Growing up in a Malayali house, we all had our favourites. Mine was parippu curry, along with papadum and pachadi. This is what I look forward to every Vishu and Onam.

But this year, when Vishu was round the corner, my excitement was tinged with anxiety as I am vegan now, and my favourite dish pachadi, which has been a part of traditional Kerala sadhya, is made with curd.

Some dishes are part of our fondest childhood memories and are also our strongest link to our culture and our sense of self; that’s why it is difficult to let go of them. Since I am not the one to give up so easily, I decided to make pachadi for the first time in my life and that too with vegan curd. Fingers crossed.

After a quick call with my mom, to understand the recipe, I headed to the market to gather all the ingredients. I was charged up and excited to try it out.

The main vegetable used to make pachadi is called vellarikka in Malayalam. This cucumber variety also known as Madras cucumber is rich in nutritional benefits and is a staple in South Indian kitchens. In Kerala, it is used to make vellarikka pachadi and vellarikka moru curry. It is also known for its cooling properties and hence a suitable one for summer.

As the hot sun was trying my patience, I didn’t roam around in the market like I usually do. Instead, I directly went to the vegetable vendor who keeps all vegetables which are regularly used in South Indians kitchens. The vellarikka with its eye-catching orange colour stood out amongst all the vegetables. I happily picked it out along with some other necessities and headed back home.

For this vegan experiment, the second most important ingredient was curd, for which I had already ordered the soy coconut curd from White Cub and had stored it away in my fridge. And the third ingredient was coconut which is always readily available in my kitchen. I purposely chose the soy coconut curd because the coconut flavour would easily complement the dish. Mind you, I wanted it to taste it as close to the original as possible.

I took a minute to recall the recipe my mother had shared and then got to work. I chopped the vellarika into small cubes, grated coconut and whipped the vegan soy coconut curd in a dish. Once the prep was done, I put on a pan filled with the chopped vegetable and water and allowed it to cook. Meanwhile I put the grated coconut along with jeera and few green chillies and made a thin paste out of it.

This is why I love Kerala style cooking – the ingredients are always minimal and so are the steps. Somehow our ancestors knew that it was best to keep it simple.

Once the cucumber was fully cooked, I poured in the coconut paste, stirred it well and then finally added the curd. Then I added the Kerala style tadka, brought it to a boil and turned off the gas and let it simmer for a while under the lid.

After 15 minutes I impatiently opened it to check the taste. I scooped out a spoonful, lightly blew over it to cool it down and then tasted it. A big smile spread across my face; it tasted exactly the same as it had in my childhood. My favourite dish would remain my favourite 

dish. I was glad that I had chosen the soy coconut curd because it beautifully lent itself to the taste. I felt sure even my grandmother would have been proud.

But the ultimate test was whether it pleased my mother’s taste buds. Only her stamp of approval meant that the dish was tasting right and authentic.

So, Vishu day arrived, and I followed all the steps religiously and served it to everyone in the family. I waited with bated breath for my mother’s verdict; she tasted it and instantly said that it was perfect. My father, not knowing what the fuss was about, immediately tasted it too – and he agreed with mom and said that it was just right, exactly the way it should be. That’s when I told him that I had made it with vegan curd, and he was pleasantly surprised and happy for me too.

As we all carried on eating the sadhya over excited conversations, a strong feeling of satisfaction descended upon me. From now on, Vishu and Onam would remain the same for me, I could relish my favourite childhood dishes without compromising on taste and flavour. And I was happy that I could share that with my family too. In that moment, I realised that tradition doesn’t have to be static. It can evolve with us, and still remain true.

RECIPE

Cucumber/ Madras Cucumber – 2 cups chopped in small cubes.

Grated coconut – ½ cup

Green chillies – 3

Jeera – 1 teaspoon

Mustard seeds – ½ teaspoon

Soy coconut curd or vegan curd – ½ cup

For tadka – mustard seeds, whole red chili, curry leaves

Steps:

1. In a pan, add the chopped cucumber along with water and salt. Cover it and leave it to cook for 10 minutes.

2. In a mixer jar, add grated coconut, green chillies, jeera and grind it to a paste. Then add the mustard seeds and give it a whirl only for 15 seconds.

3. Once the cucumber is nicely cooked, add this coconut paste and stir it well and allow it to come to a boil.  

4. Then add the curd in a bowl and whip it for a smooth consistency. Add to the pan and mix it well on low flame. Remember to not cook too much once the curd is added.

     5. In a tadka pan, heat coconut oil, add mustard seeds, red chilli broken into two piece and curry leaves.

     6. Add this tadka to the gravy. Switch off the flame. Cover it with a lid and let it stay like that for 15 minutes.

1.  7.  It is ready to be served alongside rice and sambar or rice and dal. Enjoy!

AUTHOR BIO:

Shinu Ramachandran is a vegan writer, wanderer, and unapologetic dreamer with a ladle and a laptop. After nearly two decades in television, she now stirs up stories from her kitchen and the road—always plant-based, always personal. Find more of her flavourful musings at 5feetnothing.com.