Kadala Curry

Name: Kadala Curry
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Kerala Cuisine
Ingredients: 350 g dried black chickpeas, soaked overnight and cooked; ½ teaspoon turmeric powder; ¾ teaspoon fine salt; 100 g fresh or frozen grated coconut; 1 tablespoon coriander seeds; 1 teaspoon fennel seeds; 6 dried red chillies; ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns; 250 ml water; 3 tablespoons coconut oil; 2 medium onions, thinly sliced; 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste; 2 medium tomatoes, chopped; 2 sprigs curry leaves, divided; 1½ tablespoons coriander powder; 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder; ½ teaspoon turmeric powder; ½ teaspoon ground black pepper; ½ teaspoon garam masala; 300 ml water; 1 tablespoon coconut oil; 2 tablespoons chopped coriander

About Kadala Curry

Kadala Curry is a well-known Kerala dish made with black chickpeas cooked in a roasted coconut gravy. It is especially associated with breakfast, most famously alongside puttu, but also works with appam, idiyappam, chapati or Kerala-style rice preparations.

The dish has a darker, deeper character than a simple chickpea curry because the coconut, onion and spices are roasted before being ground or worked into the gravy. Black chickpeas bring a firmer texture and an earthy flavour, while curry leaves, coriander, fennel and pepper give the curry its familiar Kerala direction.

A good Kadala Curry should be rich enough to coat the chickpeas, but not so thick that it feels dry or pasty. The roasted coconut needs to be present without overpowering the pulse itself.

Cooking Kadala Curry Outside Its Home Region

For home cooks, South Indian caterers and restaurant kitchens outside Kerala, including across the UK, Europe, the Middle East, North America, Australia and New Zealand, the main practical point is planning ahead for the black chickpeas.

For home cooks, dried black chickpeas are widely available in South Asian grocery shops and should be soaked overnight before cooking. Tinned chickpeas can be used in a quicker version, but they will not give the same texture or depth as properly cooked black chickpeas. Dried curry leaves are also widely available and work well in the tempering and final finish.

For professional kitchens, Kadala Curry works well because the chickpeas can be cooked in advance and finished in the curry base closer to service. The key is to avoid over-reducing during holding, as the chickpeas continue to absorb gravy. Keeping a small amount of hot stock or cooking liquid aside makes it easier to adjust the final consistency.

Kadala Curry is a traditional Kerala dish, but it remains highly practical for modern menus because it is filling, naturally plant-based and suitable for breakfast, lunch or buffet service.

Kadala Curry

CoChilli Pro

Servings

4 servings

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

40 minutes

Cuisine

Kerala Cuisine

Ingredients

blank

350 g dried black chickpeas, soaked overnight and cooked
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
¾ teaspoon fine salt

blank

100 g fresh or frozen grated coconut
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
6 dried red chillies
½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
250 ml water

blank

3 tablespoons coconut oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 sprigs curry leaves, divided
1½ tablespoons coriander powder
1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon garam masala

blank

300 ml water
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 tablespoons chopped coriander

Directions

blank

Mix the black chickpeas with turmeric and salt. Rest for 15 minutes while preparing the sauce.

blank

Dry-roast coconut, coriander seeds, fennel, red chillies and peppercorns until deep golden.
Cool slightly and blend with water to a smooth paste.

blank

Heat coconut oil. Cook onions and curry leaves until golden.
Add ginger-garlic paste, tomato and powdered spices. Cook until the tomato softens.
Add the black chickpeas, roasted coconut paste and water. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until cooked through.
Finish with remaining curry leaves, coconut oil and coriander. Rest before serving.

Back to blog

A More Practical Route to Kadala Curry

Kadala Curry relies on properly cooked black chickpeas and a roasted coconut base with enough depth to stand up to the legumes. Soaking, cooking and building that flavour from scratch can make it a longer preparation. For a more practical route to this hearty curry style, explore the CoChilli Pro product used for this dish below.