• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About Us
  • Recipes
  • Meal Planner
  • Subscribe

Framed Recipes

menu icon
go to homepage
  • About Us
  • Recipes
  • Meal Planner
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About Us
    • Recipes
    • Meal Planner
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Ulli Theeyal

    Published: May 4, 2015 · by Sree · This post may contain affiliate links · 9 Comments

    Ulli Theeyal

    Jump to Recipe

    I belonged in Idle Valley like a pearl onion on a banana split.

    - The Long Goodbye, Raymond Chandler

    Ulli_Theeyal_DSC1924

    It is Monday. Do not forget to be AWESOME this week.

    My week started with a lot of hugs from Sonshine (perfect start to my week, I say). These were the special hugs to help Sonshine get over his nightmare from yesterday night. There is no bad dream that mom's hugs can't take care of!

    I dream too. I generally remember the bad ones and the funny ones, but not the good ones. I wish I could hold on to the good dreams. I wish my subconscious was conscious enough to make me forget the bad ones and just retain the funny ones and the good ones.

    But what about the other kind of dreams -  the ones that give you hope? The ones that motivate you to go on? They are these beautiful treasures you have to hold on to. Never give up dreaming. I found this beautiful poem "Dreams" by Langston Hughes (The Dream Keeper and other poems , which I am quoting here:

    Hold fast to dreams

    For if dreams die

    Life is a broken-winged bird

    That cannot fly.

    Ulli_Theeyal_DSC1930

    So, dream on people. Dream your wildest dreams and make them all come true. There is nothing to stop you if you are passionate about something, just listen to your heart and do it.

    This blog is my dream come true. I strive to post as many tasty and simple recipes as I can. If my recipes help you to create beautiful meals, I will feel blessed.

    I am planning a series of posts for Mother's day. These recipes are given to me by my friends which are their mother's specialties. These are the dishes my friends crave from their mother's cooking. They are simple recipes but are outstanding in terms of flavor.

    I am bringing you the recipe for Ulli Theeyal, a gravy dish from the Kerala Cuisine. To be frank, Ulli Theeyal was not one of my favorite dishes, until I tasted it when my friend Suchu's mom made it. That taste is still lingering like a beautiful memory.  It had the "coconut-ty" taste with the kick of spices, the tang from the tamarind, the perfect sweetness of jaggery and subtle (very subtle) hint of bitterness of methi/fenugreek seeds.

    Oh boy. Just writing this, is making me want to have some more.

    Ulli_Theeyal_DSC1919

    You can make Theeyal with Lady's finger (okra) or eggplant. But my favorite is the one made using Ulli -  Shallots/Pearl onions. The amount of hard work you put in to peel the pearl onions/shallots will be forgotten with the first taste of this dish. Do trust me on that. The shallots I get here (US) are bigger than the ones I used to get in India. I realized that pearl onions are better suited in terms of size for the recipe. If you are dreading the task of peeling the pearl onions, you might find peeled pearl onions in the frozen vegetables aisle in the grocery store. If they are small, feel free to add a little more than the quantity suggested in the recipe.The traditional way of preparing ulli

    The traditional way of preparing ulli theeyal involves grinding the roasted spices & coconut to a smooth paste and then adding the tamarind juice/pulp and jaggery while cooking ground coconut with the shallots/pearl onions. I have made a slight change in my recipe because I find it easier to grind the tamarind and jaggery along with roasted coconut and spices. It is just a personal preference, but if you like to follow the traditional way, you can do that too. I have mentioned it in my recipe notes for your convenience.

    Ulli_Theeyal_DSC1904

    The fresh coconut is roasted till brown and aromatic along with some spices and ground to very paste. This paste is then added to the sautéed & caramelized pearl onions. And then.....cooked to perfection.

    Ulli_Theeyal_DSC1918

    Try this delicious Ulli Theeyal - the perfect blend of flavors that  poke all those taste buds very gently giving you the ultimate sense of satisfaction from a meal.

