#44 Kadala or Black Chick Pea Curry

Breakfast is the most intimate meal of the day since you can choose to eat it in your pajamas or when you are barefoot. It is the first meal that helps you transition from laziness to alertness to start the
day off right. If you are traveling for work, you depend on the breakfast buffets that at times the hotel may provide. Most items off of the buffet like bagels, croissants or danishes and even cereals and juices help you load up on the carbohydrates. On another note, you may choose to eat at a place that serves up an elegant breakfast with eggs benedict or cured salmon. Either way, "petit dejeuner" breaks the fast after the last night's dinner so do traditional Kerala breakfasts. Today I thought I would share with you a small and mundane element from the everyday Keralite's breakfast. Puttu being as moist and crumbly as it is, you could pour on some black chick pea gravy over it and it elevates the Puttu to a whole different layer of absolute scrumptiousness. I decided to include this in my "Healthy" section
because really this kadala without the coconut milk is high in protein.

Ingredients:
Black Kadala/Black Chick Peas- 11/2 cups soaked overnight.
Make a paste of 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 Tblspn coriander Powder, 1/2 tspn cumin powder.
Ginger-1 " piece sliced.
green chillies-2 cut up
Haldi-1/2 tsp
Onion-1 chopped fine
Cut up pieces of coconut- 5 (optional)
Coconut milk-1, 13.5 oz can
Seasoning spices- mustard seeds, red chillies, curry leaves.
Oil as needed, salt to taste
Method:
1. Wash the Black Kadala after soaking overnight. It yields upto 3 cups.
2. Cook well in pressure cooker until soft and tender. Add salt and haldi and keep aside.
3. Heat Oil in a pan and add the seasoning spices, when they crackle add onions, green chillies and ginger.
4. Saute until the onion is cooked, add the paste followed by the Kadala.
5. Allow to simmer on slow fire for five to ten minutes or until the water is almost evaporated but not completely.
6. Toss in the coconut pieces(optional).
7. Turn off the fire and mix in the Coconut milk by stirring really quickly to prevent curdling.
8. Serve this with Puttu.