Kumbakonam kadappa recipe with full video, stepwise photos. A flavorful side dish for idli dosa and puri.
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I tasted kumbakonam kadappa first time in my SRC hostel mess in Trichy. That time I used to hate that. Then once after marriage, when my MIL made, I totally developed taste for it, may be the way she made it, changed my taste.
Kumbakonam kadappa is made with roughly mashed pototoes, moong dal and coconut with spices added to it. It’s a very unique side dish famous in Thanjavur/ kumbakonam region.
Though she avoids fennel in her recipe, I tried adding fennel and bay leaves in addition to the way she makes and the result was really awesome!
I remembered my hostel mess used to serve it with cinnamon and quite sure it had fennel seeds flavor. So I added soambu in this recipe.
Just love the flavor and makes a great combo with idly. Vj doesn’t like fennel at all, so I avoid it most of the times, still will add whenever I get a chance.
If you like fennel you can add or you can skip it and just use the main ingredient pattai (cinnamon). Check out my tomato kurma.
💭 Top tip
Since we use potato and yellow lentils in this recipe, it gets bland if we do not season it with right amount of salt, chilli and tanginess from either lemon juice or tomato. We are also adding coconut, so use a lot of spice to balance it.
🎥 Video
Here’s a quick video on how to make this
📖 Variations
- I have heard from my relatives that you can even add mixed vegetables and make kadappa.
- While grinding coconut, you can add any one of some pottukadalai, cashews or kasa kasa for more rich gravy.
👩🏽🍳 Why I love it
It has got perfect balance of all flavors, nothing overpowering. The consistency is just right, neither too thick like kurma nor thin like sambar. It’s in between.
Also, brings back so much nostalgic moments of our hostel life even though it was not pleasant that time, later I realized how gifted we were to get such decent delicious food.
👪 Serving size
Though kadappa will be looking like so much volume, it gets over easily because of the mild spice and thickness from moong dal. So make sure to prepare enough depending on the size of the group.
🍽 Goes well with
Recipe card
kumbakonam kadappa
Equipments (Amazon Affiliate links)
- kadai/ pan
- ladle
- blender
- chopping board
- knife
Ingredients
- ¼ cup Moong Dal/ Paasi paruppu
- 2 Potato
- 2 Onion
- 4 Green Chillies
- Salt – As needed
- Lemon Juice From ½ of a lemon
- 1 teaspoon Coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon Coriander leaves For garnish
To Grind
- ½ cup Coconut grated
- 2 Green chilli
- ½ teaspoon Fennel seeds/ Soambu Optional
- 2 Garlic flakes
To temper
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 Cinnamon piece
- 1 Biryani leaf
- ½ teaspoon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
Instructions
- First, pressure cook potato and moong dal.Peel the potatoes,mash it and mash the moong dal too.
- Slice onion and green chillies.Grind coconut,fennel (If addinand garlic with water to a smooth paste.
- Heat a pan with oil and temper with the items given under” ‘To temper’ table. Add onion,green chillies and fry until onion turns just transparent,do not let it change its colour.
- Pour 2 cups water,salt and boil for 3 minutes. Add the mashed dal and potatoes.Mix well, bring to boil.
- Keep in low flame as after adding dal and potato it easy gets burnt at the bottom,so keep stirring. add the Ground masala,mix well and cook until the gravy thickens.
Video
Notes
- Add garlic only maximum two flakes,otherwise it will give different flavour. If you use bigger flake,just use one.
- I have skipped fennel seeds in the video and yet the flavour is awesome with cinnamon, garlic combo.
- Instead of lemon juice,you can add 1 tomato in the recipe. Just fry after onion and proceed.
- Instead of grinding garlic along with coconut you can crush it and fry along with onion too,just add 2 more garlic flake additionally.
- Kadappa is usually white in colour in our mess,I too didn’t add any turmeric in the recipe, add turmeric if you like it.
Kumbakonam kadappa method
1. First, pressure cook potato and moong dal. Peel the potatoes, break it roughly and mash the moong dal.
2. Slice onion and green chillies. Grind coconut, fennel (If adding), 2 green chillies (NIP) and garlic with water to a smooth paste.
