Kalan recipe with step by step photos. Kalan is a sour-tasting dish made with curd or buttermilk and veggies like yam and plantain. A typical ground coconut paste is also added in this dish, which balances the sour flavors from the curd. This recipe is gluten free too.

kalan garnished with curry leaves and served in a brown ceramic bowl with text layovers.

This recipe is from the rich and versatile Kerala Cuisine and is served in the onam sadya.

I make kalan recipe on occasions. Sometimes I just add yam and at times both yam and plantain. When I prepare kalan recipe, I also prepare a dry sautéed or stir-fried veggie dish like ash gourd thoran or beetroot thoran to go as an accompaniment.

You can serve some papaddums and ginger pickle or lemon pickle as a side accompaniment.

Kalan is one of the dishes that is served in the onam sadya meal. Since onam is around the corner, thought of sharing the recipe.

Kalan is best served with steamed white rice or Kerala matta rice.

Step-by-Step Guide

How to make Kalan Recipe

Cooking Yam, Plantains

1. Firstly peel, rinse and then chop the elephant foot yam (suran) in cubes or squares. You will need about 1 to 1.25 cups of chopped suran. Take the chopped suran in a pan.

making Kerala kalan recipe

2. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and ½ to ¾ teaspoon crushed black pepper. Also add ¼ teaspoon salt.

making Kerala kalan recipe

3. Pour ½ cup water. The water should just about cover the suran cubes.

making Kerala kalan recipe

4. If using plantain (unripe banana), then you can add ¾ cup of plantain along with ¾ cup of yam.

making Kerala kalan recipe

5. Add water just about covering them.

making Kerala kalan recipe

6. Now continuing with step 3 – after adding water in the pan, cover the pan with a lid and keep it on a stovetop. Cook on low to medium heat till the suran becomes tender and gets cooked.

making Kerala kalan recipe

Making Coconut Paste

7. Meanwhile whilst the yam is getting cooked, take ½ cup tightly packed fresh grated coconut in a grinder jar. Add 2 to 3 green chilies (chopped) and ½ teaspoon cumin seeds.

making Kerala kalan recipe

8. Add ¼ to ⅓ cup water and grind to a smooth paste and keep aside.

making Kerala kalan recipe

9. Take 1 cup sour curd in a bowl and beat it with a spoon or wired whisk till smooth. You can also use fresh curd instead of sour curd.

making Kerala kalan recipe

10. When the suran cubes are getting cooked, do check at intervals. In case the water dries up and the suran pieces are not cooked, then add some more water. Cover the pan with its lid and continue to cook.

making Kerala kalan recipe

11. Check if the yam is cooked by cutting it with a knife or passing a knife through a few cubes. The knife should pass easily.

making Kerala kalan recipe

12. If there is water in the pan, then evaporate it without the lid. There should be no water in the pan, before you proceed to the next step.

making Kerala kalan recipe

Making Kalan Curry

13. Now add the ground coconut paste. Keep the heat to a low while adding coconut paste.

making Kerala kalan recipe

14. Stir and mix very well.

making Kerala kalan recipe

15. Then add the beaten curd.

making Kerala kalan recipe

16. Stir and mix again.

making Kerala kalan recipe

17. If the gravy looks very thick, then you can add ¼ cup water. Mix well.

making Kerala kalan recipe

18. Season with salt as required. Do keep in mind that while cooking suran, some salt was added.

making Kerala kalan recipe

19. Bring the kalan curry to a boil. Once the curry comes to a boil, then switch off the heat. The curry will also thicken. Do note that the curry will thicken more, once it cools. So, adjust the water quantity in the curry accordingly.

making Kerala kalan recipe

Making Tempering

20. In a tadka pan or a small frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil. Keep the flame to a low and add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds.

