Kerala cuisine
Theeyal
A deep, dark Kerala curry made with roasted coconut, tamarind and shallots — the roasting gives it a smoky complexity that is unique to this dish. Finished with cold-press coconut oil.
Why cold press mustard oil?
Theeyal is a coconut oil dish. The cold-press coconut oil is used for the initial tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves, and its lauric acid content survives the medium-heat cooking.
Ingredients
- 200g shallots (pearl onions), halved
- 3 tbsp Dune Aura Cold-Press Coconut Oil
- 1 cup fresh coconut, grated
- 2 tbsp tamarind paste
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 4 dried red chillies
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 10 curry leaves
- ½ tsp turmeric
- Salt to taste
Step-by-step method
- 1
Dry roast coconut, coriander seeds and dried red chillies in a pan until dark brown and fragrant. Cool and grind to a smooth paste.
- 2
Heat 2 tbsp coconut oil. Fry shallots until golden — about 10 minutes.
- 3
Add turmeric and the roasted coconut paste. Stir well.
- 4
Add tamarind paste and 1 cup water. Simmer 10 minutes until thick and dark.
- 5
In a separate pan, heat 1 tbsp coconut oil. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves.
- 6
Pour the tempering over the theeyal. Simmer 2 more minutes.
- 7
Serve with steamed rice.
Pro tip
The coconut must be roasted to very dark brown — this is what gives Theeyal its signature smoky depth.
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