Erissery is a traditional Kerala recipe, made with Yellow pumpkin, along with coconut, brown cow peas and other simple ingredients. Let’s see how to make this simple yet flavourful dish with step by step pictures and video.
This is often served as part of a lunch during special occasions and festivals like onam. But you can make it anytime to enjoy this.
Check out my other Kerala olan and Pineapple pachadi recipe in this website.
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Ingredients
- Pumpkin (yellow) – Mathan/ Mathanga – I prepared erissery with this in this recipe
- Brown cowpeas (Vanpayar)
- Grated coconut – as Base, for richness & taste and roasted for garnish, gives a texture and flavour.
- Cumin seeds – for aroma
- Small onion shallots for flavor. But if you are making for festivals, please omit.
- Chilies – for spice. I used red ripe fresh chilli, use green chilli for more flavour. Also a dry red chilli while tempering.
- Turmeric powder for color and it’s goodness.
- Curry leaves for flavor
- Salt to taste
- Coconut oil for tempering, adds flavour.
Check my recipe card for full list and exact measurements.
Step by step images
1. Wash firstly and soak brown cowpeas (vanpayar) overnight.
2. Next day, drain the water, wash and keep aside.
3. Take soaked cowpeas, cubed pumpkin, turmeric, salt and 1 cup water in a pressure cooker.
4. Then pressure cook for just 2 whistles.
5. Once pressure is released naturally, open and check for doneness. The cowpeas should be soft to press.
6. Meanwhile grind coconut (save 2 tablespoon for roasting) with little water, chilli, onion and cumin seeds.
7. It can be a coarse paste but make sure not to add too much water.
8. Then add the ground paste to cooked pumpkin and mix well.
9. Boil furthermore until you get a homogenous consistency. It is okay if some of the pumpkin gets mashed.
10. After that switch off the stove and heat a pan with oil for tempering. Once oil is hot, splutter mustard, add urad dal and red chilli.
11. Then add curry leaves and add the reserved 2 tablespoon coconut.
12. Roast until golden in colour.
Finally, add to the erissery and mix to serve.
Manthan erissery is ready to serve in you Onam sadhya or Vishu sadhya. You can make this in regular days too for lunch as side.
Substitutions & Variations
- Onion: Though I have added onion, there is also a version that doesnot use onion.
- Chilli: Instead of fresh chilli, use black pepper while grinding coconut.
- Vegetable: You can use elephant Yam or Plantain to make a variation.
- Use fresh green long beans too instead of dried brown cow peas.
Top tips
- Soaking brown cow peas (vanpayar) overnight helps easy cooking.
- The dish should have a homogenous texture so that it looks perfect while serving over a banana leaf.
Shelf life
Since it is coconut added dish, it should be consumed soon, or within 2 days in refrigerator.
Serving Suggestion
Serve as part of a Sadhya, I love to have it with Kerala papadam.
Recipe card
Erissery Recipe | Mathanga Erissery
Erissery is a traditional Kerala recipe, made with Yellow pumpkin, along with coconut, brown cow peas and other simple ingredients.
Ingredients
- 2 cups Pumpkin cubed
- ¼ cup Brown cow peas vanpayar, soaked overnight
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
- Salt
To Grind
- ½ cup Grated coconut
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 Green chilli or 4 black pepper
- 2 Small onions Optional
To Temper
- ½ teaspoon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Urad dal
- 1 Red chilli
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
- 2 tablespoon Grated coconut
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Instructions
-
Wash firstly and soak brown cowpeas (vanpayar) overnight.
-
Next day, drain the water, wash and keep aside.
-
Take soaked cowpeas, cubed pumpkin, turmeric, salt and 1 cup water in a pressure cooker.
-
Then pressure cook for just 2 whistles.
-
Once pressure is released naturally, open and check for doneness. The cowpeas should be soft to press.
-
Meanwhile grind coconut (save 2 tablespoon for roasting) with little water, chilli, onion and cumin seeds.
-
It can be a coarse paste but make sure not to add too much water.
-
Then add the ground paste to cooked pumpkin and mix well.
-
Boil furthermore until you get a homogenous consistency. It is okay if some of the pumpkin gets mashed.
-
After that switch off the stove and heat a pan with oil for tempering. Once oil is hot, splutter mustard, add urad dal and red chilli.
-
Then add curry leaves and add the reserved 2 tablespoon coconut.
-
Roast until golden in colour.
-
Finally, add to the erissery and mix to serve.
Video
Notes
- Soaking brown cow peas (vanpayar) overnight helps easy cooking.
- The dish should have a homogenous texture so that it looks perfect while serving over a banana leaf.
- I used fresh but ripe chilli. You can use green chilli or black pepper too.
