Black Chickpeas / Kadala Curry

Ingredients

• Black Chickpeas – 1 cup
• Onion – 1 large sliced and chopped
• Pearl onions – 4 sliced
• Green chilly – 3 slit
• Curry leaves – A sprig
• Red chilly powder – 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
• Dry red chilly -2

To grind 

• Grated coconut – ¾ cup
• Pearl onion – 2 sliced
• Coriander seeds – 1½ tbsp (You can use coriander powder instead, add it while making the gravy)
• Whole spices – (Fennel seeds – ¼ tsp, cardamom – 2, cloves – 3, Cinnamon stick – 1, Whole pepper corns – ½ tsp, star anise – 1 petal)

Preparation

1.Soak the chickpeas overnight and cook in a pressure cooker till soft adding ¼ tsp turmeric powder and salt. Drain the water and save it for making gravy.

2.Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan and add the coriander seeds & whole spices. Saute for a few seconds and add the sliced pearl onions. Saute for a minute and add the grated coconut. Roast until it turns reddish brown. Switch off and leave aside. Grind it to a paste when it cools down.

3.In a deep pan heat some coconut oil and splutter mustard and brown the dry red chillies. Add the sliced onion, pearl onions, green chillies and curry leaves. Saute until they turn light brown.

4.Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, saute for a few seconds and add the reserved water from the cooked chickpeas. Bring to a boil and add the ground coconut paste and cooked chickpeas. Mix well and cook until the gravy achieves your desired consistency.