Kadala Curry (Black Chickpea Curry)

Puttu and kadala curry is an all time favourite for any Malayali! Puttu is a steamed rice cake. We have puttu with payaru curry or even non-vegetarian dishes. But the best combination for it is the kadala curry. Kadala is what we Malayalis call Kala chana or Black chickpea. Most of the non-Malayalis who have had my kadala curry asks me how to make it? As the taste of the Kerala Kadala Curry is very distinctive!

My Amma sends me a yearly quota of puttu podi, or the rice flour needed to make puttu. Puttu podi is a coarsely ground rice flour. And Im terribly sorry I can’t put the recipe of the same here as I haven’t ever made that flour. If I deplete the stock of puttu podi, I buy the commercially available flours like Double Horse or Nirapara.

My initial memory of puttu and kadala is having them while watching Mahabharat on TV. Listening to the OST of Mahabharat reminds me of the Sunday mornings with puttu and kadala as breakfast! Such blissfully innocent days!

The recipe I’m sharing with you is the way we make kadala curry at our place. The taste of the curry varies from district to district!

Kadala Curry

Lejna

Puttu and Kadala curry is one of the most favourite breakfast combination in Kerala. This recipe for Kadala Curry is one that is made at my household. It goes well with Idiyappam and Appam too.

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Soak Time 8 hrs

Total Time 8 hrs 25 mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine Kerala Cuisine

Servings 3 people

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup Kadala or Black chickpea
• 1 no Onion half sliced, half chopped
• 1 inch Ginger chopped
• 1 no Green chilli slit
• 2 tbsp Coriander powder
• 2 tsp Pepper powder
• ½ tsp Red chilli powder
• ½ cup Grated coconut
• Salt as per taste

Temper

• 1 tsp Mustard
• Onion chopped
• 2 nos Dry red chilli
• 1 sprig Curry leaves

Instructions

 

• Wash and soak the kadala or black chana overnight or atleast 8 hours.
• Cut one onion in half, slice one half of it and chop the other half.
• Pressure cook the kadala or black chana with ½ cup water, sliced onions, chopped ginger, slit green chilli, coriander powder, pepper powder and red chilli powder for around 5-6 whistles. Check whether the kadala or chana is well cooked once you open the cooker. If it isn't, cook for 2 more whistles.
• Grind the grated coconut with ¼ cup water till smooth. Add this ground coconut mixture with salt to the pressure cooked kadala or chana and mix well.
• In a kadai add some oil, splutter the mustard seeds and add the chopped onion to it. Fry the onion till they are golden brown in colour. Take care not to burn them by keeping the flame high. Add the dry red chillies cut in half and the curry leaves to this, and immediately temper the curry. Mix well and enjoy!

Keyword breakfast, Kadala Curry, Kerala Breakfast, Puttu, Puttu and Kadala Curry, Puttum Kadalayum