YELCHI HANNINA CHUTNEY/
ELANDA PAZHA CHUTNEY
Yelchi Hannu / Elanda Pazham is offered to Sun God during Sankranti pooja. In the evening children are seated on a decorated plank and an elderly lady of the family waves a cup full of Ellu Bella, Yelchi Hannu and coins around their heads which is later thrown far away from their sight.This ritual is supposed to ward off any negative energy ( evil eyes) which might have befallen the children. On the next day rice balls, Pongal, Sugar Cane pieces, pieces of Banana fruit and Yelchi Hannu are served on a turmeric leaf and left in the court yard for the crows to feast. After all these rituals are over, I usually discard the remaining Yelchi Hannu as no one likes to eat the strong smelling fruit. This time I tried sneaking the Yelchi Hannu into a Chutney and surprisingly every one seemed to relish it!
INGREDIENTS
Yelchi Hannu - 1 cup
Chopped coriander leaves - 1 cup
Salt - 3/4 tsp
Powdered jaggery - 1 tsp
Sesame oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 pinch
Split Black gram dal - 1 tsp
Bengal gram dal - 1 tsp
Red chillies - 3
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
METHOD
1. Wash the Yelchi Hannu thoroughly and remove the stems and the seeds.
2. Retain the skin and the flesh of the fruits. Do not worry if you find no flesh in some fruits. The dry peels can still be used for the Chutney as they will be quite tangy.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.
4. When the mustard seeds splutter add the dals and fry till golden in colour.
5. Add broken red chillies and the asafoetida and fry till the chillies turn crisp.
6. Add the prepared Yelchi Hannu and saute for a minute.
7. Stir in chopped coriander leaves and switch off flame.
8. When the ingredients are cooled grind them into a slightly coarse Chutney adding salt and powdered jaggery.
Relish the thick ( gatti) Yelchi Hannina Chutney with steaming hot rice topped with a spoon of fresh ghee. Add little water and loosen the chutney if you like to use it as a dip.
