Kerala
Inji Curry (Ginger Curry)
- Duration: 25 minutes
- Serves: 2-4 people
Authenticity Slice
This dish has a consistency of a curry, however, it’s served like a condiment. Make sure to use fresh ginger that has no strands, and always use a dry spoon to serve it, as it can be refrigerated for a few weeks.
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Trivia Tadka
Inji curry is an inevitable part of the Kerala sadhya (a feast or meal served on special occasions on a banana leaf). It’s made from ginger, green chillies, tamarind and jaggery, all of which lends it a hot, sour and sweet taste. Due to this combination of flavours, there’s a saying in Kerala that the InjiCurry is equivalent to 101 curries. It is also known as Puli Inji in northern Kerala.
Ingredients
- Ginger (adrak), cut into thin slices (1/2 cup)
- Shallots, finely chopped (5-6)
- Green chillies, finely chopped (4)
- MTR Lal Mirch Red Chilli Powder (2 tsp)
- Fenugreek powder (methi) (1/2 tsp )
- Asafoetida (hing) (1/2 tsp )
- Tamarind (imli) (a small lemon-sized portion)
- Jaggery (gud) (1 tbsp)
- Curry leaves (kadipatta) (a handful)
- Mustard seeds (sarson) (1/2 tsp)
- Dry red chillies (sabutlalmirch),broken into halves (2)
- Coconut oil (1 tbsp)
- Salt (To Taste)
Method
- In a kadhai, heat some oil. Fry the adrak pieces in it until they turn brown and crispy. Set this aside to cool.
- Grind it into a coarse paste once cool. Soak the tamarind in warm water and extract its juice. Keep it aside for later
- Next, heat some oil in a kadhai and add the sarson.
- As soon as it splutters, add dry red chillies and onions, and sauté till the onions turn brown.
- Then, add the green chillies and kadipatta and sauté for a few more minutes.
- Add the tamarind water using a sieve so that no tamarind pieces fall into it. Bring it to a boil.
- Then, add the MTR Lal Mirch Chilli Powder ,methi powder and hing. Next, put in the ground adrak paste, gud and salt and stir.
- Cook this for about 10 minutes, continuously stirring. Take it off the stove.
- Inji curry is ready to be served with steaming hot rice, dosas or idlis
