A Mangalorean Thanksgiving/ Ma’s Kadle Curry

A Mangalorean Thanksgiving/ Ma’s Kadle Curry

Guest Post By Anu Elisha

Thank you very much.

I grew up in Mangalore, in the Mission Compound.  The church played a major role in our lives.  As a child, Harvest / A Mangalorean Thanksgiving was one of the highlights of the year for us.  Shanthi Cathedral, which was a hop, skip and jump away from our house, celebrated Harvest on a very grand scale.  The church was decorated with an abundance of agricultural produce.

A huge sheaf of paddy was laid at the altar.  This would be blessed, and later distributed by the padre, after the service.  Each household would be given a small bunch of paddy.  The blessed grains would be cooked along with the rice served in the afternoon meal.

The children were given sticks of sugarcane.  As we peeled and chewed the  sweet sticks, we would crowd around the noisy auction area eagerly, with eyes as big as saucers.   There were so many exciting things to see – a bunch of chickens with their feet tied together, a small flock of ducks quacking away, rice in hay baskets called ‘Mudi’, huge bunches of plantains or coconuts, gunny sacks filled with an array of vegetables… the possibilities were endless.

The ladies would return home to get lunch ready, ( Ma’s Kadle Curry was always included) while the men attended the auction.

My mother would cook a traditional vegetarian meal which included all the tastes ~ Sweet, Salty, Sour, Bitter and Savoury on Harvest Sunday every year.

With Ma

With Ma

MaWith Ma/Nana

With Ma/Nana

With Ma/Nana

A typical menu in our house would consist of 11 items:

• Rice
• Pumpkin Stew
• Kadle Curry- Black Chickpeas
• Allasande (String Beans) Fugath
• Cabbage Fugath
• Bitter Gourd Sweet Curry
• Cucumber Salad
• Pickle
• Pappadam
• Fried Buttermilk Chillies
• Green Gram Payasa

All the items were served on a green plantain leaf. I hated the bitter gourd curry, but a stern look from my mother would silence the protest on my lips, and I would quietly eat my portion without a murmur.

Banana Leaf Meals We Have Had With Ma’s Kadle Curry

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Today, I would like to share my mother’s Kadle Curry recipe with you:

Ma’s Kadle  (Black Channa) Curry

Ingredients:

Soak 1 ¼ cup kadle overnight

Masala: 6 red chillies, 2 tsp coriander seeds, 2 pinches mustard seeds, 1 pinch jeera seeds, 1/4 tsp khus khus, 6 pepper corns, 1/4 tsp haldi powder, 1 onion, 6 cloves garlic, 1 inch cinnamon, 2 cloves.

Method :

Grind to a smooth paste with a little water and mix with the kadle. Pressure cook 30 mins with 2 cups water. Do not add salt while cooking.

Slice 1 onion finely.  Fry till golden brown.  Add a pinch of hing and one sprig of curry leaves. Fry for 2 minutes and add to the cooked kadle. Add salt and some grated coconut.  Mix well. Evaporate the excess water if required.

NB: Kadle is chickpeas

Happy Thanksgiving!

~ Anu Elisha, November 2021

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