VENTHAYA KUZHAMBU

by Deerga // August 16, 2014 // No Comments

Venthaya kuzhambu is a south Indian gravy that is usually had with white rice (and rarely with idli or dosa). I learnt this dish from my MIL. She is my go-to source for all traditional south Indian (especially Tamilian) recipes. Venthaya kuzhambu is very much like puli (tamarind) kuzhambu except for the fact that we use only fenugreek seeds (venthaiyam/methi) in the recipe.

Venthayam/Methi/Fenugreek is a healthy spice especially for new moms (for milk production) and also used for digestive problems. Fenugreek seeds in general are bitter in taste. Hence be cautious in the number for fenugreek seeds you use for the preparation of Venthaya kuzhambu. Personally, I have cooked Venthaya kuzhambu only for two, so, I use very little amount of fenugreek seeds (half in that I fry and the rest I add as is in the gravy).

Like all those dishes that tastes better as they get older (pizza, fish gravy etc), Venthaya kuzhambu tastes excellent as it gets older. As I had mentioned above, you can have this gravy with white rice or as a side dish for curd rice, yummy! Try this healthy (for all those new moms) and tasty recipe in your home and as always let me know your comments and thoughts.

VENTHAYA KUZHAMBU

Recipe type: lunch

Cuisine: Indian

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients

Shallots,chopped – 6 nos
Garlic cloves, chopped – 4 nos
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp ( 5 to 6 nos )
Tamarind – big gooseberry size
Sambar powder – 1 tbs
Grated Coconut – 1 tbs
Gingelly oil – 2 tbs
Salt – as required

Instructions

Soak tamarind in water for half an hour and extract the juice. Add sambar powder to the tamarind extract, mix well and set aside.
Grind the coconut along with one chopped shallot and little water in to a fine paste.
Dry roast the fenugreek seeds in a hot pan until golden brown. Allow them to cool. keep half of them aside and blend the remaining half to powder.
Heat a pan with oil and add the shallots. Sauté until the onions turn translucent.
Add garlic and sauté well.
Add tamarind extract and the dry roasted fenugreek seeds.
Now add the coconut paste and bring it to boil. Add the fenugreek powder. Mix well and cook until the gravy is thick and dark brown. Switch off the flame.
Serve venthaya kuzhambu along with white rice and egg podimas or fryums on the side. Enjoy!

Notes

1.Be careful while roasting the fenugreek seeds as it tastes bitter when overcooked. 2.Grinding very few fenugreek seeds to powder is a difficult job. So make a batch and use very little for this gravy. Store the remaining in a small air tight container.

KALYANA RASAM

by Deerga // July 31, 2014 // No Comments

Kalyana rasam, as the name suggests, is a special type of rasam that is served in marriage feasts (kalyanam – marriage). It is one of the many varieties of rasam out there. I learnt this recipe out of curiosity. Kalyana rasam is one of those recipes that you don’t realize their uniqueness until you actually try them.

One fine day, while I was looking for something interesting to cook i.e., known item but not a well known recipe, I came across Kalyana rasam. First I was skeptical about the name but the name did remind me about the specific taste of rasam in marriage feasts. So, I went ahead and gave it a try. And trust me, once you have kalayana rasam, you will certainly remember those marriage feasts.

Try this unique, flavorful and tasty kalyana rasam at your home and relive those joyous memories of marriages and the wonderful feasts that accompany them :). Don’t forget to post your comments as well.

KALYANA RASAM

Recipe type: Appetizer

Cuisine: Indian

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Serves: 3 to 4

Ingredients

Tomato, medium sized– 2 nos , divided
Toor dal – ¼ cup (soaked in water for ½ an hour)
Ghee - ½ tsp
Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
Turmeric powder – a pinch
Asafetida – a pinch
Cilantro – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 tsp

To roast and grind:

Toor dal – 1 tbsp
Black peppercorns – ½ tsp
Red chilli – 1 nos
Cumin seeds – ¼ tsp

Instructions

Pressure cook the toor dal with ½ a cup of water for 5 to six whistles.
Grind ¾ th of the tomato into puree. Chop and save the remaining.
Heat a seasoning ladle with few drops of ghee and roast the given ingredients by adding one by one. Do not over roast the ingredients. Allow it to cool and grind them to a fine paste.
Combine the tomato puree, ground paste, turmeric powder, asafetida and salt in a sauce pan and allow it to boil for 10 minutes.
Add the cooked toor dal to the mixture and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes until a froth is formed around the rim. Switch off the flame and add the remaining tomato (chopped) to the hot rasam. Garnish with curry leaves and cilantro.
Temper the rasam with mustard seeds. Enjoy the kalyana rasam with white rice and scrambled eggs or any fry on the side!

