This is one of the most popular breakfast food in Kerala, the soft puttu made from rice flour and the spicy kadala curry is one of the most tasty & healthy breakfast food you could have. You can serve kadala curry with roti or rice but nothing beats the combination with puttu.

Ingredients for Puttu:

• Coarse Rice Flout (1 cup)
• Grated coconut (1/2 cup)
• Water (as required)
• Salt (to taste)

Ingredients for Kadala Curry:

• Kadala (Black chickpea, 2 cups)
• Tomatoes (2)
• Onion (1, chopped)
• Curry Leaves (1-2 springs)
• Ginger-garlic paste (1 tablespoon)
• Cinnamon (1-2 pieces)
• Garam Masala (1 tablespoon)
• Chili Powder (1-2 tablespoon(s), depending on spice requirements)
• Turmeric Powder (1/4 teaspoon)
• Coriander Powder (1 tablespoon)
• Mustard seeds (1 teaspoon)
• Salt (to taste)

Directions for Puttu:

Add salt to the flour and gradually add room temperature water to the flour, mix well so there are no lumps.

Fill the mixture into puttu maker, first layer with the grated coconut, then the flour and repeat the process to fill up the cylinder. Put the cylinder onto pot of boiling water and let the steam cook the mixture. It usually takes 5-7 minutes, best way to confirm is when the steam passes from the top of the cylinder.

Directions for Kadala curry:

Soak the kadala (black chickpeas) overnight in water.

Drain out the water and add the chickpeas into a pressure cooker. Add salt, turmeric powder, garam masala, cinnamon, curry leaves (1 spring). Add water into the pressure cooker 2 inches over the chickpeas and give it all a mix. Also, add the two tomatoes into the pressure cooker which we need to puree later. Close the pressure cooker and cook for 6-7 whistles. Turn off the heat and let the pressure cooker depressurize.

Remove the tomatoes from the cooker and remove the skins off the tomatoes and be careful while handling since the they will be hot.

Add the tomatoes into a blender and puree it.

In a large pan, heat up some oil and then add the mustard seeds and let it crackle and then add the leftover curry leaves and cook for 10 – 15 seconds.

Add the onions and let it cook for 4-5 minutes on medium heat till they brown, add salt to taste, chili powder and coriander powder and give it all a nice mix and cook it till the raw smell of the spices go away.

Now, add the tomato puree and cook for another 5-7 minutes on medium-low heat.

Finally add the cooked chickpeas into the pan along with any of the water and stir it all well. You can add more water to adjust consistency to your requirement, make sure you use hot water.

You can also serve bananas and papadum along with puttu and kadala.