Kadalai cuury - Black Chana Gravy

 

    Kadalai curry is a delicious gravy which tastes great with Aappam and Puttu. This kadalai curry is prepared with Black chana. Though White chana can be used, Black chana is suits better for the gravy. Let us get into the recipe.

Ingredients:

1. Black Chana - 1 cup

For Masala:

1. Cinnamon - 1 small stick

2. Cardamom - 1

3. Cloves - 4

4. Coriander seeds - 1 1/2 Tbsp

5. Fennel seeds - 1/2 Tbsp

6. Pepper corns - 1/4 Tbsp

7. Small onion - 10 (or) Half Big onion

8. Grated coconut - 1/2 cup

9. Curry leaves - few

For Base Gravy:

1. Mustard Seeds 

2. Red chillies - 2

3. Sliced coconut pieces - few

4. Onion - 1

5. Tomato - 2

6. Chilli powder - 2 spoons (Kashmiri red chilli powder if you want red gravy)

7. Turmeric powder - a little

8. Coriander leaves - few

Recipe:

1. Soak Black chana for 6 to 8 hours and pressure cook the chana for 5 whistles.

2. In a Pan, heat some coconut oil and fry cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, pepper corns. Now add chopped onion, curry leaves and saute for a while. Can add salt for making the process easy. Add grated coconut and saute the mix till it turns brown. Browning the ingredients is mandatory for kadalai curry. Cool down the mixture and grind the mixture into paste

3. In the same Pan, heat coconut oil and temper mustard seeds. Once it crackles, add broken red chilli and curry leaves. Add onion and saute the onion till it turns pale. Now add tomatoes and close the Pan with a lid. Once the tomatoes turn mushy, add chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. Saute for a while and add cooked Black chana and Grounded paste. 

4. All the curry to boil for few minutes. Garnish the curry with coriander leaves.

Notes:

1. Though White chana can be used, Black chana suits best for this gravy. 

2. Though big onions can be used, Pearl/small onions gives better taste than big onions.

3. Do not skip coconut slices in the gravy, It adds extraordinary taste to the curry.