Koottu curry

Koottu curry is a traditional dish of Kerala and is included in Kerala Sadya. It is made with black/brown chana, Yam and Raw plantain. This is traditionally served with rice, but also goes well with roti.

Ingredients:

Black/brown chana (Kadala) - 2/3 cup
Yam - half of a small sized (after peeling and cutting to pieces it was a little more than a cup)
Raw plantain - 1
Turmeric powder
Salt

Shredded coconut - 3/4 cup
Whole black pepper corns - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 1 tsp (Coconut oil is preferred)
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Dry Red chillies - 2 or 3
Curry leaves - a sprig

Preparation:

1. Soak chana overnight. Cook in a pressure cooker with salt,turmeric powder and water. Add just enough water to cook the chana, as this dish has a thick gravy. Keep aside.
2. Peel and cut the yam and raw plantain to small pieces. Cook it with salt,turmeric powder and water. When it is almost cooked, turn off the stove and keep aside.
3.Meanwhile grind together coconut, cumin seeds and pepper corns without adding water.
4. Add the cooked yam and plantain and the ground coconut to the cooked chana and combine well and cook for few minutes.
5. In a small pan, heat oil and splutter mustard seeds. Add dry red chillies and curry leaves. Pour this seasoning over the cooked curry and immeditely close the lid. After 5 mins, open the lid and combine well.

Recipe source: My mother.

Sending this to Kerala Kitchen - August 2011 hosted by Vidhya of Sugar N Spice. Visit The Kerala Kitchen page here.

Linking to Anyone can cook: Series 28 at Taste of Pearl City

Also goes to Flavours of South India

Please do visit and send your entries for my Ongoing event - Fusion Food:Pasta

Kadala curry

കടല കറി 

Kadala is the malayalam for chickpea/bengal gram/black chana. Puttu and kadala curry or Appam and kadala curry is a popular breakfast menu in Kerala. There are many ways to cook kadala curry, with or without using coconut. This version of Kadala curry is cooked in a roasted coconut gravy and has a very good aroma.
This recipe is in my draft for a long time now. I took a picture of it today and so I am ready to post...The lighting in the kitchen was not so good in the morning, so I will try to take a better picture next time.

Ingredients:

1. Kadala/Chickpeas - 1 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt

2. To roast and grind to a fine paste
Oil - 1 tbsp
Coriander seeds - 1 to 1.5 tbsp
Dry red chillies - 4
Cinnamon - a small piece
Cloves - 2
Cardamom -1
Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp
Whole black pepper corns - 1/2 tsp
Shallots - 1 or 2, sliced
Shredded coconut - 3/4 cup

3. Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Shallots - 4 or 5, sliced
Chopped ginger - 1 tsp
Green chillies - 3, sliced
Curry leaves

4.Coriander leaves to garnish

Preparation:

1. Soak kadala overnight. Pressure cook the kadala with turmeric powder and salt till cooked.
2. Meanwhile roast and grind the masala. Heat oil in a pan and add coriander seeds, dry chillies, cinnamon,cloves, cardamom,fennel and pepper corns. Saute till you start getting a nice aroma. Now add the coconut and shallots. Roast this till the coconut gets a dark brown colour. Take care not to burn this. Let it cool and then grind it to a smooth paste. Add enough water while grinding. Keep aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add shallots,ginger, green chillies and curry leaves and saute till shallot starts getting light brown.
4. Add the masala paste and combine well. Saute for a minute.
5. Add the kadala along with the water used for cooking. Mix well and add more water and salt if required. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Garnish with coriander leaves.

I served it with appam this morning :-)

അപ്പവും കടലക്കറിയും