Kadappa is a very traditional dish from Kumbakonam, a district in Tamil Nadu. It’s a very unique and a delicious gravy made with potatoes and moong dal which is generally served with idli/ dosa / puri. I came to know about this dish from my dear sister in law, Vijaya,who is an outstanding home cook. She lives in Dubai. Last year, when I visited her, I had the privilege of enjoying a feast at her home and also she very willingly shared few of her priced recipes. Kadappa is one among those recipes.
I have followed her recipe with a slight variation in the proportions of the ingredients used.
It was indeed very delicious, different and a major hit at home. We all enjoyed having Kadappa with hot puris:)
Ingredients
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Moong dal ( green gram/ pasi paruppu)- 1/2 cup
Potato – 2 medium sized
Onion – 2 medium sized
Garlic – 4 cloves
Cinnamon – 2-3inches
Cloves – 4-5
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Oil – 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Chopped coriander leaves – 2 tbsps
Lemon juice – 1 tsp
For the masala
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Grated coconut – 1 cup
Khuskhus( kasakasa) – 2 tsps
Roasted chana dal ( pottu kadalai)- 3 tbsps
Garlic – 4-5 cloves
Green chillies – 6-7
Method
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Wash and soak moong dal for 15-20 mins. Drain the water, add fresh water and pressure cook for 3 whistles.
Wash and pressure cook the potatoes.
Mash the cooked potatoes and keep it aside.
Peel, wash and chop the onions finely.
Peel, wash, crush and chop the garlic.
To make the masala
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Grind all the ingredients mentioned to a smooth paste.
Heat oil in a pan. Add cloves, cinnamon and garlic. Sauté till the garlic turns golden. Then add the finely chopped onions. Sauté till the onion turns pink and then add the cooked moong dal, 1 cup of water, turmeric powder and salt to taste. Mix well and let it come to a boil.
Now, add the mashed potatoes and the ground masala and mix well. Check for the seasonings.
Let the gravy simmer on the medium flame for 10 mins. Switch off the flame.
After few mins, add the lemon juice and mix well.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve it hot with idli/ dosa/ puri 🙂
