Salna / Chalna for "Parota" - A South Indian street food

Salna / Chalna is a street side curry made in South India that is usually parceled with Parata. It is a flavourful and spicy curry that goes well with plain parata. I tried to replicate the recipe and found this one on “Chitra’s Food Book”. It came out quite well.

Ingredients

• Vegetables – Cauliflower, peas, potato, carrot and beans – 1 cup
• Ginger garlic paste – 1 teaspoon
• Tomato – 1
• Cooking oil – 3 teaspoons
• Salt – as required

To grind

• Onion – 1 thinly sliced
• Tomatoes – 2 medium
• Grated coconut – a fistful
• Cashews – 3 or poppy seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
• Pepper corns – 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
• Cinnamon stick – 1 inch piece
• Cloves – 3
• Jeera – 1/4th teaspoon
• Elaichi – 1
• Fennel seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
• Chilli powder – 1 teaspoon
• Coriander powder – 1 and half teaspoon
• Turmeric powder – 1/4th teaspoon
• Oil – 2 teaspoons

Preparation

• Clean and chop all vegetables into edible pieces and set it aside. Take a deep frying pan and pour oil, when hot add all the spices (cinnamon, cloves, Jeera, elaichi, fennel seeds) and fry for a minute.
• Then add the chopped tomatoes. when it starts to turn mushy, add all the spice powders and mix well. Sprinkle little water and cook for 2 minutes.
• Now add the grated coconut and cashews (or poppy seeds), cook for 3 minutes. Switch off, cool it and grind to a fine paste.

Masala to grind

• Take a pressure cooker, pour a teaspoon of oil and when hot add the thinly sliced onion and fry until it turns light brown. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry some more. Add the tomato and cook until mushy.
• Pour the ground masala at this stage and mix well. After a minute add the chopped vegetables, pour a glass of water (enough to cook the vegetables), salt and close the lid. Cook exactly 5 minutes and switch it off.
• Open and check for consistency. If it is too thin add some more grated coconut and cook until desired consistency. However, Salna kuzhambu is usually not very thick. Serve with hot Paratha, Roti or even plain rice. 

Salna Kuzhambu

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