Kadala curry in Kerala Style is one of my hometown's most unique and authentic recipes. It is made with Black Chickpeas also called Black Bengal Gram or 'Black Channa'. 'Kadala' is the Malayalam name for 'Black Channa' or Black Chickpeas. This spicy, flavorful, and delectable curry is usually served as a side dish. It pairs well with many South Indian breakfasts like Puttu, Vellappam, Pathiri, and even Roti.
This authentic curry from Kerala has been passed on from generations back home. You will find many recipes online and shortcuts to make this curry, unsurprisingly they all turn out good as Black Chickpeas are flavorful by themselves. However, once you taste this original and authentic Kadala curry, you will not mind the extra effort that goes into making this the age-old traditional way. The aroma of the coconut roasting with the spices that fill your home during the preparation of this curry is special. It brings back fond memories of my childhood days.
Why you will love this curry?
- This curry tastes authentic, as the recipe calls for roasting the grated coconut with spices, fennel, shallots, and curry leaves, and grinding them all into a fine paste.
- It is a great combination with any flatbread or dishes made with rice and rice flour. It is especially good with South Indian breakfast items like Puttu, Vellappam, and Pathiri.
- Black Channa is full of protein and it is quite filling and nutritious.
- Tempering with mustard seeds, and shallots in coconut oil elevates the curry to the next level.
- Use this curry base with mixed vegetables or chicken to get yet another variation of the curry.
Ingredients Breakdown
- Black Channa or Kadala - Soak in water overnight or at least for eight hours.
- Grated coconut roasted with spices.
- Spices like turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder, fennel, and clove(optional).
- Shallots, curry leaves, and salt to taste.
- Green chilies, Ginger, Tomatoes, Coconut bits.
How to make the Kadala curry in Kerala Style?
Cooking the Kadala or Black Chickpeas
Soak the Kadala or Black Chickpeas in plenty of water for at least eight hours or overnight. It is important to soak them well so that they cook well in the pressure cooker. Cook it with onions, green chilies, and ginger for at least eight to ten whistles.
Making the coconut paste
Dry roast the coconut with fennel, shallots, curry leaves, and spices until it is brown and you get a nice aroma, take care not to burn it else it can result in a bitter taste. Once done cool and grind to a fine paste with little water.
Mix the cooked Kadala and the coconut paste
Add the ground paste to the cooked Kadala and let it boil, add some chopped tomato and more curry leaves until the curry gets a deep brown color.
Tempering the curry
Heat coconut oil and add mustard seeds when hot. Add shallots when the mustard seeds splutter and keep stirring until the shallots turn reddish brown. You can also add curry leaves to this. Mix this into the curry to get the most aromatic, delicious, and flavorful Kadala curry.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can you cook the black channa without soaking it? To save time, it is better to soak for 8 hours or overnight as the black chickpeas take a good amount of time to cook. Even after soaking overnight, it takes about 8 to 10 whistles in a pressure cooker.
- Can I skip roasting the coconut with spices and grind? Yes, some folks directly grind the coconut and the mentioned spices without roasting and it will still taste good. However, for the authentic taste, roasting is recommended.
- Can I use clove in the contents for roasting the coconut? Sure you can use 2 to 3 cloves to get a nice aroma and taste.
- Can I skip adding the coconut bits to the curry? Yes, this is optional and I make it often and sometimes skip this as well.
- Can I use red onions instead of shallots? Shallots are preferred for the authentic taste but using red onion is a good substitution.
Kadala curry Kerala Style
Equipment
- 1 Pressure cooker
- 1 Mixie Jar
Ingredients
To Pressure Cook
- 1 ½ cup Black chickpeas soaked in water
- 1 onion chopped
- 3-4 green chilies
- 1 ½ inch ginger chopped
- 2 tbsp coconut bits (thenga kothu) optional
To Dry Roast
- 1 ½ cups grated coconut
- 1 ½ tsp fennel seeds
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp red chili powder or as tolerated
- 6 tsp coriander powder
- 2 -3 shallots
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 2-3 cloves optional
For Tempering
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 shallots finely chpped
- 1 sprig curry leaf
Instructions
- Soak the Black channa (Black Chickpeas) or Kadala overnight in plenty of water.
- Cook the Kadala with chopped onions, green chilies, ginger, and salt for about 8 to 10 whistles in a pressure cooker
- Heat a pan and add a teaspoon of coconut oil. Add the grated coconut with all the spices, fennel, shallots and curry leaves mentioned in the "to dry roast section".
- Roast the coconut well on medium flame and it will turn brown slowly.
- The roasted coconut should turn dark brown , take care not to burn it.
- When cooled , grind with very little water to form a brown paste.
- Mix the ground coconut paste into the cooked Kadala( Black Chickpeas).
- Add the chopped tomatoes, mix well and cook until the curry gets a deep brown color.
- Heat the oil in a small pan and temper the curry with mustard seeds , chopped shallots and curry leaves.
- Add this to the curry and mix well.
- Kadala Curry or Black Channa (Black Chickpeas) Curry is ready to be served.
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I just made this Kadala Curry Kerala Style, and it’s a keeper! The coconut-based gravy is rich and perfectly spiced—pairs so well with steamed rice or appam.
I really love this recipe. I've never made anything quite like it before, but I'm so glad I found it. It's a new favorite.
First time I made Kadala curry! It was so good! Thanks!
Great curry recipe. The directions were super easy to follow and it turned out delicious.
Love that this is naturally vegan. I'll be making again soon, sooo good.
great curry recipe i love chickpeas! gotta give this a try
This is such a wonderful dish. I love the flavor of the curry with the beans. Yum!
I'm going to be making this one again! What I loved so much about it is that it was such an easy recipe to deliver so much flavor!
I love food from Kerala! This looks like such a delicious curry, I'm going to try making it over the weekend for my family that's visiting from out of town.
There are so many delicious flavors in this recipe! I hadn't heard of it before, but it's a great dish for trying something new.
I am looking forward to trying this recipe, especially with the fact coconut is involved. I can already tell this will be my family's new favourite curry.
YUM! This Kadala curry recipe is amazing. It’s not just the recipe it’s how it’s prepared. Thank you so much for sharing your family’s recipe!
I have tasted a few curry dishes, but never have tasted these black chickpeas before
My family loved this!