Kondakadalai kulambu is black chickpeas and brinjal/aubergine curry cooked in a shallot, coconut, and tamarind base spiked with a spice blend. This typical Tamil Nadu curry has a little bit of sweetness and a mild sourness and some hotness; not to mention there’s protein. This was how my grandmother used to make and this curry is perfect with cooked rice or millets or idli/dosa.
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I have always been a fan of beans be it in curry or as a sundal. I love me some extra protein-rich beans. And these black chickpeas are no exception; I in fact like these black chickpeas more than I like white chickpeas. Something about the hardy skin makes it interesting when eating it. This curry is one of those rustic Tamil-style curries that bring together brinjals and black chickpeas. Together the flavor is perfectly amazing and nutritious at the same time!
Kondakadalai Kulambu / Black Chickpeas and Brinjal Curry:
What goes into this:
- Black Chickpeas: These protein-rich beans/ legumes are one of the stars in this curry. Black chickpeas are more flavorful than white chickpeas and go very well when used in Indian curries. Soaking it makes them more digestible and easy to chew. As they cook down in this curry, they give away a dark color to the curry itself.
- Vegetable: Brinjal is the other star ingredient here. It pairs perfectly well with the black chickpeas. Try not to pick tender ones for this curry.
- Base Paste: Sauteed shallots and coconut acts as the thickener for this curry. That when combined with spices and seasonings form the base of this kondakadalai kulambu.
- Spices and seasonings: Sambar Powder is the seasoning for this kondakadalai kulambu; it adds a nice flavor and hotness as well as brings everything together. Along with this I like to add some fennel seed powder and asafoetida powder which adds a hint of extra flavor.
Serving Suggestions:
This kulambu / curry is best served with soft cooked rice or millets as well as with dosas and idlis. It is delicious however you choose to serve it.
Variations:
If using an Instant pot, you can even skip the soaking step and cook the dried black chickpeas with water for about 90 minutes and use as called in the recipe. Also, if you don’t have an Instant Pot but have a Pressure cooker, it would be best to soak before cooking.
On the other hand, if you are in a time crunch or forgot to soak the chickpeas overnight, heat some water and pour it over the dried chickpeas and cover it tightly with a lid and let it sit for 2 hours. It is a fast way around soaking the channa overnight.
How to store this Kondakadalai kulambu:
This kondakadala kulambu / curry stays good for upto two days in the refrigerator. If you live in a hot climate, you need to immediately put this curry in the refrigerator after serving it. The coconut in it may cause for the gravy to go bad if left in room temperature for long. Although, I have never tried freezing this curry but I think freezing would change the form of the brinjals.
Tips to note:
- You can make this curry in any pressure cooker or instant pot. It is preferred to have a manual pressure cooker at least to cook the chickpeas.
- If you don’t have a pressure cooker you can cook the soaked chickpeas in a vessel on the stovetop. It just would take a long time. Cook until you’re able to press the chickpeas with the back of a fork.
- You can swap bottle gourd for brinjals if you don’t have any brinjals at home.
More Recipes you might like:
- South Indian Egg Curry – The EASIEST!
- The MOST flavorful Brinjal Thokku
- Quick and easy Tomato Chutney / Thakkali Bajji
- Mixed Vegetable Kuruma (South Indian)
Kondakadalai Kulambu | Black Chickpeas and Brinjal Curry
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot
- Sauce Pan (optional)
Ingredients
For the Ground Paste:
- 3/4 cup Shallots , peeled
- 1/2 cup Coconut , chopped pieces or loosely packed grated
For the curry:
- 4 tbsp Sesame Oil or Coconut Oil
- 1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1 tsp Fenugreek Seeds
- 1 sprig Curry Leaves
- 5-6 medium-sized Shallots , if small pick 10-12, peeled
- 8 medium Garlic cloves , peeled
- 1 medium Tomato , chopped
- 2.5 cups Brinjal , stalk removed, chopped
- 1/8 tsp Asafoetida Powder
- 1/4 tsp Fennel Seed Powder
- 1/8 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1.5-2 tsp Sambar Powder , adjust to taste (based on the hotness/spiciness)
- 1.5 tsp Sea Salt , adjust to taste
- 2.5 cups Soaked Black Channa / Chickpeas , (see notes)
- 2 tbsp Tamarind Extract , (thick)
- 3.5-4 cups Water , as required
Instructions
Cooking konda kadalai / black chickpeas:
- Add 1 cup of dried black channa to a bowl. Top it off with enough water, cover the bowl and leave it overnight or for at least 8 hours. After soak time, drain the water and wash the chickpeas. Discard the water.
- Put the kondakadalai/ black chickpeas in a pressure cooker with some water. Cook for 2-3 pressure releases (based on your cooker). Remove from heat and let it cool down.
- If you have an Instant Pot. Cook it in PRESSURE COOK mode for 12 minutes. Let it natural release.
Makingn the paste:
- Set saucepan on the stove. Add a teaspoon of oil, let it get hot. Add the shallots and fry until it begins to brown. Remove from heat and let it cool down completely.
- Transfer the fried shallots to a mixer grinder. Top it with coconuts and blend to a smooth paste by sprinkling some water if needed. Set it aside.
Making the kulambu / curry:
- Set the same saucepan over flame. Add the sesame oil and let it get hot. Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds. Wait until the mustard seeds splutter and the fenugreek seeds turn golden brown.
- Quickly add the curry leaves, followed by the shallots. Sauté until the shallots turn translucent. Add the garlic and sauté till it begins to brown a bit.
- Now add the tomatoes, followed by the salt. Sauté until it is nice and mushy. Add the chopped brinjals and sauté until it gets roasted a bit, for a few minutes.
- Next add the ground shallot-coconut paste, asafoetida powder, fennel seed powder, turmeric powder, and sambar powder. Mix it all thoroughly.
- Trasnfer the cooked chickpeas to the saucepan. Add the tamarind paste and the water. Stir it well and cover the saucepan. Cook it for 15 minutes until the flavors come together. Keep an eye and stir often to avoid scorching.
- Turn off the heat and transfer it to another bowl before you serve with hot rice!
To make it in Instant Pot:
- Follow the same steps. Use only 3 cups water since this is pressure cooking. Pre-cook the channa for 12 minutes. Add it to the curry and PRESSURE COOK for 5 minutes only.
Notes
- You can make this curry in any pressure cooker or instant pot. It is preferred to have a manual pressure cooker at least to cook the chickpeas.
- If you don’t have a pressure cooker you can cook the soaked chickpeas in a vessel on the stovetop. It just would take a long time. Cook until you’re able to press the chickpeas with the back of a fork.
- You can swap bottle gourd for brinjals if you don’t have any brinjals at home.
Made this? Got doubts? Let me know what you think in the comments below!