Fresh Green Karamani Kurma, Pachai Karamani Black-Eyed Pea Kurma

Recipe for Fresh Green Karamani Kurma, Pachai Karamani Kurma. Perfect as a side dish for Chapati. Recipe with step by step pictures.

We had a good harvest of fresh Black-eyed pea at the farm. Black-eyed pea is also called as cowpea, lobia, alsande kalu and karamani.

Here is how to do karamani kurma. This is an OPOS – One Pot One Shot inspired recipe. This recipe will work only in a two or a three liter pressure cooker. Using a bigger cooker may burn the ingredients. So, that’s a word of caution.

Shell the fresh Karamani and set aside.

Now we will layer everything in a cooker. Take a two liter cooker and add a teaspoon of coconut oil. Add in the finely chopped onions.

Followed by chopped tomatoes and black-eyed-pea.

Now, we will grind all the ingredients listed under “masala” to a fine paste. Take a mixie jar and add in the khuskhus, cashew, coconut, ginger, garlic, salt, coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder and kurma masala powder. In place of kurma masala powder, I have used Sakthi chicken masala powder today. Even garam masala would work. Grind everything with little water to a fine paste. Spread it on top off the pea.

Remember that we did not add any water. The moisture from the veggies will suffice and the flavour will be concentrated. Cook for 4 whistles on medium flame. Let the pressure from the cooker release naturally.

Add in half a cup of hot water to the kurma and mix well.

Serve the Kurma with Chapati .

For the Masala Paste

• 1/4 cup fresh shredded coconut
• 1 tablespoon Khus Khus – white poppy seeds
• 6 Cashew-nut
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Garam Masala or Kurma Masala Powder
• 6 cloves Garlic
• 1/2 inch piece ginger
• 1/4 cup water to grind

Other Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 2 onion, finely chopped ( 1 cup )
• 2 tomatoes, chopped ( 1 cup )
• 1 cup fresh black-eyed pea
• 1/2 cup hot water

1. Take a two liter cooker and add a teaspoon of coconut oil. Add in the finely chopped onions.
2. Top it with finely chopped tomatoes and black-eyed pea.
3. Grind all the ingredients listed under “masala” to a fine paste. Spread the masala on top of the pea.
4. Cook for 4 whistles on medium flame. Let the pressure from the cooker release naturally.
5. Add in half a cup of hot water to the kurma and mix well.
6. Serve the Kurma with Chapati.

Notes

Dont be tempted to add water. The water in the onion, tomatoes and the veggies are enough to cook the kurma. Thats the main thing about OPOS – concentrated flavor.

The term OPOS and One Pot One Shot are registered trademarks owned by Mr.Ramakrishnan. They are used in Kannamma Cooks with prior permission.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 5 mins
• Category: Side Dish
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu

For the Masala Paste

• 1/4 cup fresh shredded coconut
• 1 tablespoon Khus Khus – white poppy seeds
• 6 Cashew-nut
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Garam Masala or Kurma Masala Powder
• 6 cloves Garlic
• 1/2 inch piece ginger
• 1/4 cup water to grind

Other Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 2 onion, finely chopped ( 1 cup )
• 2 tomatoes, chopped ( 1 cup )
• 1 cup fresh black-eyed pea
• 1/2 cup hot water

1. Take a two liter cooker and add a teaspoon of coconut oil. Add in the finely chopped onions.
2. Top it with finely chopped tomatoes and black-eyed pea.
3. Grind all the ingredients listed under “masala” to a fine paste. Spread the masala on top of the pea.
4. Cook for 4 whistles on medium flame. Let the pressure from the cooker release naturally.
5. Add in half a cup of hot water to the kurma and mix well.
6. Serve the Kurma with Chapati.

Notes

Dont be tempted to add water. The water in the onion, tomatoes and the veggies are enough to cook the kurma. Thats the main thing about OPOS – concentrated flavor.

