Inji Pachadi | Ginger Yogurt Curry

The festival of Vishu heralds the New Year for the Hindus in the South Indian state of Kerala. Vishukkani, Vishukodi, Vishusadhya, Vishukkaineetom are the customs and practices symbolic with the Malayalee New Year. ( Know more about these customs) Even today all these customs are followed with the reverence and sanctity they deserve.

There is no festivity without an elaborate Sadhya that serves so many dishes that you get up from the banana leaf stuffed swearing never to eat so much again. Yet if there was even one item missing out of the sadhya you would feel amiss and would call it an incomplete sadhya!

Pachadi is a very common side dish for sadhya which is quick to make and can be made using different vegetables. Simply put, it is tempering the yogurt with veggies that go along with yogurt - Cucumber, beetroot,carrot, pineapple or even bitter gourd to name a few.

Recipe

Preparation Time - 30 minutes

Serves - 4

Ingredients

Ginger – ¼ cup finely chopped
Shallots – ¼ cup chopped
Green Chilly – 2 finely chopped
Yogurt – 1.5 cups
Red Chilly – 1
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Curry Leaves – 2 sprigs
Coconut oil
Salt to taste

Method

Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter.
Add ginger, shallots, green chilly, red chilly and curry leaves. Saute well until the ginger just begins to brown.
Turn off the flame. Add yogurt, adjust salt and stir well until mixed. (add yogurt only after turning off the flame else it may curdle.) Stir for a while lest the heat from the vessel begins to curdle it up.

You may also note -

Pachadi is best served with Matta Rice.
It is always served at room temperature.
It is fine to be refrigerated but needs to be brought to room temperature before serving. Try not to re-heat. If at all you do, turn off the flame just when it begins to warm.

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