Clean recipe · vegrecipesofindia.com
Kadala Curry Recipe (Kerala Style)
Kadala Curry (a.k.a. Kadala Kari) is a delicious, robust and flavorful curry made with black chickpeas, fresh coconut, onions, herbs and a bevy of warming spices both ground and whole. A unique and special curry from the South Indian Kerala cuisine.
Original recipe: vegrecipesofindia.com
- Yield:
- 4 servings
- Prep:
- 510 min
- Cook:
- 25 min
- Total:
- 535 min
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Ingredients
- 1 cup (172 grams) black chickpeas ((kala chana or desi chana or whole bengal gram or kadala))
- 2 cups water (- for soaking black chickpeas)
- 2.5 cups water (- for pressure cooking)
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 to 3 thin strands of mace
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 3 cloves
- 3 pinches grated nutmeg (or ground nutmeg powder)
- ½ cup fresh grated coconut (- tightly packed)
- ¼ to ⅓ cup water (- for grinding or blending coconut)
- ⅓ cup shallots (- chopped, can use pearl onions (sambar onions))
- 1 inch ginger (- chopped, about 1 teaspoon chopped)
- 1 or 2 green chilies (- chopped, about 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies or serrano pepper)
- 10 to 12 curry leaves
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder ((ground turmeric))
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder (- for less spicy taste add ½ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper)
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder ((ground coriander))
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder ((ground black pepper))
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 to 1.25 cups water (or stock in which the black chickpeas are cooked)
- salt (as required)
Instructions
Pressure cooking chickpeas: (Check notes below on cooking chickpeas in a pot/pan)
First rinse and then soak the black chickpeas in 2 cups water for 8 to 9 hours or overnight. You can also use white chickpeas instead of black chickpeas.- Take the black chickpeas in a 3 litre stovetop pressure cooker. Add fresh water and salt.
- Stir and pressure cook the chickpeas for 9 to 10 whistles or till they are tender and cooked through on medium heat.
Preparing coconut paste
Meanwhile when the chickpeas are cooking, take the grated coconut in a grinder or blender jar. Add water and grind or blend to a smooth paste.- Keep the ground coconut paste aside.
Preparing kerala garam masala
In a small pan, dry roast the following spices till aromatic - fennel seeds, mace strands, cinnamon, cloves and grated nutmeg or nutmeg powder. Just a light roasting. Don't over do.- In a small grinder or coffee grinder or a mortar pestle, grind or pound these five spices to a semi fine or fine powder. Keep aside.
Making kadala curry
Heat coconut oil in a pan.- Add mustard seeds and let them crackle.
- Add chopped shallots. Stir and saute for a minute.
- Then add ginger, chopped green chilies, curry leaves and saute till the shallots turn translucent or a light brown.
- Then add red chili powder, coriander powder, black pepper powder and the ground kerala garam masala. If you already have kerala garam masala, then just add 1 teaspoon of it. Note that 1 teaspoon of red chili powder, makes this curry spicy. So reduce to ½ teaspoon for a less spicy curry.
- Stir the ground spices very well and saute for a minute on low heat.
- Then add the ground coconut paste.
- Stir and mix very well.
- Saute for 4 to 5 minutes on a low heat.
- Then add the cooked black chickpeas or kadala. Stir very well.
- Then add 1 to 1.25 cups water or according to the consistency you prefer. Again stir and mix very well.
- Season with the required amount of salt and stir kadala curry again.
- Let the curry come to a boil on medium heat and the gravy reduces a bit. The flavors and chickpeas should also be well blended. When the curry is done and cooked well, you will see some oil specks on the top layer of the curry.
- Serve Kadala Curry hot with puttu or appams or steamed rice. While serving, you can garnish with some chopped coriander leaves if you like.