Kerala Kadala Curry Recipe
Kerala Kadala curry recipe is a popular traditional dish from Kerala which commonly comes as an accompaniment for rice puttu.
The combination of puttu with Kerala kadala curry recipe is a huge hit in Kerala that it has attained a global appeal and loved by Indians all over the world. Kerala Kadala Curry recipe is an authentic dish made with brown chickpeas and coconut mixed up with an array of spices. Kerala kadala curry recipe also tastes delicious with appam, idiyappam, dosa, chapathi and rice as well apart from the usual puttu.
Kerala is famous for its coconut based dishes and this Kerala kadala curry recipe is one such popular recipe that is loved by all and it runs through generations. You get puttu and kadala curry at any hotel in Kerala, for breakfast along with a cup of golden brown kattan chai. You can see people who come for pilgrimage to Kerala, relish this food with irresistible passion. It is served with matta rice(again a kerala’s special) for meals and with appam or idiyappam for dinner.
The kerala kadala curry recipe which has protein packed delicious black chickpeas, when mixed up with coconut gravy and other spices doused in aromatic coconut oil, just tastes out of the world when it is accompanied by steamy hot puttu. The granular pearly white rice puttu, when mixed up with spicy kerala kadala curry takes you on a roller coaster ride even in the very first bite, driving your taste buds to crave for more.
Kerala kadala curry recipe is a bit soupy which is easy to mix with puttu and makes the combo more enjoyable. Brown chickpeas are usually preferred to make this kadala curry and since it takes a considerable time to soak, you have to soak it either over night or at least for eight hours. If you want the dish to be more authentic, saute the dish with coconut oil.
The spices like coriander seeds, red chilli, ginger, garlic, black pepper and jeera added in the kerala kadala curry recipe makes the dish spicy and aromatic and when the boiled chickpeas are soaked in the coconut gravy, it becomes all the more delectable. You get the tangy sensation in every bite of the Kerala kadala curry recipe due to the essence of tomatoes being mixed up with fried onion.
Here, I have given you the method of preparing this traditional Kerala kadala curry recipe in a simple way within minutes.
Ingredients Required To Make Kadala Curry Recipe
Some Things To Remember Before Starting To Make Kadala Curry Recipe
• Choose dark brown chickpeas to make this dish in order to get the original Kerala style kadala curry.
• Instead of adding grated coconut, you can also add thick coconut milk which gives a rich taste and flavour to the gravy.
• Always use a thick bottomed pan to make the curry as it retains heat for a long time and also prevents the dish from getting scorched at the bottom. I would usually suggest a cast iron kadai whenever you make authentic dishes, as it not only gives the native touch but it is also good for health.
• If you boil the chickpeas in pressure cooker, let it cook up to 4 or 5 whistles, so that the chickpeas become completely cooked and reasonably soft.
• Soak the chickpeas overnight or for a minimum of six to seven hours approximately to get the desired result.
Kerala Kadala Curry Recipe - How To Make Kadala Curry
Take a cup of chickpeas in a bowl and pour some water into it.
Wash it well and drain it.
Pour two or three cups of fresh water into the bowl and close it with a lid.
Keep it aside and let it soak overnight.
Take the soaked chickpeas and wash them once or twice and add three cups of fresh water to it.
Keep it in a pressure cooker (with water at the bottom) and cook for 5-6 whistles.
When it cools down, just open the lid and drain the excess water from the boiled chickpeas and keep it aside.
Wash and clean the vegetables and keep them.
Peel off the skin from one onion and chop them into thick slices.
Take another onion and finely chop it and keep aside for sautéing.
Similarly, chop the tomatoes into big slices and keep them.
Peel of the skin from the garlic pods and ginger and keep them too.
Place a cast iron kadai in the stove and keep it in medium flame.
When it is heated, just add half a teaspoon of coconut oil in it.
After a few seconds, add half a teaspoon of fennel seeds into the kadai, followed by a bit of cinnamon and 2 cloves.
When they turn aromatic, just add ¼ cup of chopped onion to it and stir well.
When it becomes translucent, add the tomatoes and stir further, till they turn mushy.
Now transfer these roasted ingredients to a plate.
Place the kadai in the stove again and now you add the measured quantity of coriander seeds and keep stirring for a while.
Then you add half a teaspoon of cumin seeds, pepper corns and four or five red chillies to it.
Mix them well and let the flame continue to be in medium mode.
At last, add the grated coconut and stir well till the entire mixture turns golden brown and flavourful.
Let it cook for a minute or two and after a while you will notice that the entire mixture has urned light brown in colour.
At this stage, just turn off the stove and keep the kadai aside.
Let everything cool for a while.
After it cools down, transfer all the roasted ingredients to a mixer jar and blend well by adding the required water.
Blend till it turns into a soft and smooth paste.
Place the iron kadai again in the stove and keep it in high flame.
After a few seconds, add three tablespoons of coconut oil to it.
When the oil just gets heated up, add a teaspoon of mustard seeds to it.
When it starts spluttering, drop a red chilli along with a pinch of hing/asafoetida and one or two cardamoms.
Finally, add a few curry leaves and let them sizzle too.
