There are some dishes that quietly steal your heart, and Kerala Erissery is one of them. A beloved classic from God’s Own Country, this humble yet elegant curry is an integral part of the traditional Onam Sadya, where it is served alongside an array of delicious vegetarian dishes on a banana leaf.
Made with sweet pumpkin and protein-rich legumes, Erissery is gently flavoured with freshly ground coconut, cumin, and green chilies. What truly sets it apart is the final tempering of mustard seeds, fragrant curry leaves, dried red chilies, and beautifully roasted coconut in coconut oil, adding a rich, nutty aroma and irresistible crunch.
Pumpkin wasn’t a vegetable that featured much in Sindhi cuisine, which is probably why we never ate it growing up. In recent years, though, it has found a place in my kitchen—mostly in the form of comforting pumpkin soup.
Lately, I’ve been trying to incorporate it into everyday meals, and that’s how I discovered this beautiful Kerala classic, Erissery. I came across the recipe online, tweaked it a little to suit my taste, and absolutely loved the result.
We enjoyed it on a meatless Thursday, paired with a delicious rice adai, and relished every bite. The creamy pumpkin, hearty beans, fragrant coconut, and crunchy roasted coconut topping came together beautifully. It’s one of those simple, wholesome dishes that I know I’ll be making again.
Sometimes, stepping outside the flavours we grew up with leads to the most delightful culinary discoveries.
Have you tried this dish?
If not, hope you will try it out.
Bring a little piece of Kerala to your table, and savour the timeless flavours of this comforting classic.
Ingredients
For the Erissery
- ¼ cup black-eyed beans, soaked overnight (or minimum 6 hours)
- 250 g pumpkin, peeled and cubed
- ½ cup grated coconut
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 green chilli
- 2 shallots
- 2 tbsp coconut milk
- Salt to taste
Method
- Soak the black-eyed beans overnight or for a minimum of 6 hours.
- Cook the beans until soft. (I used a pressure cooker.) Keep aside.
- Cook the pumpkin cubes with a little water until tender.
- Grind together grated coconut, cumin seeds, green chilli, and shallots to a smooth paste.
- Add the ground coconut paste to the cooked pumpkin. Add the boiled beans and coconut milk.
- Season with salt and simmer gently for a few minutes until everything comes together.
For the Tadka (Tempering)
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- ½ tbsp chana dal
- ½ tbsp urad dal
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 4 shallots, thinly sliced
- ¼ tsp hing (asafoetida)
- ¼ cup grated coconut
Method for Tadka
- Heat coconut oil in a pan.
- Add chana dal and urad dal; sauté until they begin to turn golden.
- Add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter.
- Add sliced shallots and sauté until they turn pale.
- Add hing and grated coconut. Continue sautéing until the coconut turns a beautiful pale golden brown.
- Pour this fragrant tempering over the pumpkin mixture and mix gently.
Serve warm with steamed rice, adai, or as part of a Kerala-style Sadya.
Serve hot with rice or adai( rice flour chapati.
