Congress Kadlekaai | Kadlekai Beeja | Spicy Peanuts

 Congress Kadlekaai is a household name in Bangalore . Available at all bakeries ,congress kadlekaai are the perfect evening tea time munchies with a cuppa of hot filter coffee .

Walk into any Iyengar Bakery and you will for sure find these delicious spicy, tangy and very flavorful congress kadlekaai beeja packed in small packs of  50 or  100 gms for easy pick up .

This was my mom's favorite snack along with Khara Buns without which we would never get back to Bombay after our summer holidays. 

I would say Congress Kadlekaai is a perfect snack for weight watchers or those on diet as we hardly use 1 tsp oil .Also,peanuts are a good source of protein and also helpful to keep us filled from our mid morning hunger pangs .

Loaded with very simple spices, the highlight is the use of curry leaves and slightly extra asafoetida/hing which gives it a very delicious flavor .  These masal kadle are also used as topping in various street snacks like nippat masala , girmit , tomato slice chat etc.  You can also try Peanut Chaat from Sujata's blog using these spicy congress kadlekaai for a change .

It has been raining every evening last few days in my city and congress kadlekaai are just about perfect to munch on with hot kaapi and light drizzle spraying on our face as we sip the coffee in our balcony. 

Some other popular snacks from Karnataka on my blog for your taste buds 

Kodbale

Masal Puri 

Baked Nippat

Maddur Vade

The NAME....... 

I am sure you are all wondering what is the name Congress got to do with this wonderful snack ? There are many stories that float around this name .

Some say that this snack was invented sometime around 1960s when the prestigious Indian Congress party underwent a political split due to some political reasons and also as this snack is made using split peanuts,  this name got associated. 

While some quote ,this was a popular snack that was served during party meetings with tea and hence the name .

Making congress kadlekaai is very easy except for the roasting and deskinning of the peanuts . If you have microwave then it is all the more easy to  roast and de skin the peanuts . I prefer to use the microwave for roasting the groundnuts as there is no fear of them getting over roasted or burnt .

Some people like to retain the skin after roasting ,I prefer to remove it as that is how I have been having congress for the past so many years. 

Preparation Time - 10 mins
Cooking Time - 5 mins
Complexity - Simple 

Serves - 2 

Ingredients

1 cup raw peanuts 

1/2 tsp red chilli powder 

1/4 tsp pepper powder 

1/4 tsp turmeric 

Asafoetida/hing

Fresh curry leaves 

Pinch of salt 

Pinch of powdered sugar 

1 tsp oil.

Method 

• Place the peanuts in a microwave safe plate and set the timer to 2 mins . Open the microwave and let the peanuts rest for a while.  Alternatively you can also roast the peanuts in a dry pan on a medium flame until you see the skin peeling off from the peanuts .
• Once the peanuts are warm enough to touch transfer them to a clean and dry kitchen towel.  Cover it well and rub the peanuts over the cloth with your palms,this way the peanuts get deskined easily.  Carefully open the kitchen towel and blow away the peeled skin and yiu will have clean deskinned peanuts. 
• Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan , add the curry leaves followed by the spice powders (pepper,turmeric and chilli) ..fry it on low and donot burn. 
• Add the peeled peanuts with salt and asafoetida and mix well ..continue to roast on low flame for 2 to 3 mins till all the flavors coat well .
• Turn off the stove, add the powdered sugar mix it nicely and transfer to a wide plate for it to cool down .
• Once it is warm enough to touch powder the fried curry leaves with your fingers and mix it well with the congress kadlekaai .
• Store in a dry container and enjoy. Delicious bakery style congress is ready .

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Peanut Masala | Warm Peanut Salad - Vegan Salad

Sometime back , I got totally fresh peanuts/groundnuts from my vegetable vendor and it was too tempting to not buy them.  I quickly bought around 1/2kg of it and relived my childhood days by cooking them with some salt and then enjoyed eating them by removing the shell and popping out the peanuts from them .

Some of the boiled peanuts is reserved to make something as the weather in my city is playing a little hide and seek with us . The days are warm while as the evening sets in, it begins to get chill as the cool breeze blows . Such is the time when we start craving for something spicy and sizzling to go along with the evening tea.

 With the fresh groundnuts that I had bought, I made some delicious warm peanut salad or peanut masala as it is called colloquially  . This salad is very filling and healthy too . They can be served as one of the starters or appetisers during any parties .

If you donot have the fresh groundnuts,you can always  soak and boil the store bought raw groundnuts and use them.

Fun facts 

In Bangalore ,it is an annual ritual to have a huge farmer's market called "Kadlekaai Parishe" during the months of November/ December.  It is a 2 day event held in an area called Basavanagudi .Here, one can find cart loads of fresh groundnuts directly from the fields and also some interesting and innovative delicacies made using groundnuts and various other snacks and traditional stuff. 

Preparation Time- 5 mins

Cooking time - nil

Complexity - Simple

Serves - 3 to 4 

Ingredients 

250gms boiled peanuts/groundnuts

1 medium sized cucumber 

2 medium sized tomatoes 

Juice from 1 lemon

Pinch of salt 

Chat masala as needed 

1 finely chopped green chilli

Fresh corriander finely chopped 

Method

• Peel the cucumber and cut them into small cubes 
• De seed the tomatoes and cut into small cubes
• In a large salad bowl , add the boiled peanuts, green chillies cucumber, tomatoes, salt and chat masala and toss it well.
• Lastly garnish with fresh corriander and lemon juice.  
• You may also add some finely chopped onions or boiled corn to the salad .

