Kumbakonam Kadappa

I agree the name sounds weird, but it’s a real blend of coconut and fennel seeds with potatoes and moong dal. I have never tried anything with potatoes and moong dal together and this is the first recipe. This recipe is from MIL’s cookbook and this is very favorite in Kumbakonam restaurants and cooked often in families as well, especially with idly/dosa. When I saw the recipe it was just white in color, and I couldn’t imagine having any kurma which is colorless and so I was little confused to taste it for the first time. However after tasting it, I never thought this will be so tasty, may be I would have liked it since its cooked in coconut oil :P, but its your choice if you don’t want to cook with it, you could use any oil.

I guess, most of the housewives’ biggest challenge would be what to cook for idly, dosa as everyone will be bored out of chutneys and sambars, and I am sure often made question from a wife to a husband would be "what to cook for dinner?"(lol).. haha as it happens every time at our home, and my bf says he is bored of hearing this every time :)

so here is the choice.. Kadappa -a simple and tasty side dish.

Ingredients:

• Potatoes- 2 Nos
• Moong Dal- ¼ Cup
• Shredded coconut- Less than a ¼ Cup
• Onion- 1 Medium
• Fennel Seeds- 1 Tspn
• Garlic- a small piece.
• Garam Masala- 1 Tspn
• Lemon Juice- half squeezed.

To Temper:

• Coconut Oil- 2 Tspn
• Mustard- 1 Tspn
• Curry Leaves- few
• Cumin Seeds- ¼ Tspn

Method:

• Grind the coconut, fennel and garlic to a fine paste and keep aside.
• Pressure cook the dal along with the potatoes for 3 whistle and keep aside.
• In a pan, pour oil, add all the ingredients to temper list and add the onions, green chilies and sauté well until it becomes translucent.
• Add garam masala powder and saute for 2 minutes, add the cooked dal and potatoes to it and mix well.
• Now, add the ground coconut paste with required water and mix well.
• Boil it until it becomes little tight. Squeeze the lemon into it and serve hot.

 
Tips:

"After you pressure cook the dal and potatoes smash it with a ladle before adding into the curry.

After you add the ground coconut paste, care should be taken as it will get burnt at the bottom, hence stir occasionally and do not leave it for more time in flame as it will become very tight in texture."