Naadan Chemb Asthram (Colocasia Asthram)

Ingredients for Naadan Chemb Asthram:

1. Local Colocasia (Nadan Chembu) – 200 gm cut into small pieces

2. Salt – For taste

   Water – As needed

    Turmeric powder – ½ small spoon

3. Coconut scrapped – ½ cup

    Shallots – 3, chopped fine

    Red chillies – 3, broken into pieces

    Coriander powder – ½ small spoon

    Cumin seeds – ½ small spoon

    Water – A little

4. Tamarind juice – ¼ cup

5. Coconut oil – 2 big spoons

6. Mustard – ½ small spoon

    Curry leaves – As needed

How to prepare Naadan Chemb Asthram?

1. Cook colocasia adding ingredients no: 2.

2. Drain off excess water.

3. Make a fine paste of ingredients no: 3.

4. Add tamarind juice to cooked colocasia and mix it well.

5. Add the gravy and cook for 5 minutes. Keep stirring.

6. Slightly smash the pieces with spatula and take off from flame.

7. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard and curry leaves.

8. Season your Chemb Asthram with this oil.

Courtesy: Vanitha Magazine April 1-14, 2019

Also read another recipe of Chembu Asthram adding curd, a common dish prepared during Vishu season. I have read one more Asthram recipe (15 – 31, 2014), where pepper powder is used as one of its ingredients (3 tsp of pepper for 350 gms of colacasia). Tamarind juice is not a part of that recipe.