Instant Pot Kerala Kadala Curry
Make this Kerala Kadala Curry. It is an immensely flavourful gravy and is a favorite in our kitchen. It is lip-smacking with a freshly ground masala ( varuthu aracha curry) and elevates a meal. I mostly have it with rice although it is traditionally served with breakfast dishes like idiyappam, aapam in Kerala.
Servings 4
Ingredients
To roast in coconut oil (Set A)
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 2 tbsp corainder seeds
- ½ tsp fennel
- ½ inch cinnamon
- 1 tsp peppercorns
- 1 pod cardamom
- 10 shallots
- 3 red chillies adjust to taste (i use kashmiri chillies usually, if using tamilnadu or regular round ones - reduce to your prefernce of spice)
- 2 green chillies adjust to taste
- 4 tbsp coconut (fresh or frozen and thawed)
To add to roasted ingredients and grind (Set B)
- 1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder optional
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp corainder powder
To add to curry and pressure cook (Set C)
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- ¾ cup sliced onions
- ½ cup tomato slices (chunky)
- 2 cups soaked and drained black chickpeas 1 cup of raw chickpeas makes 2 cups of soaked ones.
- 3 cups water
For final tadka (Set D)
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 5 shallots
- 10 curry leaves
Instructions
- In a pan, add coconut oil and roast all ingredients in Set A. Start with the corainder seeds, followed by the spices, chillies, shallots, chillies and finally the coconut.
- Transfer once the mixture is cooled to a blender, add Set B ingredients and grind adding a littel water to a smooth paste.
- Set the Instant pot in Saute mode, add coconut oil and saute all ingredients one after another in Set C. Add the soaked chickpeas, ground masala from Set B and finally, add water and set in pressure cook mode for 25 minutes.
- Let pressure settle naturally. Make a tadka with Set D ingredients and add to cooked curry.
Notes
- To make this in a pressure cooker, follow Set A and Set B as per above. Add oil and saute ingredients in Set C and cook for 5 whistles. It may take 2 more whistles depending on the size of your cooker, so check after 5 whistles and cook.
- If you have forgotten to soak chickpeas, rinse and soak in hot boiling water for 1 hour and cook for an extra 10 minutes in the Instant Pot (or 3 more whistles)