Here is the recipe for delicious curry with black chick peas popularly known as kadala curry in Kerala. One of my favourite side dishes for aapam and puttu. I learnt the base recipe from my friend Reshmi from Kollam but I tweaked it a bit. This kadala curry is prepared with simple ingredients like onions, tomato, freshly ground masala powder and coconut milk. The coconut milk gives this dish a bit of sweetness and the curry powder brings the flavour. If you like curries with lots of flavor without using a long list of ingredients and cooking methods, this is definitely one for you. We add just four spices, fresh ginger, pepper powder, chilly powder, coriander powder plus the coconut milk. The curry powder makes it more interesting for this Kadala curry.
- Kadala Curry
- White Vegetable Kurma
- Kumbakonam Kadappa
- Mochai and Potato Sagu
- Green Peas Coconut Milk Curry
Here is the video link for Kadalai Curry
Kadalai Curry - Kerala Style Kadala Curry Recipe Details
Prep time : 20 minutes
Cook time : 40 minutes
Serves : 4
Category : side dish
Ingredients
- 1 cup black chickpeas
- 1/2 cup finely chopped small onions
- 1 tsp finely chopped ginger
- 1 tomato
- 1/2 cup coconut
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1/2 tsp mustard and urid dal
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper powder
- few curry leaves
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- Salt to taste
For the masala powder
- 1/2 tsp fennel
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 4 cloves
- few strands mace
How to make Kadala Curry
Soak the black chickpeas
Rinse and soak the black chickpeas in a generous amount of water overnight. A long soaked chickpeas makes it easier to cook in a pressure cooker, so plan accordingly. Just before cooking, drain the water and rinse them well under running water.
Cook the black chickpeas
Add the drained chickpeas in a pressure cooker or pan with 1 cup of water and 1/2 tsp salt. Pressure cook for 7 to 9 whistles and allow the steam to release naturally. The perfect texture is that you can easily mash chickpeas between your fingers.
How to make masala powder
This takes less than a few minutes to make and you can powder them in a mortar and pestle. Gather all the spices and keep it ready. Using the freshly prepared curry powder rather than store bought masala powder makes it more flavorful. You will need fennel, cinnamon, cloves and mace. Heat the kadai on medium heat and add all the spices. Just toss them all in the kadai and stir them constantly. After 1 minute, you will smell the cloves and fennel. That's the right time to turn off the heat. Transfer the spices to a mortar pestle and crush them finely. Our masala powder is ready.
How to make the curry
I like to use small onions in this curry, but you also use big onions instead. Fresh ginger is always best for coconut based gravies. Grind 1/2 cup coconut to a fine paste and extract 1/2 cup coconut milk with another 1 cup coconut. The coconut milk makes the curry creamy and it also balances the flavours. If you skip the coconut milk,the curry won't be that creamy.
Heat coconut oil in a kadai and add mustard and urid dal. Allow them to crackle and add 1 tsp finely chopped ginger. Next add the chopped small onions along with curry leaves. Saute until the onions turn golden brown.
Now add tomatoes and stir well. Saute well on medium heat and add 1/4 tsp turmeric powder,1/2 tsp red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp coriander powder and 1/4 tsp black pepper powder.
Stir the masalas very well on low heat and saute for a minute. Add the freshly ground masala powder and mix well. Add the cooked black chickpeas and the ground coconut paste. Mix well. Add required salt and the cooked chickpeas water. Close it with a lid and cook the curry on low heat for 10 minutes.
Finally add 1/2 cup thick coconut milk and allow the curry to boil for 2 minutes and turn off the heat. You will see some oil floating on top of the curry.
Serve kadala curry hot or warm with puttu or aapam.
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