making Kerala kalan recipe

21. Let the mustard seeds crackle.

making Kerala kalan recipe

22. Then add 1 to 2 red chilies and 10 to 12 curry leaves. Fry till the red chilies change color. Do not burn them.

making Kerala kalan recipe

23. Next add ¼ teaspoon methi seeds which have been slightly crushed in a mortar-pestle.

Kerala kalan recipe

24. Mix and switch off the heat.

Kerala kalan recipe

25. Pour the tempering mixture in the kalan curry. Cover with a lid and let the flavors mingle for 4 to 5 minutes.

Kerala kalan recipe

26. Later mix well and serve kalan curry hot with steamed rice.

Kerala kalan recipe


More Kerala Recipes

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kalan recipe, kerala kalan recipe

Kalan Recipe | Kerala Kalan Curry

Kalan is a delicious dish made with elephant foot yam, plantains, coconut and curd. It is one of the dishes that is served in onam sadya.

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Prevent your screen from going dark while making the recipe

Cooking veggies

  • Firstly peel, rinse and then chop the elephant foot yam (suran) in cubes or squares. You will need about 1 to 1.25 cups of chopped suran. Take the chopped suran in a pan.

  • Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and ½ to ¾ teaspoon crushed black pepper. Also add ¼ teaspoon salt.

  • Pour ½ cup water. The water should just about cover the suran cubes.

  • If using plantain (unripe banana), then you can add ¾ cup of plantains along with ¾ cup of yam.

  • Add water just about covering them.

  • Now continuing with step 3 – after adding water in the pan, cover the pan with a lid and keep it on a stove top. Cook on low to medium flame till the suran becomes tender and gets cooked. 

  • Do check at intervals. In case the water dries up and the suran pieces are not cooked, then add some more water. Cover and continue to cook.

  • Check if the yam is cooked by cutting it with a knife or passing a knife through a few cubes. The knife should pass easily.

Grinding coconut paste and whisking curd

  • Meanwhile whilst the suran is getting cooked, take ½ cup tightly packed fresh grated coconut in a grinder jar. Add 2 to 3 green chilies (chopped) and ½ teaspoon cumin seeds.

  • Add ¼ to ⅓ cup water and grind to a smooth paste and keep aside.

  • Take 1 cup sour curd in a bowl and beat it with a spoon or wired whisk till smooth. You can also use fresh curd instead of sour curd.

Making kalan curry

  • Once the yam is cooked and tender, then its time to add the coconut paste. If there is water in the pan, then evaporate it without the lid. There should be no water in the pan, before you proceed to the next step.

  • Now add the ground coconut paste and mix very well. Keep the flame to a low while adding coconut paste.  

  • Then add the beaten curd and mix again.

  • If the gravy looks very thick, then you can add ¼ cup water. Mix well.

  • Season with salt. Do keep in mind that while cooking suran, some salt was added.

  • Bring the curry to a boil. Once the curry comes to a boil, then switch off the flame.

Making tempering

  • In a tadka pan or a small frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil. Keep the flame to a low and add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds.

  • Let the mustard seeds crackle.

  • Then add 1 to 2 red chilies and 10 to 12 curry leaves. Fry till the red chilies change color. Do not burn them.

  • Next add ¼ teaspoon methi seeds which have been slightly crushed in a mortar-pestle.

  • Mix and switch off the flame.

  • Pour the tempering mixture in the kalan curry. Cover with a lid and let the flavors mingle for 4 to 5 minutes.

  • Later mix well and serve kalan with steamed rice.

Nutrition Facts

Kalan Recipe | Kerala Kalan Curry

Amount Per Serving

Calories 160 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Fat 9g14%

Saturated Fat 7g44%

Cholesterol 8mg3%

Sodium 548mg24%

Potassium 437mg12%

Carbohydrates 17g6%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 240IU5%

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%

Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 29mg145%

Vitamin B6 1mg50%

Vitamin B12 1µg17%

Vitamin C 60mg73%

Vitamin D 1µg7%

Vitamin E 1mg7%

Vitamin K 1µg1%

Calcium 91mg9%

Vitamin B9 (Folate) 309µg77%

Iron 1mg6%

Magnesium 20mg5%

Phosphorus 93mg9%

Zinc 1mg7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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This Kalan Recipe from the archives, originally published in August 2017 has been updated and republished on February 2023.



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