Kadala Curry/Black Channa Gravy/Kala Channa Gravy

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Brown Kondaikadalai/Kala channa* - 2 cups (cooked)

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbspn

Onion - 1 cup, chopped 

Green chili - 1 slit lengthwise 

Tomato -1, chopped

Grated coconut - 3/4 cup or Coconut Milk - 1/2 cup, thick

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp 

Chili Powder - 3/4 - 1 tbspn 

Coriander Powder - 3 tsps 

Garam Masala - 1 tsp 

Salt as per taste

*1 cup uncooked channa yields 2 cups cooked channa

To temper;

Oil - 2 tbspns 

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp 

Hing - a pinch 

Curry leaves - few

For Garnishing;

Coriander Leaves - 1 tbspn, chopped

Method:

Soak channa overnight or for 5-6 hours. Pressure cook until soft with a little salt and just enough water.

If using coconut, heat 1/2 tsp of oil and saute coconut on medium flame until it turns golden brown. Grind it to a smooth paste. Keep it aside. If you are using coconut milk, omit this step.

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, hing, when mustard splutters, add ginger garlic paste and saute until the raw flavor goes. Then add onions, green chili, curry leaves and saute until onions turn light brown. Add a little salt to the onions to speed up the process.

Add tomatoes and cook until tomatoes become mushy. Once the tomato is cooked, add turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder, salt and saute until the raw flavor of the masala powder goes. If it becomes too dry, add a tbsp of water and cook.

Then add the cooked kadala along with the water. Add the ground coconut paste or the coconut milk and cook for a few minutes. Take a ladle of cooked channa, grind it to a coarse paste and add it to the gravy along with garam masala. Add more water and cook on medium flame until everything gets blended well.

Garnish with the chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with puttu, appam or with chapati or dosa or idiyappam.

Inspired from here