Shallots thoran

Shallots are rich in minerals, vitamins and trace elements. They also contain phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, manganese, iron and copper. Shallots are also an excellent source of selenium, a trace element that protects cells against aging and contributes to healthy skin and hair. Combined with vitamin E, also found in shallots, selenium contributes to the formation of antibodies that defend the body against microbes and viruses.

Shallots are used in Kerala on a daily basis. It is used to season all our vegetable preparations and in Sambar. Shallots thoran is a delicacy I relish so much. It was not very frequently prepared as it takes a lot of time to peel so many of these small sized onions.

Ingredients:

2 cups peeled and sliced shallots

Salt to taste

To grind:

¾ cup grated coconut

4 flakes of garlic

¼  tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp red chilli powder

½ tsp cumin seeds

To season:

1 tbsp oil

½ tsp mustard seeds

2 red chillies broken to pieces

A few curry leaves

Instruction:

-Grind all the ingredients together and keep aside.

- Heart oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, when they splutter, add broken chilli pieces, curry leaves and the cut shallots in that order.

- Stir on high flame for a minute, reduce the flame, add salt, cover and let it cook ( about 4 minutes). Open in between to check it is not sticking to the bottom of the pan and if needed, add some water.

- When the shallots are cooked, add the ground coconut and cover. After a minute, remove from fire and stir well.

- This tastes awesome with steamed rice and dal.