MUSHROOM PEPPER FRY

by Deerga // June 23, 2014 // 2 Comments

Mushroom is a popular ingredient found in Asian cuisine, especially, Korean, Indian and Japanese. It is a popular item in up-scale vegetarian restaurants back home. Do you know that mushroom is actually a type of fungus?! Mushroom pepper fry is a relatively new dish in my cook book. I learned it from a recipe that I found online. Mushroom pepper fry is one of those recipes that goes well with almost all main dishes, namely, rice, chappati, dosa, poori etc.

Mushroom pepper fry is what I call the vegetarian equivalent of mutton fry and trust me, it does taste similar. It is easy to cook and can be recycled to some type of gravy as well.

Do try this recipe in your home and let me know of your thoughts, including any new variations that you had tried or any suggestions!

5.0 from 1 reviews

MUSHROOM PEPPER FRY

Recipe type: Lunch

Cuisine: Indian

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients

Oil – 2 tbsp
Whole spices – 1 bay leaf, 2 green cardamom, 2 cloves, 1 “ cinnamon stick
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp, divided
Onion, chopped – 1 no
Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Curry leaves – a sprig
Green chilli, chopped – 2 nos
Tomato, chopped – 1 no
Turmeric powder – a pinch
Mushroom – 150 grams
Salt as required
Cilantro – to ganish
Lemon juice – 1 tbsp

To crush

Black pepper – 1 tsp
Garlic – ½ tsp
Cumin seeds – ½ tsp

For the seasoning

Butter – ½ tbsp
Crushed items
Coriander powder – ½ tbsp
Cumin power – ½ tbsp
Red chilli powder - ½ tbsp
Cilantro – ½ tbsp

Instructions

Heat oil in a wide open pan and add the whole spices. Add in half a tsp of cumin seeds, followed by chopped onion. When they turn translucent, add turmeric powder and ginger garlic paste.
When the raw aroma disappears add curry leaves. Add green chillies followed by tomatoes. Sauté well and simmer. Meanwhile wash and cut the mushrooms.
After the tomatoes are well cooked add the mushrooms and sauté well. Add in half a cup of water. Cover and cook for couple of minutes.
While the mushrooms are getting cooked, heat a seasoning ladle (or a small pan), add butter and season with crushed garlic, pepper and cumin seeds. Also, add all the powders and cilantro to the seasoning. Give a quick stir and add to the mushroom gravy. Add salt. Cook until all the water is evaporated and you get the nice and dry mushroom fry (or make it as a semi gravy according to your choice)

CHALNA |SALNA

by Deerga // June 7, 2014 // 2 Comments

Chalna is a popular Tamilian dish that is had mainly with parotta (again, a tamilian take on north Indian paratha). It is also known as saervai in Chennai. Chalna is also used as an ingredient for kothu parotta in restaurants. It is mainly added to compensate the dryness of parotta.
Back in my home state, Chalna served in restaurants is watery but mine is a little bit thick. I personally like to have it with dosa as well. Chalna poured over shredded parotta is a common sight in restaurants back home and having it like that tastes so good 🙂 There are different varieties of Chalna; plain, vegetarian, non-vegetarian etc. The recipe I had given here is plain. In vegetarian Chalna, potato is added and in non-vegetarian version, meat (chicken or mutton – mainly bones) is added.
The Chalna recipe that I had given here is the end product of numerous trials and errors and is the best version to date, guaranteed! So, do try this wonderful recipe in your kitchen and let me know your experiences.

