Kadala Curry
This chickpea curry recipe offers a delightful blend of flavors and textures, creating a comforting and satisfying dish. Beginning with soaked and cooked chickpeas, the curry is infused with aromatic spices like turmeric, coriander, chili powder, and garam masala, which are complemented by the richness of coconut milk.
Ingredients
Soaking
- 1 cup chickpeas
- 4 cups water
For Cooking Kadala
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 cups water
For making curry
- 2 Tablespoon oil
- 6 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 Teaspoon ginger chopped (optional)
- 2 onion chopped (small)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 Tablespoon coriander
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder (adjust to your spice level)
- 1 Teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 Teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup Thick Coconut Milk
- 1 tomato
Tempering
- 2 tbsp oil
- mustard seed 1/2 tsp
- 2 Dried Chilies
- 4 shallots
- 2 sprigs curry leaves
Instructions
Soak the Chickpeas:
- Rinse the dried chickpeas and soak them in 4 cups of water for 6-8 hours or overnight. If short on time, use hot water and soak for 3 hours.
Cook the Chickpeas:
- Drain the soaked chickpeas and transfer them to a pressure cooker.
- Add turmeric powder and 1 1/2 tsp salt.
- Cook over medium-high heat until the first whistle, then reduce heat to low and simmer for another 4 whistles.
- Turn off the heat and let the pressure release naturally. Check for doneness by pressing a chickpea between your fingers; it should be soft.
Prepare the Curry:
- Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add chopped garlic and sauté until golden.
- Add ginger, green chilies, chopped onions, and 1/2 tsp salt. Sauté until onions turn golden brown.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and add ground coriander, chili powder, garam masala, and black pepper. Sauté for 1 minute.
- Add chopped tomatoes and curry leaves. Sauté until tomatoes are soft.
Combine Cooked Chickpeas and Spice Mix
- Add the cooked chickpeas to the pan and mix well with the spice mixture. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the coconut milk and simmer gently. Avoid boiling for too long after adding coconut milk. Alternatively, if coconut milk is unavailable, grind 1 tablespoon of cooked chickpeas and add to the curry.
Prepare the Tempering:
- Heat oil in a small pan for tempering. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
- Add dried red chilies and sliced shallots. Sauté until shallots turn golden brown.
- Add curry leaves to the tempering.
- Pour the tempering over the chickpea curry but do not mix. Cover and let it sit for a while to allow flavors to meld.
- Enjoy your delicious chickpea curry!
Notes
Soak Kadala overnight