Kadala Theeyal ( Channa cooked in a Spicy Roasted Coconut Gravy)

I am really excited today....Can you guess why..Because there is only one more day for weekend..Hurray!! Who doesn’t expect their weekends right...

Today’s recipe is amma’s signature recipe..Amma makes this more often..This theeyal comes alive during a festival..

we celebrate a local car festival on late November(I think)..During that peoples in our street(including my mum) wakes up so early in the morning (even before the sun is awake) and gets ready for this..

Since they don’t get time to cook anything, what they will do is they make puliyogare and this kadala theeyal the previous day itself..These two dishes survive well the next day or even a couple of days if made properly..

So after the tiring festival(yes they expose so much to hot sun and walk so long in that), people return home starving like anything.The first which they do is eat..I can tell you this taste like heaven during those days...

For your information..I never go for that festival since I am little bit allergic to crowd and sun..He He..

Enough with stories I think..So off you go for the step by step recipes with pictures..

Ingrediants:

Kala Channa-2 cups dried

Shallots / Sambar Onion / Chinna Ulli- 10

Tamarind- 1 small lemon size mixed with water.

Onion Vadakam-5(optional)

Dried Turkey Berry / Chundaikai-2 tblspn(optional)

Dried Cluster Beans / Kothavarangai -15(optional)

Gingelly Oil / Oil- ¼  cup

Salt to taste

Curry leaves-a handful

For Roasting and Grinding:

Coconut-1 cup

Dry Red chilli-7

Coriander seeds or Coriander powder-3 tblspn

Method:

Soak Channa over night..Take this in pressure cooker and add in 5 cups of water..Season with salt and pressure cook for 3 whistles and simmer for 30-40 mins...Turn off the flame and let the pressure go all by itself..Open the pressure cooker and check whether the channa is cooked..It should be very soft when pressed..Set this aside..

Heat oil in a kadai..Add in dry red chilli and fry for 1 min..Now add in coconut and fry this till it get golden brown..It should take around 10 mins.Now turn off the flame and add in coriander powder and mix well..Let this cool down.Now blend this into a smooth paste by adding some water.

Heat oil in a kadai and add vadakam,turkey berry,cluster beans and fry for 2 mins.

Add in shallots and fry for a min..Now add in cooked channa and mix well..

Add in the ground masala and mix well..Add in tamarind water and mix well

Pour in required amount of water and bring that to boil..Season with salt and mix well..

Cover it and simmer for 20-25 mins or until oil separates from the mixture..

Now fry some curry leaves in oil and pour that in..

Serve hot with rice..

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Pictorial:

Take all your ingrediants

All dried goodies..I know it looks weird..But it gives unique flavour to the dish

Channa is cooked to perfection

Heat oil and fry chillies

add in coconut

fry it

till it reaches like this

add in coriander powder

and mix well

take it in a blender

make it into a fine puree

now fry dried stuffs in oil

till it gets golden too..

add in onions..

fry till golden

add in cooked channa

and in the ground masala

pour in tamarind

And mix well

season with salt

Bring that to boil..Please note the foam over the gravy

Cover and simmer

can you see the foam has vanished and oil is separating..This is sign that shows the gravy is done

fry some curry leaves in oil

pour it over the curry

Serve

I know it looks stunning