cover the lid and cook for  2 whistles on medium flame. Once the pressure settles, open the lid. Also add 1/4 cup of thick milk (optional) and mix well.

5. In a seasoning pan, add some ghee. Add some curry leaves and pour it over the gravy and mix
   well .

 6. Serve white kurma with rotti or idiyappam.