    Enjoy!

    The_Recipe_with_Logo

    Ulli_Theeyal

    Ulli Theeyal

    Ulli Theeyal is coconut based gravy dish from the Kerala cuisine with a kick of spices and the tang from the tamarind and the perfect sweetness of jaggery and subtle (very subtle) hint of bitterness of methi/fenugreek seeds. The perfect blend of flavors that poke all those taste buds very gently giving you the ultimate sense of satisfaction from a meal.
    Print Recipe Save Saved!
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes
    Total Time 30 minutes
    Calories 1 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • ¾ cup grated coconut
    • 10-12 Medium Pearl Onions/Shallots See Recipe Notes
    • ¼ teaspoon Ground Turmeric/Turmeric Powder/Haldi
    • 1 heaped teaspoon Ground Coriander Seeds/ Coriander Powder
    • 1 teaspoon Indian Red Chilli Powder adjust to taste; See Recipe Notes
    • 10-12 Curry Leaves; divided
    • ¼ teaspoon Meth Seeds; divided
    • ½ teaspoon Cumin Seeds/Jeera Optional
    • 1 teaspoon Tamarind Pulp/gooseberry sized Tamarind
    • 2-3 teaspoon Oil
    • ½ teaspoon Mustard Seeds
    • 1-2 whole Red Chillies
    • small piece Jaggery

    Equipment

    • Medium sized saute pan
    • Spatula
    • Measuring Cups & Spoons
    • A small bowl
    • Food Processor/Mixer-grinder

    To Serve

    • Steamed Rice

    Instructions
     

    • Heat the saute pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the coconut and roast for a couple of minutes, till it looses the moisture and is kind of dry.
    • Add the ground turmeric, ground coriander and Indian red chilli powder, a few curry leaves, half the quantity of methi seeds and the cumin seeds to the coconut and roast till aromatic and the coconut turns brown.
    • Remove from heat, transfer to the small bowl and let it cool to room temperature.
    • Once it is cool enough to handle, grind the roasted coconut and spices along with tamarind and jaggery to make a smooth paste with as little water as possible. (See Recipe Notes)
    • Place the saute pan back on the stove. Add oil and when the oil heats up, add the mustard seeds. Let it splutter and then reduce the heat to medium-low, add the methi seeds and whole red . Saute for a few seconds and add the curry leaves.
    • Now, add the pearl onions and saute them well till they turn a little brown and start to caramelize.
    • Add the ground coconut paste to the caramelized pearl onions and water to adjust the consistency. Let the onions cook well and let the gravy turn thick.
    • Serve hot with steamed rice.

    Notes

    1. I have used the frozen pearl onions to make this dish and since they were really small, I have used up to 20-25 pearl onions for the same measurement of all other ingredients. [br]2. I always use a combination of Cayenne Pepper and Paprika instead of the Indian red chilli powder. Adjust the spiciness to suit your taste.[br]3. I typically cook with tamarind pulp which is concentrated and is very tangy. You can use whole tamarind instead of the pulp. If the tamarind is hard, soak it in a little water to soften it up and use the water to help you with grinding.[br]4. The traditional way of preparing Ulli theeyal involves grinding the roasted spices and coconut to a smooth paste and add this ground paste to the caramelized onions. Saute it for a few minutes and then add the tamarind juice/pulp and jaggery and bring to a boil. [br]4. Please note that this dish thickens on cooling down, adjust the consistency to suit your taste.

    « Oatmeal Banana Milkshake
    Podichundaakkiya Upma »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sandhya says

      December 15, 2020 at 2:43 pm

      Super Ulli theeyal! A hit everytime I serve it to guests with steamed rice.

      Reply
      • Framed Recipes says

        December 17, 2020 at 2:39 pm

        Thank you! Super happy that you love it.