Now the tempering is done and change the flame to low mode.
Now add the finely chopped onion to it and stir well.
When it turns translucent, add the grounded paste to it and add a little water.
Simmer the flame now.
At this stage, add the required salt and sprinkle the measured quantities of chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala one by one into the kadai, while stirring simultaneously.
Finally, add a pinch of turmeric and add some more water to it and mix everything well.
Close the pan with a lid and let the masalas get cooked for five minutes approximately.
After a while, just open the lid and add the boiled chick peas (which we have prepared already) to the kadai and stir well.
Add water so as to adjust the consistency of the curry.
Close the lid again and readjust the flame to medium mode.
Let it cook for about ten minutes approximately.
When you open the lid after some time, you will feel the aroma of the chickpeas and the masalas coming out.
And you will notice the oil oozing out from the sides of the kadai.
Sprinkle some finely chopped coriander leaves and lush green curry leaves over it and switch off the stove.
Now the exotic kadala curry is ready to eat.
Serve it with steaming hot puttu accompanied by a cup of kattan chai.
Tips To Follow To Make Kadala Curry Recipe
• You can be liberal with adding water because the curry will start thickening once it cools down. Therefore let the consistency be a little lighter than you require when you switch it off.
• Some would prefer mashing one or two tablespoons of boiled chickpeas and mix them in the gravy to get a thick consistency.
• But I personally do not suggest that method because the curry will have enough thickness as we add coconut and other masalas already.
• In case, if you do not like the distinctive smell of coconut oil, you can temper the kadala curry with any other cooking oil like groundnut oil or gingelly oil which are commonly used for Indian cooking.
• If you do not have a cast iron kadai, you can use any other thick bottomed vessel to make the curry.
• Kadala curry also goes extremely well with Idli, dosa, Uthappam, appam, roti and steamed rice. You can try out this delicious kadala curry with all these dishes so that you have variety.
Ingredients
Directions
Take a cup of chickpeas in a bowl and pour some water into it.
Wash it well and drain it.
Pour two or three cups of fresh water into the bowl and close it with a lid.
Keep it aside and let it soak overnight.
Take the soaked chickpeas and wash them once or twice and add three cups of fresh water to it.
Keep it in a pressure cooker (with water at the bottom) and cook for 5-6 whistles.
When it cools down, just open the lid and drain the excess water from the boiled chickpeas and keep it aside.
Wash and clean the vegetables and keep them.
Peel off the skin from one onion and chop them into thick slices.
Take another onion and finely chop it and keep aside for sautéing.
Similarly, chop the tomatoes into big slices and keep them.
Peel of the skin from the garlic pods and ginger and keep them too.
Place a cast iron kadai in the stove and keep it in medium flame.
When it is heated, just add half a teaspoon of coconut oil in it.
After a few seconds, add half a teaspoon of fennel seeds into the kadai, followed by a bit of cinnamon and 2 cloves.
When they turn aromatic, just add ¼ cup of chopped onion to it and stir well.
When it becomes translucent, add the tomatoes and stir further, till they turn mushy.
Now transfer these roasted ingredients to a plate.
Place the kadai in the stove again and now you add the measured quantity of coriander seeds and keep stirring for a while.
Then you add half a teaspoon of cumin seeds, pepper corns and four or five red chillies to it.
Mix them well and let the flame continue to be in medium mode.
At last, add the grated coconut and stir well till the entire mixture turns golden brown and flavourful.
Let it cook for a minute or two and after a while you will notice that the entire mixture has urned light brown in colour.
At this stage, just turn off the stove and keep the kadai aside.
Let everything cool for a while.
After it cools down, transfer all the roasted ingredients to a mixer jar and blend well by adding the required water.
Blend till it turns into a soft and smooth paste.
Place the iron kadai again in the stove and keep it in high flame.
After a few seconds, add three tablespoons of coconut oil to it.
When the oil just gets heated up, add a teaspoon of mustard seeds to it.
When it starts spluttering, drop a red chilli along with a pinch of hing/asafoetida and one or two cardamoms.
Finally, add a few curry leaves and let them sizzle too.
Now the tempering is done and change the flame to low mode.
Now add the finely chopped onion to it and stir well.
When it turns translucent, add the grounded paste to it and add a little water.
Simmer the flame now.
At this stage, add the required salt and sprinkle the measured quantities of chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala one by one into the kadai, while stirring simultaneously.
Finally, add a pinch of turmeric and add some more water to it and mix everything well.
Close the pan with a lid and let the masalas get cooked for five minutes approximately.
After a while, just open the lid and add the boiled chick peas (which we have prepared already) to the kadai and stir well.
Add water so as to adjust the consistency of the curry.
Close the lid again and readjust the flame to medium mode.
Let it cook for about ten minutes approximately.
When you open the lid after some time, you will feel the aroma of the chickpeas and the masalas coming out.
And you will notice the oil oozing out from the sides of the kadai.
Sprinkle some finely chopped coriander leaves and lush green curry leaves over it and switch off the stove.
Now the exotic kadala curry is ready to eat.
Serve it with steaming hot puttu accompanied by a cup of kattan chai.