CHALNA |SALNA

Recipe type: Breakfast / Dinner

Cuisine: Indian

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients

For the powder:

Oil - 2 drops
Coriander seeds - 1 ½ tbsp
Cumin seeds -3/4 tbsp
Red chillies – 4 nos
Whole green chilli – 2nos (don’t cut)
Curry leaves- 6 to 7 nos
Cinnamon stick - 1 “
Fennel seeds- ½ tsp

For the Paste:

Oil - ½ tbsp
Big onion - 1
Shallots - 2 nos
Ginger - a small piece
Garlic - 2 cloves
Poppy seeds – 1 tbsp
Cashews – 3 nos
Green chillies – the same above sautéed ones.
Ripen tomato – 1 (roughly chopped)
Grated coconut – 1 ½ tbsp

Other ingredients:

Gingelly oil – 2 tbsp
Cinnamon – 1”
Clove -1
Fennel seeds – 2 pinch
curry leaves – 6 nos
turmeric powder – ½ tsp
salt as required
Chicken – ¼ kg
Water – 1 to 1 ½ cup
Chopped cilantro for garnishing

Instructions

Step 1:

Heat oil in a pan and add in coriander seeds, cumin seeds, red chillies, whole green chillies and curry leaves one by one. Sauté for 40 seconds. Add in cinnamon and fennel seeds. Give a quick stir and switch off the flame.
Remove the green chillies and keep aside. Allow the above mixture to cool and make a powder.

Step 2:

Heat oil in a pan and add in roughly chopped onion, shallots, ginger and garlic. Sauté for few seconds. Add in poppy seeds and cashews and green chillies (the same above sautéed ones). Give a stir and add roughly chopped tomato. Sauté for few seconds and switch off the flame. Allow it to cool and make a paste.

Step 3:

Grind coconut separately to a fine paste.

Step 4:

Heat oil in a small pressure cooker and add in cinnamon, clove and fennel seeds. When they start to sizzle add in curry leaves and give a stir.
Now add in the ground onion paste and sauté for few seconds. Add the ground masala powder along with turmeric powder and salt and sauté until the color changes and oil separates.
Add in the chicken pieces and stir well until the paste is well blended. Add water and mix well. cover the lid and cook for a whistle. When done add in the coconut paste and bring it to a boil – at this stage you will start to notice oil in the rim. Check salt and switch off the flame. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
Serve hot with plain parotta or roti or kothu parotta or idli or dosa. Enjoy!

Notes

Vegetarians can add vegetables instead of chicken or simply make plain chalna. I tried both and it tasted heavenly.

MOCHAI KUZHAMBU

by Deerga // May 21, 2014 // No Comments

Mochai is a type of bean also known as field beans in English. You will find this as Val beans in Indian grocery stores across the US. Mochai Kuzhambu is a gravy dish made with Mochai beans. The search for these beans in the US must have been the longest one that I have ever undertaken to find a food item (ingredient or cooked dish).
Mochai Kuzhambu tastes somewhat similar to Puzhi Kuzhambu only that it has Mochai beans in it. An interesting fact about Mochai is that every part of the plant is edible, i.e., can be cooked and eaten. However, Indian recipes are predominantly made using the beans only. Also, Mochai is used to make Tofu and Tempeh (attention vegan lovers!).
Mochai Kuzhambu is one of the easiest dishes to make. It goes well with hot white rice and normally you don’t need a side dish since the Mochai beans serves as one. Mochai Kuzhambu also tastes good when had with Chappati or Dosa.
Here is the recipe to Mochai Kuzhambu. Do try it in your home and let me know your thoughts.

MOCHAI KUZHAMBU

Recipe type: lunch

Cuisine: Indian

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 3

Ingredients

Mochai (Field Beans) - ¾ cup
Tamarind – a big gooseberry sized ball (when diluted comes to ¼ cup)
Small Onion – 8 nos
Tomato - ½
Garlic - 4 cloves
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Salt - to taste

To saute and grind:

Oil - 1 tsp
Shallots - 6 to 7 nos
Tomato – 1 no
Garlic - 4 cloves
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Fennel seeds – ½ tsp
Grated coconut – 2 tbsp

To temper:

Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dal - ½ tsp
Fenugreek seeds - ¼ tsp
Hing - a generous pinch
Curry leaves – a sprig

