Kadala Curry Recipe (Kerala Style)
User Reviews
5.0
156 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
8 hrs 30 mins
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Cook Time
30 mins
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Total Time
8 hrs 55 mins
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Servings
4
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Calories
327 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Indian
Kadala Curry Recipe (Kerala Style)
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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.
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Ingredients
For cooking chickpeas
- 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
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
- 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
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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.
Notes
- Instead of black chickpeas, you can use dried white chickpeas, black eyed beans or kidney beans. However, don’t use the water in which the beans or white chickpeas are soaked and cooked, but use fresh water while cooking them. You can also use drained, rinsed canned white chickpeas.
- You could use frozen coconut and unsweetened desiccated coconut, instead of fresh coconut.
- To add some tang in the curry, you can add 1 medium chopped tomato.
- If you do not like the flavor of coconut oil, then use a neutral flavored oil instead.
- You can vary the consistency of the curry as per your preferences, by adding less or more water.
- This recipe can easily be reduced or scaled to make a small or a bigger batch as per your requirements.
- Cooking black chickpeas in a pot: Add the soaked chickpeas, 2.5 to 3 cups water and salt in a pot. Cover and bring the water to a boil. Later, on a medium to high heat, cook the chickpeas until tender.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
327kcal
(16%)
Carbohydrates
37g
(12%)
Protein
9g
(18%)
Fat
17g
(26%)
Saturated Fat
12g
(60%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
1g
Monounsaturated Fat
1g
Sodium
743mg
(31%)
Potassium
514mg
(15%)
Fiber
6g
(24%)
Sugar
4g
(8%)
Vitamin A
391IU
(8%)
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
1mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
1mg
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
30mg
Vitamin B6
1mg
Vitamin C
58mg
(64%)
Vitamin E
1mg
Vitamin K
2µg
Calcium
135mg
(14%)
Vitamin B9 (Folate)
385µg
Iron
3mg
(17%)
Magnesium
88mg
Phosphorus
181mg
Zinc
2mg
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 327 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 327kcal | 16% |
| Carbohydrates | 37g | 12% |
| Protein | 9g | 18% |
| Fat | 17g | 26% |
| Saturated Fat | 12g | 60% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Sodium | 743mg | 31% |
| Potassium | 514mg | 11% |
| Fiber | 6g | 24% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 391IU | 8% |
| Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) | 1mg | |
| Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | 1mg | |
| Vitamin B3 (Niacin) | 30mg | |
| Vitamin B6 | 1mg | |
| Vitamin C | 58mg | 64% |
| Vitamin E | 1mg | |
| Vitamin K | 2µg | |
| Calcium | 135mg | 14% |
| Vitamin B9 (Folate) | 385µg | |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
| Magnesium | 88mg | 22% |
| Phosphorus | 181mg | |
| Zinc | 2mg |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
156 reviews
Excellent
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