Kadala Curry Recipe / Kerala Kadala Curry for Puttu, Appam and Idiyappam

                                 
                             If a queue is formed for the food lovers of Kerala recipes, surely I am going to lead the queue...My native being down south of TamilNadu (and close to Trivandrum, Kerala), and so most of our recipes will be having a touch of Kerala food. And all the kerala recipes will have a bunch of nutritional values in them...

                            It was the time I was working with a software consultant at Techno Park, in Trivandrum. I was just relishing over the food (the kerala food) served in the PG (I was staying). There I got introduced to kadala curry. Usually appam will be served with kadala curry, a heavenly combination,,,,,

                           In my home, I usually make moong beans fry for puttu. Whenever I make appam, kadala curry and coconut milk will compulsorily be present on the dining table. This time the kadala curry accompanied my idiyappam. One more specialty of kadala curry is, no need to make ginger garlic paste, yet the taste will be divine...

Prep time 15 mins 
Cooking time 30 mins                 
                       
Ingredients
1 cup Black Chickpeas/Channa
1 Onion Big (Chopped)
2-3 nos Small Onion / Shallots / Pearl Onion
2-3 nos Green Chilies (Slit)
1 tsp Chilly Powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
As per Taste Salt

To Roast and Grind

3/4 -1 cup Coconut Grated
2-3 nos Small Onion / Shallots / Pearl Onion (Sliced)
1- 1&1/2 tbsp Coriander Seeds
1/4 tsp Fennel Seeds
2 inch sized Cinnamon
3 nos Cloves
1/2 tsp Black Pepper Corns

To Temper

1 tbsp Coconut Oil
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 spring Curry Leaves
1-2 nos Red Chilies

Procedure

1. Soak the chickpeas overnight. Pressure cook the chickpeas for 5-6 whistles.
2. Add 1 tsp of oil and roast all the items one by one starting from the species, followed by coriander seeds and shallots. Then add the grated coconut and roast until it turns brown color. Do not over fry them. 
3. From the above roasted items, make a fine paste by adding required water.
4. In a Kadai, add the coconut oil , followed by the mustard seeds. Wait till it splutters. Add the curry leaves and red chilies.
5. Now add the sliced onion big and small, green chilies and saute till the onion turns brown. Then turmeric powder and chilly powder. Saute for few minutes and add a little water.
6. When it boils, add the ground paste and after few minutes add the cooked kadalai/chickpeas.
7. You are done with the recipe. Wait for the consistency as per you wish...

                          Note:

• Need not waste the water left out when cooking the chickpeas. It is full of nutrients in it. You can use this water for cooking. 
• Instead of adding coriander seeds, you can add coriander powder also.
• Adding coconut oil gives a very good flavor. If not available you can use cooking oil too.
• You can garnish wish coriander leaves finally.

The divine kadala curry will go well with puttu, appam, idiyappam, dosa , roti's and chapattis too.