Replete with all kinds of curries and gravies, you would never get bored with the vast diversity that the Indian cuisine encompasses. While each region boasts of their own special cuisine, flavours and tastes, curry is a constant feature across most cultures. The distinction lies in the ingredients used and the methods of making it. It is not just vegetables or meat with which curries are made. You can substantiate them with beans and other legumes too. Take rajma for instance. It is a type of North Indian curry made with red kidney beans cooked in a tomato and onion gravy. The consistency of gravies can also differ, depending upon the amount of water or milk that is added to the pot.
The base of a lot of North Indian curries is tomato and onions. The masala that is made by roasting (bhuna) the two together is used for flavouring curries. Similarly, in South India, there are certain ingredients that are imperative to their cooking. Curry leaves is one of them. The strong flavour of curry leaves adds a distinct aroma and taste to the food. Another important ingredient is coconut. Found in abundance in the coastal areas of South India, it is not just the chutney that makes use of coconut. There are several other ways in which this edible nut can be used for cooking dishes.
While the liquid i.e. coconut water is a great summer cooler, the crunchy white interior is crushed for making chutneys. The milk obtained by pressing the same coconut gives us a mildly sweet and creamy coconut milk. Not just South Indian cuisine, even Thai cuisine extensively employs coconut milk in cooking.
To beat the heat and cool down the body, here are some coconut milk-based curries that you have try this summer for lunch.
Coconut-Milk Curries For Lunch
1. Kerala-Style Olan
This is a rich and creamy curry from Kerala that is a part of Sadhya too. Olan is made from cowpeas or red lobia, mixed with white pumpkin and cooked in coconut milk. The vegetable curry has a touch of ginger-seasoned coconut oil with slit green chillies and curry leaves as the garnish. This light and refreshing curry is usually paired with some rice and pickle.
2. Korri Gassi
This a classic dish from Mangalorean cuisine that cannot be missed. The name is derived from two words, Kori meaning chicken and gassi referring to the curry. This bright red curry is made with succulent chicken pieces, dunked in a gravy of coconut milk and red chillies, tamarind, mustard, fenugreek and more. Best eaten with steamed rice, this curry is heavenly.
3. Raw Mango Coconut Curry
It’s the season of mangoes so how can you miss out on them. This Kerala-style curry brings the sweet and tangy flavours of raw mango and coconut into one bowl and will surely leave you drooling. Both the main ingredients of the curry are a great cooling agent in summers and when tamarind and jaggery go in together, it is an explosion of creaminess.
4. Potato Curry With Coconut Milk
Made with diced potatoes cooked in coconut milk, this is the perfect curry for vegans. It also has frozen green peas, chickpeas and tomatoes which give it a thicker consistency. Pair it with either cauliflower rice or naan and the dish tastes perfect.
5. Chicken Mapas
Mapas, for those untouched by the phenomenon, is a creamy coconut-milk curry that is flavoured with tomatoes. A dish from Kerala Syrian Christian cuisine, protein like chicken or meat is added to the curry and served with Malabar parotta.