        Reply
    2. kushi says

      May 08, 2015 at 4:38 pm

      Its mouth watering!!Beautiful presentation as always 🙂

      Reply
      • Framed Recipes says

        May 09, 2015 at 4:17 pm

        Thank you so much Kushi.

        Reply
    3. Deepti says

      May 05, 2015 at 10:22 am

      Good recipe...will try for sure..Happy mother's month!! 🙂

      Reply
      • Framed Recipes says

        May 05, 2015 at 11:52 am

        Sure Deepti. I am sure you will like it.

        Reply
    4. Sushma Iyer says

      May 04, 2015 at 8:32 pm

      That so thoughtful of you to pen down Mom's special recipes.. Very nice.. 🙂

      Reply
      • Framed Recipes says

        May 05, 2015 at 11:52 am

        Thank you Sushma.

        Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Podichundaakkiya Upma - Framed Recipes says:
      May 10, 2015 at 8:19 am

      […] favorite from their mother’s cooking. The first recipe was for a delicious side dish called Ulli Theeyal shared by a very dear friend […]

      Reply

    If you tried this recipe, please consider giving us a star rating and feedback. Reviewing, leaving feedback, and star rating a recipe, not only helps me grow as a food blogger but also helps others discover my blog. I L-O-V-E to hear from you! :) Your email address will not be published. Thank you for your support! When leaving a comment on framedrecipes, you will be asked to enter your name and email address. This is to help prevent spam comments. Your name will be displayed with the comment, but your email address will not. If you prefer not to display your real name, using a nickname or pseudonyms is perfectly OK. You will also see an option to save your information for future comments – this function uses a cookie to store the information on your browser. Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Sree - the blogger

    Hi! I am Sree and welcome to my sweet little corner of the internet! Good Food = Good Mood! This blog is all about celebrating good food – from desi (Indian) to videshi (global). 

    More about me →

    New Recipes

    • sweet potato salad with chickpeas & arugula with home made dressing
      Roasted Sweet Potato Salad With Arugula
    • lady holding a cup of delicious pumpkin bisque
      Pumpkin Coconut Bisque
    • weekly meal plan number 9 featured image
      Meal Plan Number 9
    • lady holding a jar of apple butter
      Apple Butter

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    Got a query? Need help with a recipe? Want to request a recipe? Or just want to say Hi?

    Email Us: [email protected]

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Framed Recipes

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Do not sell my personal information.Read More.
    Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Privacy & Cookie Settings

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    __cfduid1 monthThe cookie is used by cdn services like CloudFare to identify individual clients behind a shared IP address and apply security settings on a per-client basis. It does not correspond to any user ID in the web application and does not store any personally identifiable information.
    cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
    cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
    cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement1 yearThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Advertisement".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
    viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    CookieDurationDescription
    __cf_bm30 minutesThis cookie is set by CloudFare. The cookie is used to support Cloudfare Bot Management.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    CookieDurationDescription
    YSCsessionThis cookies is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    CookieDurationDescription
    _ga2 yearsThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, campaign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assign a randomly generated number to identify unique visitors.
    _gid1 dayThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the website is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages visted in an anonymous form.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    CookieDurationDescription
    IDE1 year 24 daysUsed by Google DoubleClick and stores information about how the user uses the website and any other advertisement before visiting the website. This is used to present users with ads that are relevant to them according to the user profile.
    test_cookie15 minutesThis cookie is set by doubleclick.net. The purpose of the cookie is to determine if the user's browser supports cookies.
    VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE5 months 27 daysThis cookie is set by Youtube. Used to track the information of the embedded YouTube videos on a website.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    CookieDurationDescription
    _gat_gtag_UA_49569906_11 minuteNo description
    CONSENT16 years 9 months 8 days 3 hoursNo description
    SAVE & ACCEPT
    Powered by CookieYes Logo
    x

    Subscribe to our newsletter!

    We share new recipes every week. These are tried, tested, and framed recipes. From my kitchen to your inbox. Subscribe to enjoy them!