Spicy Parotta Salna
Salna is a South Indian curry mostly served with parotta, but its spicy, rich flavour also goes well with idiyappam, idli, appam, pulao, and chapati. Made with a lot of vegetables and infused with brilliant herbs and spices — the more veggies, the healthier it gets.
Ingredients
- For masala: 1 medium-sized tomato
- 10 fresh or dried pieces of coconut
- 15 shallot
- 4 red chilies
- 5 green chilies
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cloves
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4-5 cardamom
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 1 tablespoon crushed ginger garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, whole
- 2 teaspoon peanuts
- 1 teaspoon fennel
- 3 teaspoons oil
- 6-7 curry leaves
- Some coriander leaves
- For salna curry: 1 small sized onion
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 teaspoon fennel
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- Few curry leaves
Method
- 1
For the masala: heat oil in a pan, add fennel seeds and let them pop. Add bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, and poppy seeds; mix and cook 1-2 minutes.
- 2
Add peanuts, red and green chilies, black pepper, shallots, and ginger-garlic paste; sauté a few minutes.
- 3
Add curry leaves, poppy seeds and tomato, mix well, then add salt and coriander and toss for a minute.
- 4
Remove from the pan and let it cool, then blend with coconut pieces and some water into a fine paste.
- 5
For the salna curry: heat oil, add fennel seeds and let pop, then curry leaves and chopped onions; sauté a while.
- 6
Add ginger-garlic paste and cook till light brown. Add the masala paste and mix everything.
- 7
Add a teaspoon of oil and the remaining spices — red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, black pepper. Toss and cook 8-10 minutes on medium flame.
- 8
Pour in two cups of water and bring to a boil. Add the coconut milk and simmer for a few minutes.
- 9
Serve hot and fresh, topped with coriander leaves and coconut shavings.