Instructions

Soak the beans in water overnight or at least 8 hours and pressure cook for 6 whistles.
Soak the tamarind in water for 15 minutes and extract the juice.
Sauté and grind the ingredients mentioned above to a fine paste.
Heat oil in a sauce pan and add the items given under tempering. When they start to sizzle, add in chopped shallots. Sauté until they turn translucent.
Now add in garlic cloves and sauté until the raw smell leaves. Add the chopped tomatoes and sauté till they become mushy.
Add in the cooked beans along with tamarind juice and water and bring it to boil- it should take couple of minutes.
Now add in the ground paste followed by red chilli powder, coriander powder and salt. Mix well and bring it to boil- add water if needed.
Simmer it in a low flame for 10 minutes until the gravy thickens.
Switch off the flame and close the lid. Serve it after 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Notes

You could also dry roast the Mochai or field beans before soaking in water.
Always try adding coconut just while blending, without roasting it. As coconut has high cholesterol when roasted.
Whenever you make any type of beans gravy, try to serve it at least after 15 minutes so that the beans absorb the masalas from the gravy.

GRANDMA’S VELLAPOODU KUZHAMBU | POONDU KUZHAMBU | GARLIC GRAVY

by Deerga // April 19, 2014 // No Comments

Grandma’s Vellapoodu Kuzhambu, as the name suggests, is a dish from my late grandmother’s kitchen. It is more of like a family recipe, in the sense, passed on to my mom and then to me. Now I am sharing this with you.
Vellapoodu kuzhambu is a popular dish in south India and is primarily made of pepper, curry leaves and lots of garlic cloves. It is one of my favorite dishes among vegetarian recipes. It has been a mainstay in my mom’s cooking since my childhood.
The first time I made my grandma’s vellapoodu kuzhambu, it did not resemble to the one made by my mom but my perseverance paid off. So, when I say the recipe has been tried and tested, it literally means that 🙂
As I had mentioned in my puli kuzambhu recipe, the main ingredient for my grandma’s vellapoodu kuzhambu is using whole garlic cloves; not the diced ones. This gives the unique taste found in my grandma’s recipe.
So here is the wonderful recipe of my grandma’s vellapoodu kuzhambu and let me know how well did it go in your kitchen 🙂

POONDU KUZHAMBU|GARLIC GRAVY

Recipe type: Lunch

Cuisine: Indian

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 2

Vellapoodu kuzhambu is a popular dish in south India and is primarily made of pepper, curry leaves and lots of garlic cloves. It is one of my favorite dishes among vegetarian recipes. It has been a mainstay in my mom’s cooking since my childhood.

Ingredients

Gingelly oil – 1 tbsp
Cumin seed – 1 tbsp
Red chilli – 1
Black Pepper – 1 tsp
Mustard seed – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Raw Rice – 1 tbsp (soaked in water for 1 hour)
Garlic cloves – 15 nos
Raw rice water (kalani thanni) – 1 cup
Curry leaves – a sprig
Salt – as required

Instructions

Heat a pan with half a tsp of gingelly oil. Add cumin seeds, black peeper, red chilli and half a tsp of mustard seeds and stir fry till they start to splutter. Allow it to cool and grind it with a tsp of turmeric powder, soaked rice and a garlic clove with little raw rice water and make into paste.
Heat the same pan with remaining oil, add mustard seeds and curry leaves. When mustard seeds start to splutter, add in the remaining garlic cloves and sauté for a minute or until the cloves changes color.
Now add ground masala along with raw rice water and salt and give it a stir. Bring it to boil or wait until the gravy thickens and garlic cloves are well cooked.
Serve this gravy on side with hot rice and scrambled egg.

Notes

Raw rice water is nothing but the water you get when you wash the rice for the second time.
Adding this water is mainly because it thickens the gravy.

CHANNA MASALA / CHANNA / CHOLE

by Deerga // April 13, 2014 // No Comments

Channa or Channa Masala is a very popular north Indian dish made from chick peas. You can find Channa Masala in almost all Indian restaurants, north Indian or south Indian. Channa is a very good source of protein and when cooked as a gravy it tastes yummy. In fact, it is one of my HB’s favorite dishes. We never fail to make Channa Masala at least once every two weeks.
The main step in preparing Channa Masala is the amount of time that you soak the chick peas in water before cooking. The more it is soaked, the faster it gets cooked. As I said above, it is a good source of protein and I heard from my HB that back in India, he and his friends used leave Channa soaked in water overnight and have a handful before hitting the gym, sort of like an energy booster. There is also a black chickpea called as Kondaikadalai in my native tongue that can be cooked similar to Channa Masala. I have given the recipe for that here . There are days when we cook Channa without any masala, i.e., not in a gravy form and have it for dinner. This type is called a Sundal in Tamil. It is a popular Prashadam dish in temples back home.
Channa Masala is a very good side dish for Chappati, Bhature (Channa Bhature is another popular north Indian dish), Poori and rice as well. And here is the recipe for Channa Masala. Try it in your home and as always comment on your experience and thoughts 🙂

