Kerala Kadala Curry- The only sidekick that you will want to serve with Aapam or Puttu. Vegan and gluten-free protein rich curry that pairs well with rice and even Rotis.
I hail from Coimbatore and we share borders with God s own country, Kerala. Needless to say, Coimbatore has a lot of people from Kerala and i ve been treated to puttu and kadala curry more than once in my lifetime. I have had friends from Kerala pampering me with their delicious coconut flavored meals. That s how i was introduced to aapam and puttu this way. Ever since i tasted both of these, i ve always loved them and made it a point to eat it while i can.
I do make aapam frequently at home but puttu is not possible. I dont have that tube vessel thingy, the puttu kuzhal or whatever they call it. I dont intend to buy one either. I know, Mr.P doesnt like it much and buying it just for me seems hideous to me. But kadala curry is something that i make every now and then. To make up for the protein requirements in our bodies and to enjoy a simple yet satisfying meal.
There are so many versions of this kadala curry but i have my own version, which has been tweaked a myriad times till now. This is my no fail version ( but, oh believe me, Kadala curry can never fail you, no matter what!) and we love it to bits in spite of the teeny weeny bit of grating, roasting and grinding involved.
Kerala Kadala Curry
Equipment
- Pressure cooker
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 c Black chickpeas
- 1 c finely chopped Onion
- 1 c finely chopped Tomato
- 1.5 teaspoon Coriander powder
- 1.5 teaspoon Red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon Garam masala
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 2 tablespoon Fresh coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon Ginger garlic paste
- 2 tablespoon Oil
- 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
- 10 Curry leaves
- 1.5 teaspoon Salt to taste
- To Roast And Grind
- 3 peeled and chopped Shallots
- 2 tablespoon Coconut
- ½ teaspoon Fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon Fenugreek seeds
- ¼ inch Cinnamon stick
- 2 Cloves
- 1 green Cardamom
- 1 Red Chili
- 1 teaspoon Oil
Instructions
- Soak the chickpeas overnight.
- Pressure cook the next day in the same water with a little salt until fork tender.
- Takes longer to cook if they are old.
- Reserve the cooked water, drain the chickpeas and set aside.
- In a pan, dry roast fenugreek seeds, cardamom, cloves, fennel seeds, cinnamon and red chili until aromatic.
- Set aside.
- In the same pan, heat 1 teaspoon of oil and saute the shallots till golden.
- Add the grated coconut next and saute till golden brown.
- Set aside to cool.
- Once cool, place everything in the blender, add little water and grind to a smooth paste.
- Heat a pan with oil and pop the mustard.
- Add the curry leaves next.
- Tip in the onions next and saute till pink.
- Now, add the ginger garlic paste and saute for 30 secs.
- Add all the spice powders next and saute for 20 secs.
- Now, add the tomato and cook till mushy.
- At this stage, add the chickpeas and salt and mix well.
- Now, add the ground paste and mix.
- Simmer for 5 mins on medium flame.
- Add ½ c of the reserved water in the end and simmer further for 2 mins.
- Finally add the coconut milk and cook for a minute.
- Switch off flame.
Serve hot with rice or rotis. We enjoyed it with this Sri Lankan Flavored Rice
This is recipe 3 from our Pan Palooza where its legumes this month!
Recipe 1- Punjabi Rajma Masala
Recipe 2- Pineapple Rasam
Stay tuned for recipe 4!
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