MULAKA PACHADI

Dish of the Day- Mulaka Pachadi

Place- Northern Kerala

This is the Malayali version of what I've essentially grown up calling Pulimolangha Chutney. It's spicy, it's tangy and it has a lot of punch! 


It has that chatpata taste which leaves you tingling in the mouth. That feeling is what I love the most about Mulaka Pachadi. 


Mulaka Pachadi is the authentic chutney from Malabar and like most delicacies, it derives its name from the ingredients that go into it. Mulaka means chilli in Malayalam and pachadi is another word for chutney so the name of this dish very simply is 'chilli chutney' (Whoa! I love how that sounds)


The chillies make the pachadi very hot which is why we use jaggery and tamarind in it for that sweet-sour taste. It's probably starting to sound like Maggi Hot n Sweet, but that sauce is light years away from being as mouth-wateringly delicious as mulaka pachadi- especially the one that my mom makes.:)


*Be careful not to overdo the chillies while sauteing them, because otherwise they lose their colour.


How to Cook it Up:-

Long Green chillies…………….……...........5-6

Lemon sized ball of tamarind…..........1

Jaggery……………………………................….1/4 cup

Sesame oil or any other cooking oil..2 tbsps

Mustard seeds………………………..........…1 tsp

Curry leaves……………………............………one stem

Dried red chillies……………………........….2-3

Roasted sesame seeds………………........1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds for tadka………...1/4 tsp

Directions:-
1) Soak the tamarind in warm water for about 30 minutes.
2) Saute the green chillies in 1 tbsp oil. Keep this aside.
3) Squeeze the pulp out of the tamarind and put this pulp into some water and let it boil for about a minute.
4) Add the green chillies to this and let it simmer for about ten minutes.
5) Add the jaggery and let it melt into the tamarind. Add some salt to taste.
6) Powder the sesame seeds and mustard seeds and blend this into the tamarind and jaggery and tamarind mixture.
7) Stir it well and then take it off the flame.
8) Heat one tbsp of oil and put the red chillies, curry leaves and mustard seeds into it for the tadka.
9) When it splutters, add it to the chutney and let it cool before you serve.

Mulaka pachadi tastes best with kozhakattai- a Ganpati favourite! For the kozhakattai recipe, stay tuned..:)