Kumbakonam kadappa
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A mild, creamy side dish of moong dal, potato and a ground coconut, fennel and poppy seed paste, served with idli and dosai.
Region: Kumbakonam and the Thanjavur areaOccasion: BreakfastTime: 35 minServes: 4Vegan
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup moong dal
- 2 potatoes, boiled and cubed
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 tomato, chopped (optional)
- ½ tsp turmeric
- Salt to taste
- For the paste: ¼ cup grated coconut, 2 green chillies, 1 tsp fennel seeds, 1 tsp poppy seeds (or 6 cashews), 2 garlic cloves, ½-inch ginger
- For tempering: 1 tbsp oil, 1-inch cinnamon, 2 cloves, 1 bay leaf, curry leaves
- Coriander leaves
Method
- Cook the moong dal with turmeric until soft and mash lightly.
- Grind the paste ingredients smoothly with water.
- Heat oil and add the cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf and curry leaves. Fry the onion until soft, then the tomato.
- Add the potatoes, dal, ground paste, salt and 1½ cups water. Simmer for 8–10 minutes until creamy.
- Finish with coriander leaves and serve with idli, dosai or puri.
History
Kadappa is a speciality of the temple town of Kumbakonam in the Cauvery delta, where it is a fixture of tiffin hotels.
Significance
It is a gentle, lightly spiced breakfast curry that shows the delta's use of moong dal and coconut.