Kadalai Curry

Kadalai curry is a famous side dish made in Kerala for Puttu. This is mostly done for breakfast.

Ingredients:

To Pressure Cook:

Black Chenna (kadalai) - 1 cup

Ginger - 1/2 inch

Green chilli - 2

Onion - 1/2

Salt - 1/4 tsp

For Paste:

Coconut Oil - 2 tbl spoon

Pearl onion - 6

Grated Cocount - 1/2 cup

cardamom - 2

cloves - 2

cinnamon (1 inch stick) - 1

turmeric - pinch

Red chilli powder -1/2 tsp

corriander powder - 3/4 tsp

Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp

For Tempering:

Coconut Oil - 2 tbl spoon

Mustard - 1/4 tsp

Red chilli - 1

Onion - 1/4

Curry leaves - 1 twig (i didn't have to add while cooking)

Preparation:

Take all the ingredients given for pressure cooking and add 2 cups of water as shown in below picture. Pressure cook for 4 whistles in high and another 4 in sim. This mixture will bring half the taste of the dish.

Now to make the paste, heat oil in a pan. Add grated coconut, roast it until it starts to turn brown. 

Now add shallots saute for another 3 mins

Add cardamom, cloves and cinnamon, saute for a min

Add all powders, saute until the coconut is completely brown and the raw smell goes off.

Take the spice mixture in a mixie jar and keep aside for 10 mins to cool it down. This mixture is orangish / red in color depending on the chilli you added.

Once it cools down, grind it into thick paste without adding water. 

( If the mixture is not grinding into fine paste, this means you haven't roasted the coconut enough. so at this point of time, add 1/4 cup of water and make it into fine paste. )

Open the pressure cooker, add this paste and cook for 10 mins.

Temper mustard, red chilli, curry leaves in coconut oil. Add onion and saute until it turns golden brown. 

Season curry with this aromatic tempering.

My curry looks pale as i added very little chilli powder and more coconut. But normally this color varies from orange to red.

Servings: 3