Kadle Manoli Ajadina | Chana and Tendli Sukka

Kadle Manoli Ajadina is a festive favourite, bringing chana and tendli together in a coarse coconut and roasted spice masala. It is a lovely addition to a festive spread, with the chickpeas and ivy gourd holding their own among the other dishes on the plate.

At home, we love this with saar or rasam and appala or papad. The hog plums add another layer of sweet tanginess to this humble side dish. That little burst of sourness sits beautifully alongside the coconut and spices.

Like the other vegetable Ajadina recipes, this one uses a coarse masala. The coconut goes into the mixer last and is pulsed briefly, so it keeps its texture. A coconut-oil tempering of mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves brings everything together.

Kadle Manoli Ajadina | Chana and Tendli Sukka

A festive favourite of black chickpeas and ivy gourd with coarse coconut masala and tangy hog plums, served with rice and saar.

Ingredients

Chana and tendli

• 1 cup dried black chickpeas (kala chana) measure before soaking
• 500 g ivy gourd (manoli or tendli) washed, ends trimmed and cut lengthways
• hog plums (ambade) lightly crushed; optional, if available
• salt to taste
• water as needed

Coarse coconut masala

• 5–6 dried Byadgi red chillies
• 2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 lime-sized ball of tamarind
• 1/2 coconut grated; half a whole coconut
• water a little, for grinding

Tempering

• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 tsp urad dal
• 6–8 curry leaves

Instructions

• Soak the dried black chickpeas overnight in plenty of water. Drain, rinse and cook in fresh water until tender. Drain and set aside.
• Wash the ivy gourd, trim the ends and cut it lengthways into pieces.
• Dry-roast the coriander, cumin, fenugreek and Byadgi chillies for a few minutes without burning them. Cool.
• Grind the roasted spices with turmeric and tamarind, using a little water if needed. Add the grated coconut last and pulse briefly. Keep the paste coarse.
• Set the paste aside. Rinse the mixer with water and use this masala water to cook the manoli with the lightly crushed hog plums until tender. Add water as needed, then drain excess liquid before finishing.
• Heat the coconut oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. Let the mustard splutter and the dal turn golden.
• Add the coarse paste and cook, stirring, until thick and on the drier side.
• Add the cooked chickpeas, manoli and hog plums, along with salt. Mix gently until coated in the masala and heated through. Check the seasoning and serve as a dry side dish.

Notes

Measure the chickpeas dry, before soaking. The 1 cup dry chickpeas and 2 tbsp coconut oil are reference-based starting measures. Keep the coconut coarse. Cook the chickpeas separately until tender. Adjust tamarind to suit the sourness of the optional ambade.

Notes from my kitchen

• Keep the coconut coarse. Add it last and pulse briefly, rather than blending to a smooth curry paste.
• Cook the chickpeas separately. They need to be tender before they are mixed with the vegetables and masala.
• Ambade add their own tanginess. Adjust the tamarind to suit their sourness and taste the finished dish before adding more.

Serving

Pair with rice, saar or rasam and appala, as we enjoy it at home, or include it in a festive meal. For another coarse coconut side, try Bambe Ajadina.