Kadala Curry for Puttu | Simple Kadala Curry without Coconut

When Puttu makes an appearance,how can Kadala curry fall behind:).I have a couple of Kadala curry recipes here but this one is a bit different as in,it is not the so called 'authentic' way of preparing the same.I was so used to having Brown Kadala curry with Puttu that I was slightly amused when Ajay's mom prepared this curry.She makes this recipe for mainly two reasons,one Kabuli channa cooks quickly and two,this one is much lighter on the stomach as it does not have coconut.It pairs up beautifully with Puttu.

You can of course substitute this with brown channa if that's what you prefer.When I posted a picture of this curry on Instagram,someone commented that Puttu would taste great with Brown kadala curry and not this one.Every one's taste palette is different from one another right?What tastes delicious for one may not be the same for someone else.Anyway,I would taste something first before deciding if it is delicious to me or not!Authentic or otherwise.

So without any further ado,let's see how to prepare this super simple but equally delicious kadala curry which tastes awesome with Puttu.

Kadala Curry for Puttu | Simple Kadala Curry without Coconut

Ingredients

White Channa/Kabuli Channa - 1 cup,washed and soaked for 10 hours
Onion - 1 small,chopped
Potato - 1 medium,chopped
Salt to taste

Coconut oil(or any oil of your choice)- 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Shallots/Pearl onions - 1/2 cup,chopped(you could use regular onions too)
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Haldi - 1/4 tsp
Tomato - 1/2 of 1 medium tomato,chopped
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup,chopped
Garam masala - 1/4 tsp(optional)

Method

In a pressure cooker,add the soaked and drained channa.Add enough water,salt to taste and mix in onion and potato.
Pressure cook for 20 minutes or until well cooked.Slightly mash the potatoes and a small portion of the cooked channa-this would make the gravy a bit thick.
In a kadai add oil and splutter mustard seeds.Add curry leaves and onions and saute for a few minutes.
Once the onions turn light brown add in the spice powders.Saute on low flame till the raw smell of the powders leave.
Add the tomatoes and mix well.Add a bit of the cooked channa water and cover and cook till the tomatoes turn pulpy.
Now add the cooked channa and mix well.Once the curry starts boiling,simmer and coo for 10-15 minutes.
Add coriander leaves and garam masala and switch off the flame.
Serve hot with Puttu.

Step by step Pictorial

In a pressure cooker,add the soaked and drained channa.Add enough water,salt to taste and mix in onion and potato.

Pressure cook for 20 minutes or until well cooked.

Slightly mash the potatoes and a small portion of the cooked channa-this would make the gravy a bit thick.

In a kadai add oil and splutter mustard seeds.

Add curry leaves and 

onions and saute for a few minutes.

Once the onions turn light brown add in the spice powders.Saute on low flame till the raw smell of the powders leave.

Add the tomatoes and mix well.

Add a bit of the cooked channa water and cover and cook 

till the tomatoes turn pulpy.

Now add the cooked channa and mix well.Once the curry starts boiling,simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes.

Add coriander leaves and 

garam masala and switch off the flame.
Serve hot with Puttu.

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Whole Wheat Puttu | Gothambu Puttu

Happy New Year everyone! Hope all of you had a lovely start to the year and may this year bring us joy,happiness and prosperity!

If you've been reading my blog for a while or if you've been following me on Instagram you'd know that we love Puttu.It's been our Sunday breakfast since years and we absolutely love it.I mean,if waking up on a Sunday morning and getting the breakfast ready on the table when all I want to do is cuddle up under the blanket,doesn't declare my love for Puttu,I don't know what else would!!

Making Puttu did not come easy to me though.I've seen my amma make it and it didn't look complicated at all.But I have had my struggles.Sometimes the mix turns out dry and sometimes doughy.Sometimes soft and crumbly and other times hard as a rock.So it didn't come as a surprise to me when many commented on my Instagram pic of Puttu saying that it doesn't not come out right for them.So even though I'm posting the recipe for Gothambu Puttu here,the technique remains the same for any Puttu.

So here goes.The basic technique when you make puttu is moistening the flour so that no dry flour remains but at the same time you do not need too much water because that would make the flour lumpy and you'll end up with hard puttu.Though I had absolutely no issues while doing this with rice flour,I couldn't get the same results with the whole wheat puttu/gothambu puttu.

I came across this lovely fool-proof method here which makes the process so much easier,for rice as well as the wheat flour.All you need is a mixie jar :)I'll explain the process in step by step pictures.

Whole Wheat Puttu | Gothambu Puttu

Ingredients

Whole wheat flour /Atta -1/2 cup {plus 1-2 tbsp}
Salt to taste
Water - 1/4 cup*
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup

Method

Add atta and salt into a bowl and mix well.
Add water,one tablespoon at a time and keep mixing.You need to moisten the flour and make sure no dry flour remains.It may form lumps and it may even come together as one big ball of dough.Do not worry.
When there is no more dry flour,transfer the entire flour mix into your mixie jar-preferably the chutney jar.
Using the pulse mode in your mixie,pulse the mix for 1 second.
Open the mixie jar and add 1 tbsp of dry atta.Pulse for one more second.Do not keep pulsing or else it may start forming a dough.
If you still feel the mix is lumpy,add some more dry atta and pulse.
The trick here really,is to moisten the flour as much as possible and then by using the dry flour,bringing it back to puttu flour consistency.Use the pulse mode at 1 second intervals only.
Feel it with your fingers,you need a soft sand consistency.
Remove it to a bowl and add a tbsp of grated coconut.Mix well.
For making the puttu- add water to a pressure cooker and fill your puttu mould with grated coconut and puttu flour.{begin and end with grated coconut}
Place the puttu mould into the cooker nozzle and steam for 5-7 minutes.
Serve hot with Kadala curry.

Step by Step Pictorial

Add atta and salt into a bowl and mix well.

Add water,one tablespoon at a time and keep mixing.You need to moisten the flour and make sure no dry flour remains.It may form lumps and it may even come together as one big ball of dough.Do not worry.

When there is no more dry flour,transfer the entire flour mix into your mixie jar-preferably the chutney jar.

Using the pulse mode in your mixie,pulse the mix for 1 second.

Open the mixie jar and add 1 tbsp of dry atta.Pulse for one more second.

Do not keep pulsing or else it may start forming a dough.

If you still feel the mix is lumpy,add some more dry atta and pulse.

The trick here really,is to moisten the flour as much as possible and then by using the dry flour,bringing it back to puttu flour consistency.Use the pulse mode at 1 second intervals only.
Feel it with your fingers,you need a soft sand consistency.

Remove it to a bowl and add a tbsp of grated coconut.Mix well.

For making the puttu- add water to a pressure cooker and fill your puttu mould with grated coconut and puttu flour.

{begin and end with grated coconut}

Place the puttu mould into the cooker nozzle and steam for 5-7 minutes.

Serve hot with Kadala curry.

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