Kanji & Payar A Traditional favourite of many Keralites.

Pre-requisites for Express cooking Kanji & Payar

• 2 pressure cookers + 1 shallow pan

Time Frame :30 mins  

  
0-15 mins

• Wash rice and keep it in pressure cooker.
• Wash Cherupayar/green grams and keep it in pressure cooker
• Peel off small onions and garlic and make a coarse paste

16-30 mins

• Set the table and clean up the kitchen counter and relax until the steam is fully out from the cooker
• Heat the pan and stir-fry cherupayar/green grams

Kanji- Rice Gruel (Serves 2)

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup rose-matta rice/Kuthari
• 5-6 cups water

Directions

 

 Wash the rice thoroughly in water. Along with 5-6 cups of water, cook rice in a pressure cooker or rice cooker, in medium heat, until its cooked well and soft enough. Generally, I wait for 4-6 whistles from the cooker. (Note: Rice can be prepared in microwave too. Rice varieties like boiled ponni rice and sona masoori rice take only 25 minutes in microwave. Rose-matta rice might take more time; since I have never tried cooking this in microwave, I am unable to give you the right cooking time.

 

 Cherupayar Mezhukkupuratt--Stir-fry with cooked green grams 

 

Ingredients 

 

• 3/4 Cup  cherupayar/green grams
• 2 1/4 cups water
• 4 green chillies slit opened lengthwise
• 7-9 red pearl small onions/shallots
• 3 cloves of small garlic
• 2 dried red chillies
• 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 tsp red chilly flakes
• 1 small sprig of curry leaves
• 1tbsp oil, preferably coconut  
• Salt to taste

 Directions

• Wash the cherupayar/green grams in water and drain the water fully. Heat the pressure cooker and very mildly roast the cherupayar/green grams until they are dry and warm to touch. Add 2 1/4 cups water, green chillies and salt to taste and cook in the pressure cooker and wait for about 5-6 whistles in medium heat
• Using a mortar and pestle set, crush the small onions and garlic and make a coarse paste. If you don't have a mortar-pestle set, keep all the ingredients on the chopping board and crush with a rolling pin.
• Heat oil in a shallow pan and when it’s hot enough, reduce the flame to low and add 2 dried red chillies and sauté for 4-5 seconds and add the coarse paste of small onion and garlic. When it turns transparent, add red chilly flakes and blend thoroughly with the onion and garlic and sauté for a minute. Now, add the cooked cherupayar/ green grams (there will not be much water left in the cooker except 1-2 tbsp, which can be poured to the pan along with the green grams/cherupayar) and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Do a taste test here and adjust salt and just a minute before turning off the heat,add the curry leaves for a tempting aroma. Serve with Kanji; sprinkle some salt on top of Kanji :)