Appani Sarath takes this special dish to his shooting locations

Appani Sarath takes this special dish to his shooting locations

Actor Appani Sarath thrilled the audience with his incredible performance in the super-hit film 'Angamaly Diaries'. He is a self confessed foodie who loves to try out different dishes. However, when it comes to his favourite dish, Sarath doesn’t think twice to say that the delicious ‘inji’ curry or ginger curry is what makes him go weak on the knees.

The dish which adorns a special place in the traditional cuisine of Kerala offers a riot of flavours on the palette. It is believed that the inji curry which has the abundant goodness of ginger in it is equal, in its nutritional value, to 101 dishes. Sarath says that he can finish off plates full of rice with a little bit of ginger curry on its side. “Whenever inji curry is cooked at home, I serve myself meagre portions of it, fearing it would get finished soon. Unlike pickle, it takes lots of time and effort to cook inji curry,” smiles Sarath.

The actor packs the delicious dish to his shooting locations as well, so that he could enjoy the meals with it. Sarath says that he is not a fan of the dish cooked in the Northern style which is sweeter. He prefers the Southern style which is spicy and loaded with flavours. This dish has special significance in the actor’s life as well. “When I was in college, I used to train school kids in mime for youth festivals. I had chosen an excerpt from the legend of Vararuchy as the subject for such performances. Vararuchy once visited a Brahmin household to test the intelligence of the patriarch’s daughter. He asked the girl to prepare him a meal accompanied with one hundred dishes, by the time he returns from the bath. It was a challenge for her to cook so many dishes within such a short time. However, the smart girl stunned Vararuchy by cooking the special inji curry which is equal to 100 curries. The legend says that Vararuchy, impressed by the girl’s intelligence, married her. The story of my favourite inji curry has won many prizes for my students,” says Sarath.

Inji curry which is believed to have medicinal properties is a perfect remedy for phlegm and worms. Here is the recipe of delicious inji curry:

Ingredients
100 gm ginger (finely chopped)
5 green chillies (chopped)
50 gm tamarind
1 tbsp chilli powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp asafoetida
¼ tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp mustard seeds
5 tsp coconut oil

Preparation
Heat coconut oil in a wok or pan
Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves
Into add the ginger and green chillies
Sauté on low flame
Add the chilli powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida and coriander power
Roast well until the masala turns fragrant
Soak the tamarind in half glass water
Add the tamarind water, a small piece of jaggery and salt as required
Boil it until the oil separates
Store in air tight containers after the dish cools down.

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