Ingredients :
- 2 cups Kadala soaked overnight
- 1 cup sliced onions
- 1/8 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 cup fresh/frozen grated coconut
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 2 cardamom pods
- 3 cloves
- 1 star anise
- 5 whole black pepper
- salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp oil
- To Garnish
- 1/2 tbsp oil
- 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/4 tsp sliced shallots
- a few curry leaves
- 1 dry red chilly
Method :
- Mix the soaked kadala with sliced onions and turmeric powder. Add water to cover the kadala and cook till soft (or pressure cook for about 15 minutes).
- In a shallow pan, heat oil and add cardamom, cloves, star anise & black pepper seeds and fry for a minute or two.
- Add coconut and fry till brown.
- Add red chilli powder & coriander powder and fry on low heat till brown.
- Dry grind the fried ingredients in a spice grinder. The oil from the coconut will help form a smooth paste of all the ground ingredients.
- Add this paste along with salt to the cooked kadala. If there isn’t enough water in the kadala, add a cup or two and mix well. Bring this to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes till the gravy is thick.
- To garnish, heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. When the seeds start to splutter add shallots, curry leaves and red chilly and saute till brown. Pour this over the cooked kadala.