3. Heat a pan with oil and temper with the items given under” ‘To temper’ table. Add onion, green chillies and fry until onion turns just transparent. Do not let it change its color.
4. Pour 2 cups water, salt and boil for 3 minutes. Add the mashed dal and broken potatoes. Mix well, bring to boil.
5. Keep in low flame as after adding dal and potato it easy gets burnt at the bottom, so keep stirring. Add the Ground masala, mix well and boil until the gravy thickens (2-3 mins).
Squeeze with lemon, drizzle coconut oil, add coriander leaves and serve with Idli or Dosai.
Nice recipe,looks so delicious.
yum – 1 I too prepared kadappa y'day and relished immensely- nice clicks !
Once I prepared this, my hubby dear didn't liked it a lot,so haven't tried after that! 😉
Clicks are nice Raji! Its dinner time here,wannna grab that idly plate! 🙂
wow very good dish hv never heard abt this.. will sure try n let u know!!
Saw it in many blogs…but I never tried r tasted it…recipe sounds nice,would give a try sometime..nice clicks raji..ur idlies always make me hungry any time I see dem..:)
Wow….looks super delicious….will try this.
Don't even remind me…in the whole of the two post graduate years in SRC (tricy, ammaangOv, adhe college), this was staple atleast thrice a week, if not more!
Your post just made it sound something exotic…which the hostel caterer made a point to make as uninteresting as possible!
Something new to me,never heard of this dish before.I was lucky to have 'not' tasted hostel food as I was a day scholar throughout!
This is a very new recipe to me, looks yummy!
That's very new to me…never heard of Kadappa….but the recipe sounds good…will try it sometime
Though i have heard this i have never tasted or tried this. Sounds interesting too.
one of my favorite…
looks delicious and very tempting dear…
Nice clicks 🙂
My favourite anytime, i can have two more idlies or dosas with this wonderful and fingerlicking kadappa..
Sounds like a delicious combo….Lovely clicks.
New one and looks delicious.
Vardhini
Event: Fast food not Fat food
My MIL does this too….but am not sure of the recipe but I just love it. Urs looks creamy and thick perfect for idlis and dosas
this dish is new to me.. and the idli-lover in me is dying to try it out! looks yummy!
i love tht vessel you have on the stove – what material is it?
very healthy, looks nice.
Loved the texture of the curry. A welcome change from the sambar and chutney..
Have had this only in weddings, yet to make at home,ur version sounds interesting. Would definitely give a try. Clicks are too good.
Hi mad jammer,its VISIONS…You can google and find the site easily
looks heavenly…awesome clicks..
Tasty Appetite
Looks yummmy, i am making these nowadays. I make it a bit watery for sen :)We love this..!!First click is awesome 🙂
My son likes moondal recipes and potatoes. I'll have to try this soon. Photos are very nice.
very new to me!! lovely curry n nice click!
My chithi makes kadappa often…I have tasted it only once.
Should try it out once.
btw I am also from trichy,if possible let me know which college you were from
Lovely presentation Raji, looks delicious will try this rec soon:)
very new and interesting side dish with idly! would love to try this!
Trichy and kadappa. Don't remind me. It is a daily treat in my grandparents home when I visit them during holidays. made me so nostalgic.
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I too make this almost the same way,pass those five idlis(not that 2 idlis)with kadappa…Iam ready to leave my diet only for this kadappa:)
i have been served this a lot of times but never made this myself….a very interesting post…:)
I am also from the same college…2006 passed out 🙂 glad to meet u 🙂 not sure if you have given ur mail id here in this blog…if possible lemme know 🙂
Kadappa to me was only a stone so I was quite surprised when I saw your title. Love it. Will try it some time soon.
Finger licking kadappa. Romba pidikum idhu yenakku. Will make it tomorrow and let you know how it came out 🙂
Kadappa is the favourite side dish of everyone at home. Yours look yummy. Love the bowl full of kadappa. Wish I am your neighbour.
This is the first time i am hearing this dish name…looks so yummy.sure will try this soon and link ..
