Kerala Style Spicy & Tangy Inji Curry Recipe
Kerala Style Spicy & Tangy Inji Curry is one of the most delicious curries in Kerala Cuisine. The primary ingredient of this curry is ginger which adds a lot of health benefits to the recipe. Ginger through history has been used for relieving digestive problems. Inji Curry is an unavoidable part of Onam Sadya, and it is also said that it is included in sadya in order to help aid digestion of the heavy feast. The tamarind and jaggery lends it a hot, sour and sweet taste. I have tasted Inji Curry at various places, and by far my mum's spicy and tangy curry has been my favorite.
Kerala Style Spicy & Tangy Inji Curry can be had with hot steamed rice.
Other ginger recipes that you can try are:
10 M
25 M
35 M
4 Servings
Ingredients
- 200 grams Ginger , finely chopped (you could give it a pulse in the chopper to make it very fine)
- 1/2 teaspoon Mustard seeds (Rai/ Kadugu)
- 1 Green Chilli
- 10 Pearl onions (Sambar Onions) , finely chopped
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
- 2 tablespoons Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)
- 1/4 teaspoon Methi Powder (Fenugreek Powder)
- 1 cup Tamarind Water
- 2 tablespoons Jaggery , powdered
- Salt , to taste
- 1 tablespoons Oil , (coconut oil enhances flavor, but refined oil should work just fine)
How to make Kerala Style Spicy & Tangy Inji Curry Recipe
To begin the preparation of Kerala Style Spicy & Tangy Inji Curry, first heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a wok and add the finely chopped ginger to it. Fry till ginger turns light brown in color and the moisture has reduced (do not let the ginger turn golden brown).
Remove the fried ginger with a slotted spoon and keep it aside.
Squeeze out the tamarind extract from the soaked tamarind and keep aside. Strain the extract to remove any sediments.
In the remaining oil add the mustard seeds and allow it to splutter.
Once the mustard splutters, add the curry leaves and green chili and saute for a few seconds. Now add the finely chopped shallots/small onions into it and saute till the onions turn a light brown.
Once the onions have browned, add the chili and turmeric powders and saute for a few seconds till the raw smell disappears. Now switch off the flame and add the fenugreek powder and mix well (switching off the flame while adding the fenugreek powder helps to avoid it from getting burnt).
Switch the flame back on and add a little water (little at a time), to make a thick paste. Cook this mixture till the oil separates (this step is important because it enhances the overall flavor of the dish).
Now add the tamarind extract, enough salt and the fried ginger, and mix well. Allow this to come to a boil.
Add the powdered jaggery and cook till the mixture thickens a little. Do a taste test at this time to adjust salt and add more jaggery if needed.
The Kerala Style Spicy & Tangy Inji Curry is now ready and once it cools down,can be had with hot steamed rice.
Notes:
1. Inji Curry has to be refrigerated because it uses onions. So store in an airtight container and place in refrigerator.
2. Inji Curry always tastes better if made ahead. As it sits, the flavors are enhanced. So once the curry is prepared, allow it to sit for a few hours before consuming or storing in the refrigerator.
