kadala ularthiyathu

This is a good side dish to prepare during Lent when you give up meat for few weeks and crave for something spicy that tastes similar to meat.

Ingredients:

1. Black channa - 2 cups(soaked overnight)
2. Coconut slices - 4 tbsp
3. Onion - 1 small chopped
4. Shallots - 3 crushed
5. Garlic - 5 cloves crushed
6. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
7. Coriander powder - 1 tsp
8. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
9. crushed black pepper - 1/2 tsp
10. Vinegar - 1 tbsp
11. Oil - 2 tbsp
12. salt - to taste
13. curry leaves - 2 springs
14. meat masala - 1 tsp (cardamom,cloves,fennel,cinnamon crushed ).

Method:
Pressure cook the black channa along with the coconut slices an 1 chopped onion with just enough water to cover it.Cook until the black channa is soft.Add salt to taste after cooking and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan and add in the crushed shallots,garlic and curry leaves and saute until it is light brown.
Add in the chilly,coriander and turmeric powders and stir fry until raw smell is gone (1 minute)
Add in the meat masala and crushed pepper and cooked channa along with any water left over in the cooker.
If there is more water keep on high flame and let the water evaporate.
Stir fry for another 10 minutes on medium flame until the curry is almost dry and the masala sticks to the chickpeas.
Serve with rice.

NOTE : For a different taste you can use chicken masala, meat masala  etc instead of using chilly,coriander,turmeric,crushed meat masala powders.