Kerala Chickpea Curry (Spicy)

Ingredients

(Measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml)

for cooking the chickpeas:

• ¾ cup black chickpeas (kala chana or desi chana or whole bengal gram or kadala)
• 2 cups water for soaking black chickpeas
• 2.5 cups water Or the soaked water+fresh water for pressure cooking

for kerala garam masala:

• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds (saunf)
• 2 to 3 strands of mace (javitri)
• 1 inch cinnamon (dalchini)
• 3 cloves (lavang)
• 3 pinches of grated nutmeg or nutmeg powder (jaiphal powder)

for coconut paste:

• ½ cup grated coconut, tightly packed
• ¼ to 1/3 cup water for grinding coconut

other ingredients:

• 1/3 cup chopped shallots or pearl onions (sambar onions)
• ½ inch ginger chopped, about 1 teaspoon chopped ginger (adrak)
• 1 or 2 green chilies chopped, about 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies
• 10 to 12 curry leaves (kadi patta)
• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder (lal mirch powder)
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder (dhania powder)
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder (kali mirch powder)
• 2 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 to 1.25 cups of water or stock
• salt as required

Method:

pressure cooking chickpeas: (check notes on cooking chickpeas in a pot/pan)

1. first rinse and then soak the black chickpeas in 2 cups water for 8 to 9 hours or overnight. here's a pic of the soaked black chickpeas. you can also use white chickpeas instead of black chickpeas.
2. take the black chickpeas in the pressure cooker. add 2.5 cups of fresh water or overall 2.5 cups of the soaked water + fresh water. i usually do not throw away the soaked water of black chickpeas. add 1/2 tsp salt.
3. stir and pressure cook the chickpeas for 10 to 12 whistles till they are tender and cooked through.

preparing coconut paste:

1. meanwhile when the chickpeas are cooking, take 1/2 cup tightly packed grated coconut in a grinder jar. add 1/4 to 1/3 cup water and grind to a smooth paste.
2. keep the ground coconut paste aside.

preparing kerala garam masala:

1. in a small pan, dry roast the following spices till aromatic - 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, 2 to 3 strands of mace, 1 inch cinnamon, 3 cloves, 3 pinches of grated nutmeg or nutmeg powder. just a light roasting. don't over do.
2. in a small grinder or coffee grinder or a mortar pestle, grind or pound these five spices to a semi fine or fine powder. keep aside.

preparing kadala curry:

1. heat 2 tbsp coconut oil in a pan.
2. add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds and let them crackle.
3. add 1/3 cup chopped shallots. stir and saute for a minute.
4. then add 1 tsp chopped ginger, 1 tsp chopped green chilies, 10 to 12 curry leaves and saute till the shallots turn translucent or a light brown.
5. then add 1 tsp red chili powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1/4 tsp black pepper powder and the ground kerala garam masala. if you already have kerala garam masala, then just add 1 tsp of it. 1 tsp of red chili powder, makes this curry spicy. so reduce to 1/2 for a less spicy version.
6. stir the masalas very well and saute for a minute on low flame.
7. then add the ground coconut paste.
8. stir very well.
9. saute for 4 to 5 minutes on a low flame.
10. then add the cooked black chana or kadala. stir very well.
11. then add 1 to 1.25 cups water and stir.
12. season with the required amount of salt and stir again.
13. let the curry come to a boil and the gravy reduces a bit. the flavors and chickpeas should also be well blended.
14. serve kadala curry hot with puttu or appams or steamed rice.

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