CHANNA / CHOLE

Recipe type: Lunch|Dinner

Cuisine: Indian

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients

Cooking or vegetable oil – 1 tbs
Cinnamon stick – 1 (2 inch)
Cardamom – 3
Cloves – 2
Bay leaf – 1
Cumin seeds – 1 tbs
Onion – 1
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Ginger & Garlic paste – 1 tbs
Green chillies, finely chopped – 1 no
Channa masala – 1 ½ tbs
Channa or chickpeas – 1 cup
Lemon juice – 1 tbs
Salt as required
Coriander leaves – for garnishing

to make puree

Tomato - 1 no
green chilli - 1 no

Instructions

Soak the channa/chickpeas overnight or for 8 hours.
Pressure cook the channa with little water and a tsp of salt for 3 whistles - It should be cooked in such a way that you could smash the channa by your thumb and index fingers.
Make a puree of tomato and green chilli in a blender and set aside.
Heat a wide pan with a tbs of oil, add the whole spices mentioned above followed by cumin seeds.
When cumin seeds start to splutter, add chopped onion and fry till they are softened and become translucent.
Add turmeric powder and ginger-garlic paste. Sauté until the raw aroma of ginger-garlic disappears.
Add the tomato puree and chopped green chilli. Saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring in between.
Add channa masala powder and little salt . Mix well and saute until oil seperates.
Add the cooked masala into boiled channa, mix well and pressure cook for another 2 whistles.
Sprinkle few drops of lemon juice on top and garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot channa masala with pooris, chapattis or steamed rice accompanied with lemon & onion slices.

PULIKUZHAMBU

by Deerga // April 13, 2014 // No Comments

Pulikuzhambu is a south Indian gravy made from tamarind. Again, there are many variations to it based on geographical locations. It is specific to Tamilnadu. Pulikuzhambu is very easy to make and involves very limited ingredients. It is one of the main dishes served in a marriage feast along with Sambar. There are many variations of Pulikuzhambu but I would say almost every one of them is easy to make.
Pulikuzhambu is one of my favorite vegetarian dishes. I love the tanginess (because of tamarind) in it. And I love the one prepared by my mom. There is this tradition in most of the homes in Tamilnadu where quite often families have dinner under moon light, sharing food with their dear ones. It is called as Nilachoru (Nila- Moon, Choru – rice) in Tamil. Pulikuzhambu is often the dish that we used to have in our nilachoru back home. So whenever I prepare Pulikuzhambu here, I feel nostalgic and start missing my home.
The drumstick Pulikuzhambu recipe that I have given here is my Mom’s so it guaranteed to come out well when you prepare it :). I love having Pulikuzhambu with rice and poriyal (for which I given the recipe here (link)) and also with curd (yoghurt). So do try this wonderful and simple recipe at your home and let me know your comments.

DRUMSTICK PULI KUZHAMBU |MURUNGAIKAI PULI KUZHAMBU

Recipe type: Lunch

Cuisine: Indian

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Serves: 3

Ingredients

Gingelly oil – 1 tbs
Mustard seeds & urad dal - 1 tsp each
Fennel seeds- ½ tsp
Curry leaves- a sprig
Shallots – 7 nos (cut lenghtwise)
Garlic cloves – 5 (cut lenghtwise)
Drumstick – 1 (cut into equal pieces)
Sambar powder – 1 to 2 tbs
Grated coconut – 1 tbs
Tamarind – big gooseberry size
Salt as required

Instructions

Soak tamarind in a cup of water and extract the juice.
Blend together a shallot, grated coconut and a tbs of sambar powder with little water to make a paste.
Heat a pan with gingelly oil followed by mustard, urad dal, fennel seeds and curry leaves. When they start to sizzle, add in chopped garlic and sauté for few seconds until the aroma spreads. Add shallots and sauté for a while.
When the shallots turn translucent, add sambar powder followed by drumstick. Give a quick stir and add the ground paste and the tamarind extract. Stir and bring it to boil. Close the lid and cook until the drumstick is done (drumsticks easily disintegrates when you poke it with your cooking spatula).
Serve hot with any poriyal or kootu. Enjoy!