Eat healthy stay fit !! Pin this recipe

Phalli Chutney / Groundnut chutney - Vegan

Chutneys are a quint essential accompaniment for the breakfast in every Indian Household.  The chutney or dips are made using various ingredients and each one is flavorful and unique in it's own way .
Today I have tried to make a Chutney using groundnuts also called as Phalli Pachadi in telugu.

This month in our FB group shhhhh cooking secretly challenge  we are travelling across the state of Telangana and I was given Ginger and Red Chilli powder as secret ingredients by my partner  Sasmita who blogs at First Timer Cook  .

Those of you who know me , will definitely know my love for peanuts and this chutney had to find its place in my blog soon and this was the best opportunity to prepare ,devour and blog.

I am also linking this to the MLLA #132 event being hosted by my cousin Kalyani of Sizzling Tastebuds .

Preparation Time : 10 mins
Cooking Time : 10 mins
Serves : 3 to 4
Complexity  : Simple

Ingredients
1 cup peanuts
2 -3 medium sized tomatoes
2 green chilies
Small piece of ginger
Few curry leaves
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp haldi powder
1 tsp mustard seeds
Asafoetida/hing as needed
2 tsp  oil
Salt as required
Fresh corriander

Method
Dry roast the peanuts or m/w for 1 min and allow it cool .  Rub and deskin the roasted peanuts . Alternatively you can also roast pre deskinned groundnut too .

In a pan , heat a tsp of oil and fry the green chillies , ginger and curry leaves.

Saute the tomatoes with some salt , fresh coriander, haldi and asafoetida and cook until the tomatoes turn mushy . Allow it to cool.

In a blender , add the roasted peanuts , sauteed tomatoes, red chilli powder, some salt of needed and blend it into a fine paste like chutney .

Prepare a tempering of mustard seeds and pour it over the chutney. Enjoy with any  breakfast item like idli, dosa , oothappam , chapati etc or can also be mixed with hot rice and ghee .

Linking to MLLA #132  hosted by Sizzling Tastebuds 

Verkadalai Vethakuzhambu | Peanuts in spicy Tamarind Gravy

VathalKuzhambu / Vethakuzhambu is prepared by reducing tamarind concoction with the right amount of spices to form a nice gravy. This kind of gravy is generally made when we want to go easy on the stomach or just want to pep up our taste buds. This is my go to recipe when I am almost run out of veggies or want a mild detox mid week .
The blog already has two other variants of this kind , whose links are mentioned below.

Appalam Vethakuzhambu  (Papads in tamarind gravy)
and
Milagu Kuzhambu (Pepper based tamarind gravy)

Preparation Time : 10 mins
Cooking Time : 20-25 mins
Serves : 3-4
Complexity : Medium

Verkadalai Sundal | Peanut Stir Fry

Sundal / Chundal is a south indian stir fry made from various lentils like Channa Dhall,Kabuli Channa,Peanut,Lobia/Karamani etc. A protein packed recipe sufficing for the day's protein intake.

Today's sundal is my personal favorite as I love peanuts in any form and I try to include it in my daily cooking as well. 

Verkadalai sundal , Nelakadalai sundal are the other names for this delicious peanut stir fry.

It is vegan and also Jain friendly if we skip the use of ginger . 

Sundal and Navratri are synonymous for the reason being during the Navratri festival ,on all the 9 days Sundal made out of these lentils are offered as Prasad/Neivediyam for the Goddess Durga, Laxmi and Saraswathi who symbolise the  NARI SHAKTI (WOMEN POWER) .

During Navaratri I definitely try to make this delicious sundal as prasad on one of the 9 days . My mom would generally make Verkadalai sundal on the day when my friends would come over for visiting Kolu /Golu as it is really kid friendly and a crowd pleaser too.

Most of the kids love it as it is mildly spiced and tempered with fresh grated coconut. This can be given as evening snack or even packed for school lunch box for kids as well as adults.  Snacking on sundal is a healthy option as compared to other fried snacks or chips .

Even otherwise Sundal can be offered as prasad for any Satsangs ,Pooja at home since its purely Satvik (No onion No Garlic) .

Donot forget to click on the image below for a collection of Sundal recipes offered to Devi during Navaratri. 

Today,22/10/2023 I prepared Verkadalai sundal as prasad on the eve of Durgashtami and took this opportunity to update the post with new photos and additional information.   

Preparation Time : 2 hrs
Cooking Time : 20 mins
Complexity : Simple
Serves : 3-4

Ingredients

150 gms peanut
1/2 cup fresh grated coconut
2-3 green chillies slit
few curry leaves
small piece of ginger finely chopped/grated
pinch of asafoetida
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp cooking oil.

1/4 tsp turmeric 

2 tsp sundal podi (optional)
salt to taste.

Method

• Wash and soak the peanuts for about 2 hrs and pressure cook in 2 cups of water  with salt for 3-4 whistles on medium flame.(Soaking the peanuts helps in achieving softness and it prevents flatulence or gastric problems ) . 
• Incase you are in a hurry or have forgotten to soak,pressure cook with 3-4 cups of water for 4-5 whistles on medium flame.
• Let the pressure release naturally.Drain the water and keep the peanuts aside.
• In a kadai,temper the mustard seeds,green chillies,ginger,curry leaves,asafoetida and add the boiled peanuts,sundal podi (if using) and saute well.
• Keep it closed for about 2-3 mins for the flavours of tempering to get infused.
• Add the grated coconut ,mix well and garnish with chopped corriander.

Notes:
Alternatively instead of pressure cooking the peanuts you can boil the peanuts in a normal vessel until all the water is absorbed into the peanuts and the peanuts have cooked well .

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