Kongu Nadu Kollu Kadaiyal | Horsegram Lentil Curry
Kollu kadaiyal - A flavorful and nutritious curry made with horsegram, cherished in the Kongu region of Tamil Nadu! Learn how to make this regional delicacy with detailed step-wise pictures.
Servings: 4
Calories: 167kcal
Ingredients
Measurement Details: 1 cup = 240ml; 1 tbsp = 15ml; 1 tsp = 5ml;
We need a total of 3 cups of water and one big onion (approx 162 grams). I used half of it for the masala and the remaining ½ for the tempering. Chop one half roughly and the other half finely.
To pressure cook
- ½ cup horsegram/kollu soaked overnight
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 green chili
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 cups water
To roast and grind
- 1 tsp gingelly oil
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 dried red chilies
- 2 tsp coriander seeds
- ½ cup onion chopped, or 5 to 6 shallots
For the curry
- 1 tbsp gingelly oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- ¼ tsp asafoetida
- 5 curry leaves
- ½ cup onion finely chopped
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1 cup water or to taste
- 1 tbsp cilantro
Instructions
- Rinse the horsegram and soak with sufficient water for 6 to 8 hours.
- Drain the water used for soaking and add 2 cups of fresh water, one green chili broken into two pieces, two garlic cloves, and ¼ tsp of turmeric powder for five whistles. Alternatively, using an instant pot, you can pressure cook for 25 minutes and let the pressure release naturally.
- Once the pressure is released, discard the green chili and drain the water. Reserve this water, as we will be using it later. Let the horsegram and garlic cool down.
- When you pressure cook horsegram, you can partially roast the spices. Heat a tsp of oil, add cumin seeds and dried red chilies, and roast for a minute. Next, add the coriander seeds and roast until fragrant.
- Now add the chopped onion and saute until it's soft and translucent. Let it cool.
- Grind the cooked horsegram with garlic and the roasted spices with onion by adding ½ cup of horsegram cooked water into a coarse paste and set aside.
- Heat a heavy bottom pan or kadai and add 1 tbsp of gingelly oil.
- When it is hot, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then, add the asafoetida and curry leaves.
- Add the finely chopped onion and saute for a few minutes.
- Add salt and saute further until the onions are soft and slightly crisp.
- Now add the ground horsegram spice paste and the horsegram cooked water plus one cup of additional water.
- Mix well and ensure there aren't any lumps.
- Bring this curry to a gentle simmer, and then add cilantro.
- Mix well, simmer again for a few minutes, and turn off the heat.
Video
Notes
- Adjust the salt and spices according to your preference.
- If your garlic cloves are small, you can add up to 5. I used two big ones.
- Instead of grinding the horsegram, you can roughly mash them and make the curry.
- As we prefer gravy and smooth consistency, I pulse it with the spices and make the curry this way.
- You can make a similar curry with green moong beans, moth beans, green or red lentils.
Nutrition
Calories: 167kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 926mg | Potassium: 407mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 292IU | Vitamin C: 64mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 3mg