The term OPOS and One Pot One Shot are registered trademarks owned by Mr.Ramakrishnan. They are used in Kannamma Cooks with prior permission.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 5 mins
• Category: Side Dish
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/fresh-karamani-kurma-pachai-karamani-kurma/

I made this version of guilt free Christmas plum cake this year. It is made with 100% whole wheat and I used jaggery for sweetening the cake. I have not used alcohol for soaking the fruits. Its an easy recipe and can be put together in no time. Here is how to do it.

This fruit cake has black grapes (dark raisins), golden raisins (called as Kishmish locally), currants and dried apricots. The fruits you use are more of a personal choice. Use whatever you like. Clean the dry fruits and get rid of any stems. The trick with fruit cakes is to chop the dried fruits. Take time to chop the apricots and rough chop the raisins and black grapes. I cut the grapes in half. Yes its time consuming work but its rewarding. I find that the fruits absorb more flavor of the spices if chopped and the end cake is even more tastier.

Take a pan and add in the water and the jaggery. Simmer and let all the jaggery melt.

Once its melted, strain the jaggery water. Jaggery usually contains fine sand and straining will get rid of them. Heat the strained jaggery back on the pan and add in the dry fruits.

Add in the spice powders. I have used simple spices like cinnamon, cardamom and dry ginger. I love the flavour of dry ginger in a fruit cake. It smells so much like Christmas. Also add in the salt.

Add in the oil. I have used extra virgin olive oil for the cake. Vegetable / Sunflower oil also works perfectly fine. Let the mixture simmer for five minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Its important that the mixture is completely cool before proceeding. If you mix flour in hot liquid, you will end up with gum. Nah! So be patient and wait for the mixture to cool. It might take one hour to cool.

Preheat the oven to 325 F / 160 C. Whisk the eggs in a cup. Add it to the cooled fruit mixture.

Mix well.

Measure and add the whole wheat flour ( I have used Indian whole wheat atta flour). Add in the baking soda. Whisk well to combine.

Add in the fruit mixture to the flour and mix well with a wooden spatula.

Mix well until combined.

Grease and flour a 6 x 3 inch round cake pan. Line the pan with parchment paper. Transfer the cake batter to the pan. Make sure that the batter is not more than 3/4th of the height of the pan. I had a little batter left and I poured it in a 3 inch cake pan. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

After 45 minutes, insert a tooth pick in the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. If the tooth pick has a little batter sticking, bake for 10-15 minutes more and check again.

Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan until room temperature. Run a knife on the sides of the cake pan to release the cake sticking to the sides. Gently invert the pan and remove the cake from the pan and store it in an air tight container. The flavor of the cake improves the next day.

Its not Christmas without Plum Cake.

• 250 grams dry fruits of your choice
• 200 grams jaggery
• 1 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 1 teaspoon dry ginger powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 30 grams extra virgin olive oil
• 2 eggs
• 225 grams whole wheat atta
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

1. Chop the dry fruits and set aside.
2. Take a pan and add in the water and the jaggery. Simmer and let all the jaggery melt. Once its melted, strain the jaggery water. Heat the strained jaggery back on the pan and add in the dry fruits. Add in the spice powders, salt and oil. Let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to completely cool.
4. Once cool, whisk the eggs and add it to the fruit mixture. Mix well to combine.
5. Mix the flour and baking soda in a bowl. Add in the fruit mixture to the flour and mix well with a wooden spatula.
6. Grease and flour a 6 x 3 inch round cake pan. Line the pan with parchment paper. Transfer the cake batter to the pan. Make sure that the batter is not more than 3/4th of the height of the pan. I had a little batter left and I poured it in a 3 inch cake pan. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour in a preheated oven set to 325 F / 160 C.
7. After 45 minutes, insert a tooth pick in the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. If the tooth pick has a little batter sticking, bake for 10-15 minutes more and check again.
8. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan until room temperature. Run a knife on the sides of the cake pan to release the cake sticking to the sides. Gently invert the pan and remove the cake from the pan and store it in an air tight container. The flavor of the cake improves the next day..

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Category: Dessert
• Cuisine: Western