Thanjavur-Kumbakonam Kadappa

Any guess on the next ‘T’ district of Tamilnadu and the native recipe of it…? 🤔🤔. Let me reveal it for you, it’s our own ‘Rice Bowl of Tamilnadu’, Thanjavur or Tanjore and it’s pride, Kadappa coming in line after ‘Tirunelveli Sodhi‘ or ‘Theni kootusaaru‘.

Click here to jump to recipe card!

Thanjavur lies in the Cauvery delta region which includes ‘Temple Town’, Kumbakonam as one of its Taluks. Tanjore is also the cradle of the art and architecture of Tamilnadu.

Coming to our recipe ‘Kadappa’, it’s similar to stew and is served with idli, dosa, poori, chappathi. Though it has no clear origin, it’s deeply rooted in the Tanjore Kumbakonam region, entrenched in the hearts of its natives.

What is Kadappa? – it’s a subtle, aromatic gravy prepared from a specially ground masala thickened with moong dal and potatoes then gently tempered with whole spices. It’s a vegan, gluten-free recipe, quick and easy to prepare as well.

This dish was prepared only in certain restaurants in Tanjore, Kumbakonam areas. Later it became a household for its craving among the people of this region.

Difference between Thirunelveli Sodhi and Tanjavur Kadappa- many would err saying Sodhi and Kadappa are the same. But it’s absurd to say so, as these 2 curries have different ingredients and preparation.  One common thing in both the curries is Moong dal. The rest is completely disparate.

1)           Kadappa has ground masala and is tempered with whole spices whereas Sodhi has neither ground masala nor is tempered with whole spices.

2)           Kadappa has a few tbsps of grated coconut in the ground masala while in  Sodhi only coconut milk is used.

3)           Tomato is optional in Kadappa whereas tomato is completely avoided in Sodhi

4)           Mix veggies like beans, carrot, peas, drumsticks, potatoes are included in Sodhi, while in Kadappa only potato is essential, carrot is also optional.

Hope the difference between these 2 curries is more distinct now. You can also experience it when you prepare them at home following my recipe…😉😀.Now let’s get into the recipe..

Wash and pressure cook moong dal for 6 whistles. Cool and mash the dal with a ladle, keep it aside. Similarly, pressure cook or steam 1 potato and mash it partially and keep it aside. In a mixer jar, add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, fennel seeds, chopped ginger and garlic.

Then add fried gram and green chilli.

Now add coriander leaves.

Finally add grated coconut.

Grind it into a smooth paste adding little warm water.

Heat a pan or skillet, add oil, and temper with bay leaf and star anise.

Then add chopped garlic, sauté for a minute. Add chopped shallots with a little salt, sauté for a couple of minutes.

Later add chopped tomatoes, stir it.

And then add chopped carrots, give a 2 minutes stir.

Then add the ground masala, stir it.

Now add the partially mashed potatoes.

Finally add the cooked, mashed moong dal, combine it well.

Add 2 cups of water.

Stir it and let it boil in medium flame for 5 minutes.

Later simmer it for another 5 minutes on low flame. Switch off the flame, Kadappa tends to thicken after it cools. So, adjust the consistency as per your requirement.

Subtle, smooth Thanjavur Kadappa is ready to serve with idli, dosa, idiyappam, poori, roti.

Here, I served with Instant Ragi Rava Dosa (Click the hyperlink for the recipe). It’s a must-try recipe, healthy, crispy, instant tiffin for your loved ones.

Recipe card

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Cuisine: Indian, South

Category: Curries

Serves: 4

Author: Manimala

Ingredients:

For grinding-

Fennel seeds – 1 tsp

Cloves – 2

Cardamom – 1

Cinnamon – 1”

Chopped ginger – 1 tsp

Chopped garlic – 1 tsp

Green chilli – 5

Grated coconut – ¼ cup

Fried/roasted gram – 2 tsp

Coriander leaves – 1 tbsp

For gravy-

Oil – 2 tbsp

Bay leaf – 2 small

Star anise – 1

Shallots/small onion – ¼ cup

Chopped garlic – 1/8 cup

Chopped tomato – ½ cup

Chopped carrot – ½ cup

Cooked split yellow gram/moong dal – ½ cup

Boiled, half mashed potato – 1 cup or 1 big potato

Salt – to taste

Water – 2 cups

Instructions:

1. Wash and pressure cook moong dal for 6 whistles. Cool and mash the dal with a ladle, keep it aside.
2. Similarly, pressure cook or steam 1 potato and mash it partially and keep it aside.
3. In a mixer jar, add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, fennel seeds, chopped ginger and garlic.
4. Then add fried gram and green chilli.
5. Now add coriander leaves.
6. Finally add grated coconut.
7. Grind it into a smooth paste adding little warm water.
8. Heat a pan or skillet, add oil, and temper with bay leaf and star anise.
9. Then add chopped garlic, sauté for a minute. Add chopped shallots with a little salt, sauté for a couple of minutes.
10. Later add chopped tomatoes, stir it and then add chopped carrots, give a 2 minutes stir.
11. Then add the ground masala, stir it, now add the partially mashed potatoes, finally add the cooked, mashed moong dal, combine it well.
12. Add 2 cups of water, stir it and let it boil in medium flame for 5 minutes.
13. Later simmer it for another 5 minutes on low flame.
14. Switch off the flame, Kadappa tends to thicken after it cools. So, adjust the consistency as per your requirement.
15. Subtle, smooth Thanjavur Kadappa is ready to serve with idli, dosa, idiyappam, poori, roti.. Here, I served with Instant Ragi Rava Dosa (Click the hyperlink for the recipe). It’s a must-try recipe, healthy, crispy, instant tiffin for your loved ones.

Notes:

• Due to unavailability, I skipped adding Poppy seeds/khuskhus in the ground masala. Adding it imparts a nutty flavour and acts as a thickening agent to the gravy. But add in a limited quantity like ½-1 tsp will do.
• Feel free to increase or decrease the green chillies according to your spice level.
• Since I added turmeric powder, my Kadappa was light yellow in colour, you can skip adding turmeric powder to moong dal which keeps your Kadappa light cream in colour.
• If you have precooked moong dal in the refrigerator, this recipe is so handy that it can be prepared in a flash.
• Carrot and tomato are optional ingredients. Avoiding them will not affect the result.
• Boiling and simmering the curry for 10-12 minutes will suffice. As I mentioned early, Kadappa tends to thicken, once cooled. You can add water later to thin the gravy, it should neither be too thick nor too thin.
• You can refrigerate the leftover Kadappa and reheat it when you use it.