Kerala Kadala curry recipe is a popular traditional dish from Kerala which commonly comes as an accompaniment for rice puttu.
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.
Serving Size 1 cup
Servings 0
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.