Vellarikka Pachadi /Yellow Cucumber in Yogurt – A mildly spiced yogurt-based curry! The easiest side dish of a Sadya and a perfect accompaniment for steamed rice.
Pachadi is generally referred to any vegetarian yogurt-based curry, and is a quintessential dish of Sadya (the biggest vegetarian feast of Kerala). It tastes slightly sour, sweet, and tangy, which varies depending on the type of vegetable or fruit used as its core ingredient, and is mildly hot.
In a pachadi, you can use vegetables like cucumber, beetroot, ash gourd, or pumpkin, or even fruits like pineapple or banana. The core vegetable/fruit is then cooked in a base sauce made of coconut cumin paste, after which it is mixed with yogurt and topped with a tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves.
A specialty of this vellarikka pachadi is the extra addition of ground mustard paste in addition to the tempered mustard seeds. The recipe is fairly simple with usual pantry ingredients, and can makes a quick side dish for your busy days.
Interested in other pachadi recipes? Check these out:
- Beeroot Pachadi / Beetroot Yogurt Curry
- Mathanga Pachadi / Pumpkin Yogurt Curry
- Madhura Curry / Pineapple Grapes Curry
If you would like to check out my other Sadya recipes, click here.
Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!
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VellarikkaPachadi /Yellow Cucumber in Yogurt – A mildly spiced yogurt-based curry!
- 1 large yellow cucumber / വെള്ളരിക്ക
- 1 cup grated coconut
- 2 green chilies
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp + ½ tsp mustard seeds
- 2 dry red chilies
- 2 sprigs of curry leaves
- 1 cup yogurt (beaten)
- Oil (as required, pref. coconut oil)
- Salt (as required)
- Water (as required)
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Peel, deseed and dice the cucumber into small bite sized pieces. In a pan, cook cucumber with a little water (just enough to cover it) and salt, until it is cooked well and turns soft.
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In the meantime, grind grated coconut with cumin seeds, green chilies, and 2-4 tbsp of water, into a smooth paste. Keep aside.
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Once the cucumber is cooked, add the ground paste into the pan, mix well and allow it to cook for another 2-3 minutes until the raw smell of the paste subsides. Turn of the flame and allow it to cool slightly.
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Crush ½ tsp mustard seeds into a paste using a mortar pestle.
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Once the cucumber mix turn mildly hot, add the beaten yogurt and crushed mustard seeds, mix well. Check for the seasoning.
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In a separate pan, prepare the tempering by heating a little oil, splutter mustard seeds. Add curry leaves and dry red chilies. Top it over the curry and enjoy!
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