Happy to follow you 🙂
Do chk out my blog :
http://cookingwithloveandforlove.blogspot.com/
Kadappa is very famous in thanjavur,my place..U can see this dish in every parotta shops.. Just love this Raks, U made me remember my home town..Touching
Never heard of this before but seeing all the yummy ingredients n the process I know this is something I am going to love 🙂
Thanks for sharing Raks!
US Masala
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My MIL makes it and I have her version on my blog too. Next time I will grind garlic with the coconut. Looks delicious!
That is lovely curry…
New for me and looks interesting …guess will do well with roti n paratha too
Yummy:-) My favourite side dish..
New interesting recipe for me..sounds yum! love to give a try!
This is an interesting side dish to try out! Loved your recipe collection and photographs! YUMMY!!!
http://cosmopolitancurrymania.blogspot.com
love kadappa..looks yummy 🙂
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Heart winning combo dear…Love your pictorial..
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This is new to me. I love how it looks…simply delectable!
Wow this is something. Looks super delicious
I've seen this recipe in a few places and have been wanting to give it a shot but never got to it.. must be mild,creamy & delish.
This sounds to be a different one. Nice recipe. Really want to give it a try. Love to try such traditional recipes…. YUM!
I have never tried anything other than sambar and chutney for idli and dosa..I have to try your awesome looking recipe 😀 Thnak you
Wonderful recipe. Kadappa looks yummy and tempting. Very beautiful presentation.
kadappa looks and sounds yum!! surely will try this
Hi,
I tried this recipe. It was very delicious and a great side dish for Idli.Thanks for sharing.
Hi!
My neighbor told me about this recipe. This is a perfect combination for idlis! Kadappa looks delicious! Photos are very nice.
Tried tis recipe…my little daughter luvd it with dosa…Perfect sidedish and wholesome,luv the presentation..Keep up the good work…
Thank you so much Sowmya & Sabina for taking time to write here,glad that you liked it 🙂 Thanks Usha 🙂
OH GOD, at last i found someone who love that kadappa from SRC.nobody in my house believed that there is a dish called as kadappa.i love kadappa,i love my hostel, i love SRC. i love ur blog
i loved it:) this s my first trial of your recepie n loved it…all my friends liked it:)am from kumbakonam and it tastes lik wat i get in kumbakonam:)gonna try all in ur series:)thank u so much:)
Hi,
i'm also from src.. in my first year i also dont like kadapa.. but after that i like kadapa with idly chili powder… thanks for giving kadapa recipe..
You cant use silverware with visions.
Hey something nice and original after a long time.Came out well.
Awesome recipe..I tried and it came out good.
my husband loved it…thank u..
hi,
I am a new reader of your site and have tried 2 recipies tiffin sambhar and kadapa from your site. Both came out very well. Your method of explaining the dishes with pictures is also excellent.I have become a great fan of yours. Wishing you all the best.
Tried this yesterday and had it with rawa idli , turned out real tasty !!
hi, i am rashmi, i have started my cooking blog, i am very much impressed by u r blog. u have created very good blog, give me some hints how to create nice beautiful background for blog
Hi Raks,
I've tried this recipe yesterday and it was delicious. All in my home loved it. My bro literally licked it.
The step wise procedures & photographs are really helpful.
Ths s the first time im hearng abt ths recipe. I tried ths today it came off very well..grt thng s my hubby liked it..he s very choosy and he don't like south indian dishes..thnks a lot raji..im n luv wit ur blog…I chk ur site atleast once a day…keep up the gud work 🙂
It looks yummy. Can I ask a question here. What material is that vessel that u r using on the stove.. it looks neat.
Its VISIONS a kind of corning ware
May be your chilli is not spicy enough. Adding lemon juice is also a must to give the recipe a punch. So add more chilli and lemon juice next time if it is very bland for you.
hi Raks another win win recipie of yours. thank you so much . it tasted very well:))
Hi raks tried 2 times and was a hit in the family. It is neither kurma nor dal. I feel it is a combo of both. Gives volume yet tasty. Thx for the recipe. Bye.
Thank you 🙂
When to add lemon juice? And also green chillies are to be grind along with coconut or just along with onions?