Kadala Curry | Kadala Kari
Kadala Curry, also known as Kadala Kari, is a delectable and aromatic curry crafted from black chickpeas, fresh coconut, onions, herbs, and an assortment of aromatic spices. This unique and distinctive curry is a specialty of Kerala cuisine.
Ingredients
For Cooking The Chickpeas
- 1 cup black chickpeas – 172 grams (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
For Kerala Garam Masala
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 to 3 thin strands of mace
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 3 cloves
- 3 pinches grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg powder
For Coconut Paste
- ½ cup fresh grated coconut – tightly packed
- ¼ to ⅓ cup water for grinding or blending coconut
Other Ingredients For Kadala Curry
- ⅓ cup chopped shallots or pearl onions (sambar onions)
- 1 inch ginger chopped, about 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
- 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:
- 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 327kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 9gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 743mgPotassium: 514mgFiber: 6gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 391IUVitamin C: 58mgCalcium: 135mgIron: 3mg
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