Ulli Theeyal Recipe / Kerala Ulli Theeyal Made Of Shallots

Take a tiny ball of tamarind and soak it in hot water and keep aside. Choose dark colored tamarind as it gives the best taste for theeyal. When it cools down, squeeze the tamarind and collect the extract out of it and keep aside.

Heat a heavy bottomed cheena chatti (preferably cast iron chatti) and drop in four to five dried red chilies and stir in low flame. Then add a tablespoon of coriander seeds and dry roast it for a while. Add a little fenugreek seeds and finally squirt in some freshly grated coconut and stir for a while. When it turns fragrant, just transfer the ingredients to a plate and keep aside. Just after a few minutes, when it cools down, grind it in a arakallu and make a smooth paste out of it.

Heat the cheena chatti again and tip in three tablespoons of coconut oil and when it is heated just throw in some mustard seeds. Follow it up with a tiny bit of asafoetida and some fenugreek seeds and when it becomes aromatic, drop some roughly torn curry leaves and wait for a second to sizzle. Now add the shallots and sautee well for a two to three minutes along with the required salt. When it becomes soft, just add a quarter teaspoon of turmeric powder and stir in for a second or two. Now pour in the tamarind extract with a nice stir. Pop the lid on and let it boil for five minutes approximately in medium high flame. After a while, just take out the lid and add in the coconut paste and dilute it with a little water after sauteing it well for a minute.

Close the lid again and allow it to boil in high flame for five to seven minutes approximately. When the aroma starts wafting out from the cheena chatti, just take off the lid and simmer. Stir in for a while and when it reaches the desired (reasonably thick) consistency just wait for a few moe seconds for the oil to separate at the sides. Just turn off the flame and garnish it with some lush green curry leaves. Now the lip-smacking Ulli Theeyal is ready to eat. Serve it hot with matta rice with a drizzle of ghee.