Erissery is a mild and tempered curry with light sweet tones made with pumpkin, cowpeas and coconut. It is a Keralite traditional vegetarian dish served during Onam. It is an important and very delicious item in the Sadya. Erissery can also be made with yam and unripe plantains. Apart from cowpeas, pigeon peas i.e. Arhar dal is also traditionally added. Erissery tastes best with steamed rice served along with sambar.

Preparation of Erissery
The recipe of Erissery is very straightforward and simple. Both the black-eyed beans and pumpkin are cooked and then coconut paste is added to them and simmered. The pulp of the coconut is ground with a little cumin seed added to it. Later it is to be tempered in coconut oil with some mustard, curry leaves and grated coconut. Coconut oil gives the true authentic taste to this typical Keralite dish.

Ingredients:

•Black-eyed beans - 1/2 cup
•Yellow pumpkin - 3 cups (cut into cubes)
•Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
•Red Chilli powder -1 tsp
•Coconut milk - 1 tbsp
•Water - 2 cups
•Salt to taste

For Seasoning:

•Oil - 1 tbsp
•Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
•Dry red chillies - 2
•Curry leaves - 8
•Grated coconut - 1 tbsp

To be Ground:

•Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
•Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
•Small onions - 2
•Garlic pods - 3
•Green Chillies - 3

Method:

•Soak black-eyed beans in water for 2 hrs or in hot water for around an hour.
•Pressure cook them upto 2 whistles
•After opening the lid, add pumpkin cubes, along with salt, turmeric powder and chilly powder.
•Cook again upto a whistle or less.
•Grind together coconut, cumin seeds, onion, green chilli and garlic.
•Add it to the above cooked pumpkin.
•Simmer for a few mins
•Mix with care so that the pumpkin pieces are not totally mashed.
•Heat oil in a pan.
•Splutter mustard seeds followed by dry red chillies and curry leaves.
•Add grated coconut and fry, till it turns brown.
•Add the above tempering into the curry and mix well.
•Simmer for a minute.
•Serve with steamed rice.