Whenever somebody talks about Tamil cuisine, the first few dishes that come to mind are piping hot idlis, dosas, soul-soothing sambhar and tangy Chettinad chicken. But believe it or not, these staple dishes are just a fraction of diverse Tamil Nadu's regional culinary offerings. This cuisine is an amalgamation of bountiful authentic and mouth-watering recipes. In addition, the streets of Tamil Nadu are filled with numerous street-side stalls that offer a delicious variety of head-turning food for both non-vegetarians and vegetarians. Let's talk about roadside kaalan masala, which is also known as 'Rottu kadai kaalan'.
It is a legendary street food recipe from the streets of Coimbatore. As the name suggests, this recipe is made by using kaalan (mushrooms) along with cabbage and other aromatic spices. The inclusion of cabbage adds volume and flavour to the recipe. Moreover, this recipe is basically served as an evening snack in Coimbatore and nearby places. So, if you are a mushroom lover then you should definitely give this recipe a shot.
Also Read: 11 Best Tamil Recipes
Here's how you can make Roadside Kaalan | Roadside Kaalan Recipe
To begin with the recipe, all you need to do is slice the cabbage and chop the mushrooms. Now, take a large container and add the chopped mushrooms and cabbage along with cornflour, maida, chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix everything thoroughly by using your hands. Keep it aside for about 20-25 minutes. Heat oil in a kadhai, take small portions of the mixture and drop it into the oil (just like you do while making pakoras). Now, wait until they get golden brown from both sides.
For the gravy, put tomatoes along with cumin seeds, fennel seeds, other spices and grind them until a smooth and consistent paste. Now, heat oil in a heavy pan and add chopped onions with curry leaves. Sauté for a few minutes until the onion gets translucent. Add tomato mixture and a half cup of water to the curry. Give it a nice stir for about 10-15 minutes. Put the mushroom and cabbage pakora inside and cover the pan for 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Just remember, do not add water while making the pakora batter as cabbage and mushrooms contain a lot of water in them. So, if you add additional water, the pakoras will become soggy.
Click here for a step-by-step detailed recipe of Kaalan Masala.
Try this recipe at home and let us know how you liked it in the comment section below.