KADALE KAALU USLI

 KADALE KAALU USLI

During the festival of Navaratri, we make a variety of dishes using legumes such as "uslis" and "sundals", typically without onion and garlic. These are offered as naivedyam and later served as a light snack. 

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find recipes for some of these, like:- 

• Hesaru Kaalu Usli
• Karamani Sundal
• Verkadalai (Peanut) Sundal

Today's snack is called Kadale Kaalu Usli and gets its name from Kadale Kaalu being the Kannada words for Black Chickpeas. These are called Kala Chana in Hindi. This can also be made using Kabuli Chana.

This easy to make snack is commonly made in my home State of Karnataka during the Navaratri Festival.

Tip : Whenever I make this dish, I keep the excess water from the cooked kadale kaalu and use this to prepare saaru later. 

Ingredients:-

• Kadale Kaalu (Black Chickpeas/Chana ), 1 cup
• Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Hing ( Asafoetida) Powder, 1/4 tsp  
• Turmeric Powder, 1/4 tsp 
• Byadgi Red Chillies, broken into halves, 1
• Curry Leaves, 6-8
• Lemon Juice, juice of half a lemon
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 1 tbsp

For Dry Grinding: -

• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1/2 cup
• Ginger, roughly chopped, 1/2 " piece
• Green Chillies, 2
• Coriander Leaves, a fistful 

Method:-

Wash and soak the Kadale Kaalu in adequate water for about 8-10 hours or overnight

Discard this water the next morning  

Pressure cook the Kadale Kaalu - adding enough fresh water to immerse it - for about 4-5 whistles,  till it gets cooked

Once the cooker cools, remove the cooked Kadale Kaalu and drain away the excess water (retaining a little- for use in next steps) 

In a small mixer jar, dry grind together the fresh coconut gratings, green chillies, chopped ginger and coriander leaves.  Keep aside

In a thick bottomed kadhai, heat 1 tbsp of oil and when it gets hot on medium heat add the mustard seeds and when they splutter add the asafoetida, turmeric powder,  broken red chilli and curry leaves and sauté for a few seconds

To this add the cooked Kadale Kaalu ( along with the retained water ), the coconut-ginger-chilli etc mixture prepared earlier, salt to taste and mix well 

Cook on medium heat till the excess water evaporates and the masala gets well blended with the Kadale Kaalu

Switch off the gas and squeeze the lime juice and mix once again 

Transfer to serving bowl 

Serve Kadale Kaalu Usli 

KADALE MANOLI SUKKA

KADALE MANOLI SUKKA

This is a popular side dish among the Tulu-speaking people in Dakshina Kannada District of my home state of Karnataka. It is made of black chickpeas (kadale in Tulu ) and ivy gourd (Manoli in Tulu). Ivy Gourd, as you know, is called Tindora in Hindi, Thondekayi in Kannada, and Tendle in my mother tongue, Konkani.

Elsewhere in this blog, you will find other well-known dishes from Mangaluru area in Dakshina Kannada such as Mangalore Ghee Dosa, Mangalorean Channa Sukka, and Matti Gulla Podi.

This recipe has been adpated from Kadale Manoli Sukka from Shetty's Kitchen. This website has many authentic recipes from the Tulu-speaking Bunt community who have their origins in Dakshina Kannada.

Ingredients:-

Kadale ( Black Chickpeas), 1 cup
Manoli ( Ivy Gourd), 200 gms
Water, 1/2 cup
Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1 cup
Mustard Seeds, 1 tsp
Urad Dal, 1 tsp
Curry Leaves, 6-7
Lightly Crushed Garlic Cloves, 5
Medium-sized Onion, finely chopped, 1
Turmeric Powder, 1/8 tsp
Oil, 2-3 tbsp 
Salt, to taste
Coriander Leaves, finely chopped, for garnish

To Be Roasted and Ground For the Masala Powder :

Byadgi Red Chillies, 7 ( to be roasted in 1/2 tsp of oil)
Coriander Seeds, 2 tsp
Cumin Seeds, 1/2 tsp
Methi ( Dry Fenugreek ) Seeds, 10-12
Cinnamon, 1 small stick
Cloves, 2-3
Curry Leaves, 10

Method:

Wash the kadale and pressure cook with required amount of water till done. Keep aside.
Wash the ivy gourd and snip off the two ends. Cut the ivy gourd into thin vertical strips
In a pan, add 1/2 cup of water and salt to the ivy gourd and cook till they are done. Take care that they don't get overcooked. They should remain slightly crisp. Keep aside.
In another small pan, roast the Byadgi Red Chillies in 1/2 tsp of oil. Keep aside
Next dry roast the fresh coconut gratings and keep aside.
In the same pan, dry roast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, methi seeds, cinnamon, cloves, and curry leaves on medium heat till they change colour. Keep aside.
Allow the roasted spices to cool and transfer them to a small mixer jar
Grind the roasted spices and the roasted Byadgi Red Chillies to a fine powder and keep aside. This forms the masala powder.
In a thick bottomed kadhai, add oil and on medium heat add the mustard seeds, when they splutter add the urad dal, curry leaves and lightly crushed garlic cloves
Saute till the dal changes colour, the curry leaves become crisp and the garlic cloves give off a good aroma
To this, add the finely chopped onion and saute till they become translucent
Add the masala powder prepared earlier, the cooked black chickpeas, and the cooked ivy gourd
Mix well and add turmeric powder, and salt to taste
Now add the roasted coconut gratings and cook on low flame for 2-3 minutes
Finally, garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves
Serve hot

CHANNA SAARU

CHANNA SAARU

In my family there is a tradition that we make some dish using channa (Black Chickpea) on Fridays.
In an earlier post, I have given the recipe for "Channa Upkari" made of Black Chickpea. The stock obtained during the process of making this dish is used to make a rasam type of accompaniment which we call " Channa Saaru." Today I will share how I make it at our house.

Ingredients:

• Black Chickpea ( Channa), 1 cup
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1/4 cup
• Red Chillies, 3 * I have used the Byadgi variety
• Green Chillies, slit, 1-2
• Tamarind, size of a small marble
• Coriander Seeds, 1 tsp
• Jeera (Cumin Seeds), 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida, a big pinch
• Jaggery, 1 tbsp or to taste
• Salt, to taste
• Coriander leaves, chopped, 1tbsp (for garnishing)

For Seasoning:

• Oil, 2 tsp or as required
• Mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves, 1 sprig

Method:
Soak the Black Chickpeas for 7-8 hours overnight. Pressure cook this the next morning.
Decant the channa and keep the stock aside.
In a little oil, fry the red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida, and coconut gratings separately and grind this along with tamarind to a smooth paste using required amount of water
Add 1 tbsp of cooked channa in the final stage of grinding (this enhances the taste as well as the thickness of the ground paste)
Add this paste to the channa stock, add slit green chillies, add salt, add jaggery, mix well
Add water (if required) to bring it to the desired consistency and bring it to boil
Next, season with mustard seeds and curry leaves
Finally, garnish with chopped coriander leaves
Serve hot with rice