Ulli Theeyal Recipe Kerala Style | Onion Curry Kerala Style – Onam Sadya Recipe | Ulli Curry – A delicious delicacy from the Kerala cuisine served in Onam Sadya, a spicy & tangy coconut based gravy dish prepared with small onions.
Onam posts are slowly popping up everywhere on the web. So, I decided to share a post related to Onam Sadya. After Aviyal , Theeyal is my next favourite vegetarian dish from the Kerala Cuisine. It is more or less like Tamilnadu style kuzhambu, especially more like the arachivitta kuzhambu variety. Check out the VIDEO for a detailed step by step process.
What is Theeyal?
Theeyal means “burnt dish”. We roast the coconut and spices until it’s dark and brown hence the name burnt dish. Theeyal is very versatile and can be prepared with many veggies like pearl onion, brinjal, okra, bitter gourd, sometimes with a mix of vegetables or even with seafood like fish, prawns etc. It goes well with rice and any side dish.
The making of Theeyal is quite tricky and requires a fine balance of flavours. The flavour of roasted coconut and tanginess from tamarind should go hand in hand and not overpower each other. Ulli Theeyal Recipe – Ulli means shallots and Theeyal means “burnt dish” in Malayalam…Theeyal prepared with shallots is what this dish is all about!
In some parts of Kerala, theeyal is included in a traditional sadya menu. Like any other dish there are several versions and changes made from region to region in Kerala, but this is what I learnt from a friend…and I love it!
How to make Ulli Theeyal Recipe Kerala Style
For the Paste:
- To a pan over medium heat, add coconut oil & add Dry Red Chillies, Coriander Seeds, Cumin Seeds & Black Pepper. Sauté for about a minute.
- Now add 3 shallots, 3 garlic pods & a few curry leaves. Sauté for about a minute.
- Finally add in Fresh Coconut Grate & roast all the ingredients until golden brown in colour.
- Transfer to a plate & allow to cool down.
- To this add in Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder (Optional) & grind to a smooth paste adding some water. Set this aside.
Let’s make the Curry:
- Heat coconut oil or sunflower oil in a pan or kadai.
- Splutter mustard seeds & fenugreek seeds. Now add in asafoetida & a few curry leaves,
- Add peeled shallots (chin vengayam) small onions and sauté until translucent…Do not let the onion brown though!
- Then add thick tamarind extract (Soak lemon size tamarind in 1/2 cup of warm water and take the extract from it), jaggery powder and boil for 5 to 7 minutes until all the raw smell goes away.
- Now, add the ground paste along with 2 cups water. Adjust the water to get desired consistency. The gravy will slightly thicken once it cools down.
- Now add salt and stir well.
- Boil for another 5 minutes till the gravy thickens to your liking.
- Finally add a few curry leaves towards the end & boil for another 2 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Serve with hot steaming rice & Enjoy!
Ulli Theeyal Recipe Kerala Style | Onion Curry Kerala Style
Ingredients
To Roast & Grind:
- 1 tsp Coconut Oil
- 6 Dry Red Chillies
- 1 tbsp Coriander Seeds
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- Few Curry Leaves
- 3 Shallots
- 3 Garlic Pods
- 1 Cup Fresh Coconut Grate
- 1/2 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder Optional
For the Gravy:
- 1 tbsp Coconut Oil or Sunflower Oil
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1/4 tsp Fenugreek Seeds
- 1/4 tsp Asafoetida
- Few Curry Leaves
- 20 Shallots China Vengayam
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 3 tbsp Thick Tamirind Extract
- 1 tsp Jaggery Powder
- 2 to 3 Cups Water
Instructions
For the Paste:
- To a pan over medium heat, add coconut oil & add Dry Red Chillies, Coriander Seeds, Cumin Seeds & Black Pepper. Sauté for about a minute.
- Now add 3 shallots, 3 garlic pods & a few curry leaves. Sauté for about a minute.
- Finally add in Fresh Coconut Grate & roast all the ingredients until golden brown in colour.
- Transfer to a plate & allow to cool down.
- To this add in Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder (Optional) & grind to a smooth paste adding some water. Set this aside.
Let’s make the Curry:
- Heat coconut oil or sunflower oil in a pan or kadai.
- Splutter mustard seeds & fenugreek seeds. Now add in asafoetida & a few curry leaves,
- Add peeled shallots (chin vengayam) small onions and sauté until translucent…Do not let the onion brown though!
- Then add thick tamarind extract (Soak lemon size tamarind in 1/2 cup of warm water and take the extract from it), jaggery powder and boil for 5 to 7 minutes until all the raw smell goes away.
- Now, add the ground paste along with 2 cups water. Adjust the water to get desired consistency. The gravy will slightly thicken once it cools down.
- Now add salt and stir well.
- Boil for another 5 minutes till the gravy thickens to your liking.
- Finally add a few curry leaves towards the end & boil for another 2 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Serve with hot steaming rice & Enjoy!
Recipe Video
Notes
- Increase or decrease spice levels with red chillies to suit your taste. Kashmiri Red Chilli powder is completely optional. I have used it to get a nice colour to the gravy.
- Coconut oil is preferred, but you can use any other oil as per your taste.
- While roasting, make sure not to let the spices turn black. If needed, roast the coconut and spices separately.
- The quantity of tamarind varies depending on its strength, so add accordingly.
- Along with shallots, you can add veggies like brinjal, drumstick, bitter gourd or even mixed vegetables.
- Note that the curry tends to thicken as it rests, so adjust the quantity of water accordingly. Curry keeps well in fridge for 3-4 days.
OTHER KERALA RECIPES ON BLOG:
Many more to come!!…..STAY TUNED!!
Hungry for more? Never miss a recipe!!…Subscribe to MasalaKorb and have posts delivered straight to your inbox! And connect with me on Facebook, Google, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for all of the latest updates.
Do subscribe to my YouTube Channel for latest video alerts!!
Happy Cooking 
Cheers!!
Padma.
Leave a Reply