Ingredients
Scale
Pakodas for Road Side Kalan Recipe | Coimbatore style kalan
- 3 cups sliced cabbage
- 1 pack mushrooms (200 grams), finely chopped
- 1/4 cup maida (all purpose flour)
- 1/4 cup corn starch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- Vegetable oil to deep fry
Gravy for Road Side Kalan Recipe | Coimbatore style kalan
For the Masala paste
- 6–7 garlic cloves
- 2 tomatoes
- 1.5 teaspoon fennel seeds (sombu)
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorn
- 1/2 inch piece ginger
- 1/2 inch piece cinnamon (Indian Cassia)
- 3 cloves
- 4 sprigs of mint leaves
Other Ingredients for gravy
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 sprigs curry leaves, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup onions, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Juice of a small lemon / lime
Garnishing for Road Side Kalan Recipe | Coimbatore style kalan
shredded carrots, sliced onions, coriander leaves, green chillies and lemon wedges
Instructions
- Wash and clean the cabbage. Remove the core from the cabbage and slice thin. Finely chop the mushrooms. Set aside. Take a big bowl and add in the chopped mushrooms and cabbage. Add in the maida, corn flour, salt, chilli powder and turmeric powder. Mix everything well. Bruise the vegetables lightly by slightly rubbing them between the palms. Set aside for 20 minutes. Do not add any water. After 20 minutes, the vegetable mixture would be wet due to all the natural juices that have come out during the rest. Mix well and set aside.
- Heat oil in a kadai / pan until hot. Take small pieces of the batter and drop it gently in oil. Just take random shapes and place it in oil. But let the pieces be small. After adding them to oil, do not touch or move with a spatula for the first two minutes. After adding the batter to the oil, it will be very bubbly. These pakodas take time to cook as cabbages have a lot of water in them. Each batch will take roughly about three plus minutes. The bubbles should have subsided considerably and that is an indication that the pakodas are done. Once the bubbles in oil have subsided and the pakodas are nice and brown, remove from oil and drain on paper towels.
- Take all the ingredients listed under masala paste in a mixie. Add half a cup of water and grind to a fine paste. Set aside.
- Take a heavy flat pan and add in the oil and curry leaves. Add in the finely chopped onions. Saute for a few minutes till the onions are soft. Add in the ground masala. Wash the mixie with half a cup of water and add it to the pan. Add in the salt. Remember that the pakodas are also salted. Add the salt cautiously. We can adjust the seasoning later if need be. Add in the south Indian curry masala powder and Kashmiri red chilli powder. Cook for 5-6 minutes till all the spices are fully cooked and streaks of oil start appearing on top of the gravy.
- Make a corn starch slurry by adding a teaspoon of corn flour to a cup of water (240ml). Mix well. Add the slurry to the gravy. Let it come to a simmer. We are looking for a thin gravy as the gravy will instantly thicken up once the pakodas are added. Adjust the gravy consistency by adding little water if necessary. Add in a teaspoon of sugar. Add in juice of a lime.
- Add in the pakodas and toss well in the gravy to coat. Remove from heat and finish it with a generous sprinkle of coriander leaves.
- Serve the rottu kadai kalan with a sprinkling of shredded carrots, onions, coriander leaves, little bit of green chillies and lime wedges. Road Side Kalan Recipe | Coimbatore style kalan is ready.
- Prep Time: 20m
- Cook Time: 30m