Kadala Curry or Kerala Style Chickpea Curry is a quintessential dish in every Malayalee household. It’s a very popular dish to serve with puttu, appam and dosa and also eaten with idiyappam or string hoppers, paratha and boiled red rice for lunch or dinner.

Ingredients 

  • 1/2 cup Fresh Coconut (Grated)
  • 1 cup Kala Chana / Kadala / Black Chickpeas
  • 2 tbsp Coconut Oil
  • 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
  • 10-12 Curry Leaves
  • 1 tsp Ginger Paste
  • 1 tsp Garlic Paste
  • 1/2 cup Onion (Chopped)
  • 1/2 Cup Tomato (Chopped)
  • 2-3 Green Chilli (Slit into half)
  • 1 tsp Coriander Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
  • 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Kerala Garam Masala Powder
  • Salt to taste

For Tempering

  • 1 tbsp Coconut Oil
  • 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
  • 1/4 tsp Hing
  • 10-12 Curry Leaves
  • 2-3 Dry red chillies

Instructions

  • Wash the black chana and soak in enough water for 6-8 hours.
  • Drain the water and add the chana in a pressure cooker along with 2 cups of water and 2 tsp salt.
  • Pressure cook until chana is nicely cooked.
  • Dry roast the fresh coconut until is it nicely browned.
  • Add it in a blender along with 1/2 cup of water and make a smooth paste.
  • Heat coconut oil in a pan.
  • Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and curry leaves and let them crackle for a few seconds.
  • Add ginger paste and garlic paste and fry for a minute.
  • Add onion and fry until it turns translucent.
  • Now add tomato and green chilli and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
  • Add coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and garam masala powder and fry for 3-4 minutes.
  • Add some water if required.
  • Add the coconut paste and cook for a minute.
  • Next add the cooked chana along with the water in the masala.
  • Cook for 10-12 minutes on medium flame.
  • Add more water if the gravy is too thick.
  • Mash a few chana with the back of a ladle.
  • It will make the gravy creamier.
  • For tempering, heat coconut oil in a pan.
  • Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds, hing, curry leaves and dry red chilli and fry for a few seconds.
  • Pour the tempering over the curry.
  • Serve hot with Puttu or Appam.