Kumbakonam Kadappa

12 Apr Kumbakonam Kadappa

Kumbakonam Kadappa, as the name suggests, originated from Kumbakonam / Tanjore regions of Tamil Nadu, South India. It uses Mung dal, potatoes, coconut and some spices that makes it very flavourful and a popular dish. It’s a cross between Sambhar and Kurma. A hot favourite dish in restaurants in Kumbakonam and Tanjore even today that is served with morning breakfast of steaming Idli, Dosa, Puri, Pongal, Paratha, Roti….you name it.  Some recipes use tomatoes, some do not. Its however left to you completely. Traditional method for Kumbakonam Kadappa cooks potatoes separately, mash & add it to cooked dal.

I have however tweaked it a little and used grated raw potatoes.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup moong dal soaked for 1 hour
• ½ cup grated raw potatoes / cut into very small bits
• ½ cup chopped tomatoes
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 3 pods garlic
• 3 green chillies slit
• curry leaves
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon (as per taste level)
• Salt to taste

Grind to a fine paste:

• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds (khuskhus) soaked for 30 minutes
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds (saunf) soaked for 30 minutes
• 4 cashew nuts soaked for 30 minutes
• 2 / 3 green chillies
• ½ cup coconut

For tempering:
Mustard seeds & 2 broken red chillies

I have used OPOS (One Pot One Shot) method to prepare this dish

In a 2 litre / 3 litre Pressure cooker layer as follows:
1: 3 tablespoons water and 2 teaspoons oil,
2: cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon
3: onion, tomato, garlic, green chillies & curry leaves
4: soaked & drained dal
5: potato
6: ground paste, turmeric powder and salt
Pour ¼ cup water around.
Close cooker and cook on high for 4 whistles / 4.30 minutes

Let pressure settle down. Open cooker and mix everything thoroughly. It will be a thick paste consistency. Add required water to use it as a side dish for idli / dosa.

Heat oil in a tadka pan, add tempering ingredients and heat till mustard seeds splutter. Pour this tadka over Kadappa

Serve with hot idli / dosa /roti / pongal