Warm, richly spiced, and built for a satisfying meal, Channa Kurma Recipe - South Indian Style | Kondakadalai Kurma is a vegetarian south indian curry made with chole/chickpea, water, and salt in about 520 minutes. The recipe lays out the ingredients and each cooking step clearly, so you can adjust seasoning, texture, and serving size for your own kitchen.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 30 minutes
  • Total time: 520 minutes
  • Yield: 6 Servings
  • Category: curry
  • Cuisine: south indian

Ingredients

for pressure cooker:

  • 1½ cup chole/chickpea (soaked)
  • 4 cup water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • pinch baking soda

for masala paste:

  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp fennel
  • 1 black cardamom
  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp cloves
  • 1 onion (sliced)
  • 1 inch ginger (sliced)
  • 3 clove garlic
  • 1 tomato (sliced)
  • 1 cup coconut

for curry:

  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 onion (sliced)
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 1 tbsp chilli powder
  • 2 tbsp chana masala
  • 1 tomato (finely chopped)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp coriander (finely chopped)
  • ½ lemon

Method

  1. Firstly, put 1½ cups chole, 4 cups water, 1 tsp salt, and a pinch of baking soda in a pressure cooker.
  2. Pressure cook for 5 whistles or until the chole is cooked well. Keep aside.
  3. To prepare the masala paste, heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan. Add 1 tsp fennel, 1 black cardamom, 1 inch cinnamon, 1 tsp pepper, and 1 tsp cloves.
  4. Saute on a low flame till the spices turn aromatic.
  5. Add 1 onion, 1 inch ginger, 3 clove garlic and saute well.
  6. Also, add 1 tomato and cook till the tomato softens.
  7. Further add 1 cup of coconut and cook till the coconut turns golden brown.
  8. Cool completely, and transfer to the mixer jar. Add 1 ladleful of boiled chole and water.
  9. Blend to a smooth paste. Keep aside.
  10. In a large kadai, heat 2 tbsp oil and saute 1 tsp cumin.
  11. Saute 1 onion till it turns golden brown.
  12. Keeping the flame on low, add ½ tsp turmeric, 1 tbsp chilli powder, 2 tbsp chana masala and saute till the masala turns aromatic.
  13. Further add 1 tomato and saute well.
  14. Now add prepared masala paste and cook well till the oil separates.
  15. Also add boiled chole, 1 tsp salt and mix well, adjusting the consistency.
  16. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the chole absorbs all the flavour.
  17. Add in 2 tbsp coriander, ½ lemon and mix well.
  18. Finally, enjoy Chana Kurma Recipe with poori and roti.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.