Firstly, soak the brown chana overnight or for minimum six hours. After the soaking time, drain away the water and wash it well. Transfer them to a cooker/instant pot. Add the sliced onions and chopped tomato.

Also add coconut oil and salt.

Add water and mix it well. Close and lock the lid of the pressure cooker. Turn the steam value to “sealed”. Select “Pressure Cooker”and set the time to 15 minutes. When the time is up, let the pressure come down naturally. (In normal cooker, cook on medium flame for 5 whistles or until cooked)

When the chana is done, strain and separate the chana and the water and keep it aside.

From the cooked chana, transfer three-four tablespoon of the chana alongwith with some water in a blender. When it is cool, blend it to a smooth paste. Set it aside.

Crush the ginger and garlic together and crush the black pepper and fennel seed together. Set it aside.

In a bowl add turmeric powder, kashmiri red chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder. Add some water to it and mix it well to make a masala paste. Set it aside.

In a pan, heat some coconut oil. Add the coconut bits and fry it until golden brown. Transfer it to a plate and set it aside.

Heat coconut oil in a non-stick kadai. Add the crushed mixture and saute it for two minutes.

Next add the chopped onions and little salt and saute it on medium flame.

Add green chillies and curry leaves and saute till the onions are golden in color.

Reduce the flame to low and add the prepared masala paste and saute till the raw smell leaves and oil appears at the surface.

Next add the chopped tomatoes and mix it well. Add little water and cover and cook till the tomatoes are soft.

Mash the tomatoes with a spatula and cook till oil appears at the surface.

The kadala masala is ready.

Now add the ground chana paste to the prepared kadala masala. Mix it well and saute it for a minute or two. This helps to get a thick gravy.

Now add only the drained chana and mix it well. Cover and cook for few minutes till the chana is coated with the masala.

Next add only little water in which the chana was cooked. Mix it well and cover and cook till it boils well and oil appears at the surface.

Now add the remaining chana water and mix it well. Allow the gravy to come to a boil and thicken a bit. For a punch, add white pepper powder and two slited green chillies.

Also add some fennel seeds powder and garam masala powder and continue to cook it for a minute.

Add little coconut oil, few curry leaves and few tomato pieces.

Cook it for a minute. Oil will appear at the surface. In the end add two slited green chillies. Cook for few seconds and off the flame.

Now for the tempering and garnishing of the kadala curry: Heat coconut oil in a tadka pan. Add the dried red chillies to the hot oil. Remove and add it to the kadala curry. Garnish the kadala curry with the fried coconut bits and the chopped coriander leaves.

Next add the chopped pearl/sambar onions to the hot oil and saute until golden brown in color. Off the flame and add the curry leaves to the pan and let it splutter. Add this tempering to the kadala curry and close the pan with a lid for some time. Add some powdered sugar to the gravy and mix the gravy until well combined.

Super Delicious Spicy Nadan Kadala Curry is ready. Serve it with Kerala Puttu or with hot steamed rice, appam, idiappam, chapati, paratha etc.

To make Kerala Puttu: Firstly, add the rice flour to a bowl. Add salt and mix it well.

Heat a cup of water till the water starts to boil. No need to roll boil the water. Sprinkle this hot water little by little and mix the rice flour with a spoon. When the flour turns slightly moist, stop adding the water. When the mixture is warm, use your finger tips and break the lumps lightly. Take a handful of the flour and press it between your fist. It should hold its shape. When you press the flour with your thumb finger, it should crumble.

Now add two tablespoon of freshly grated coconut to the rice flour and mix it well.

Take a handful of the puttu flour and add it to a medium sized mixer and pulse for only two seconds. Do not pulse all the flour together. Pulse it in batches. Transfer the ground flour in a large bowl.

Again check the consistency of the flour by holding it in your fist, as mentioned above. You puttu flour is ready to steam.

In the bottom of the puttu maker add three cups of water and let it roll boil. Place the perforated steel disc on the bottom of the long cylindrical part of the puttu maker. First layer it with two tablespoon of the freshly grated coconut. Above it, add the puttu flour. Do not press the flour. Fill it till the rim. End it with two tablespoon of the freshly grated coconut. Close it with a lid.

Place it over the boiling water. Let it cook on high flame for five minutes. Off the flame and let it rest for two minutes. Then remove the rod shaped puttu maker and place it on a plate. With the help of a rod, push the bottom of the puttu maker. Puttu will come out easily.

Delicious Kerala Puttu is ready. Enjoy it with Kadala Curry or mix the puttu with sugar, cardamom powder and ghee and enjoy it.