MULLANGI SAMBAR | RADISH SAMBAR

by Deerga // April 13, 2014 // No Comments

Sambar is one of the identities of my home state in India, Tamil Nadu, along with Kaanchipuram silks, Temples and Bharatanatyam ( Do tell me if I had missed anything in the comments section below 🙂 ). Sambar is a very common south Indian dish which can be had in your breakfast, lunch or even dinner. It is a staple dish in almost all marriage feasts where there is a vegetarian menu.

Sambar is a go to dish for most south Indian moms since it goes well with idli, dosa, ven pongal and white rice and also could be made in a jiffy.

There are so many varieties of sambar like araithuvitta sambar, sambar using tamarind juice, avasara sambar and I will try to give you the recipes of these in the near future. (updated here)
Here I have given the recipe for puli ootriya sambar which i have learned from my best friend.

MULLANGI SAMBAR | RADDISH SAMBAR

Recipe type: Lunch

Cuisine: Indian

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Toor dal - ¼th cup
Green chillies – 3
Shallots - 1 (Cut horizontally into thin round slices - like how you cut for onion bajjis).
Tomato - 1
Sambar powder - 1 tbs
Sakthi sambar powder - 2 tbs
Coriander leaves - for garnishing
Oil - 1 tbs
Onion vadahams ( Thaalippu vadaham)- for seasoning
Salt - as per taste
Hing - a pinch
Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
Raddish – 1
Tamarind – big gooseberry size

Seasoning: (alternative for sambar vadaham)

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Urad dal – 1 tsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Onion – 1 tbs
Curry leaves – few

Instructions

Soak tamarind in a glass of water for 15 minutes and extract the juice.
Pressure cook the dal with pinch of turmeric powder, hing and few drops of sesame oil for 5 whistles.
Heat a tbs of oil in a kadai, add onions and sauté until they turn translucent.
When onions turns golden brown or transparent add tomato and sauté until tomato gets cooked well.
Now add in the vegetables, sambar powders, salt, two cups of water, mix well and bring it to boil.
Mash the cooked dal and add to the sambar bring it to boil and wait until the sambar gets slightly thicker.
Now add the extracted tamarind juice to the sambar, bring it to boil and switch off the flame.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Season onion vadaham in a tsp of oil and add to sambar. Serve it hot with white rice (don’t forget to drizzle a tsp of ghee on top before serving).

KONDAIKADALAI KURMA

by Deerga // April 13, 2014 // No Comments

Channa dal is one of the most protein rich gram varieties out there. And black channa is the best among them. It is called as kondaikadalai (kondai – bun, similar to bun hairstyle, kadalai- dal/gram) in my native tongue, Tamil. Usually this black channa gravy (kondaikadalai kurma) is had with white rice and rasam but is also good side dish for chappati and dosa. People who are in a diet or planning to go on a diet can include this item in their menu.
One main step in preparing this dish is to leave the kondaikadalai soaked in water overnight. So a certain degree of pre -planning is required. Once this is done, you can prepare this black channa gravy in no time. Also, I prefer this version over the white channa (white garbanzo beans) version any day. 🙂

BLACK CHANNA GRAVY |KONDAKADALAI KURMA

Recipe type: Lunch/Dinner

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 20 mins

Serves: 3

Ingredients

Onion -1
Tomato – 1
Black channa – 1 cup
Oil – 1 tbs
Salt as required

To grind :

Grated coconut – 1 tbs
Garlic clove – 1
Fennel seeds – 1 /2 tbs
Sambar powder – 2 tbs

Instructions

Soak black channa or kondakadalai in water for 8 hours or overnight and pressure cook for 5 whistles.
Grind the ingredients given above to fine paste and keep it ready.
Heat oil in a pan, add onion and sauté until the color changes. Add tomato and saute until soft. Add cooked channa followed by the ground mixture and bring it to boil. Switch off the flame when the gravy thickens.
Serve it hot with chapathi or white rice with rasam. Enjoy!