VELLA KADALA / WHITE CHICK PEAS CURRY

By:Sreedevi Jayadev‎

Kadala - 1 cup
Onion - 1
Tomato - 1
Green chillies - 1,2
Ginger, garlic - 1 tsp [ chopped]
Turmeric powder - ½ tspn
Red chilli powder - 1 ½ tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Garam masala - ½ tsp
Pepper powder - ½ tsp
Meat masala - a pinch [ optional]
Coconut milk - ½ cup
Sliced coconut pieces - ¼ cup
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Oil - as reqd
Curry leaves - few

Wash and soak chick peas overnight or 6-7 hrs. Chop onion, ginger, garlic, tomato and keep it aside. Pressure cook kadala with enough water, salt, half chopped onion and tomato pieces. Heat oil in a pan, in a low flame crackle mustard seeds, add remaining chopped onion. When it becomes light brown in colour add chopped ginger, garlic, curry leaves and tomato pieces. Transfer the cooked kadala into it. Add pepper powder, garam masala and mix well. Cook uncovered for sometime, [ take out ¼ cup of cooked peas in a bowl, allow it to cool, grind it to a fine paste. Add this to kadala curry sothat it thickens ] Add coconut milk into it. In a pan slightly fry sliced coconut pieces in ghee or oil and add it to gravy. Mix well, garnish with curry leaves. Remove from flame. Best with puttu, appam, chappathi etc.