Start the day before. The soaking alone is 8 hr, against 60 min of actual work.
Allergens in Tondak: tree nuts.
Ingredients
Quantities for 4.
- 1.5 cups, white, soaked overnight Dried Peas
- 1/2 cup, soaked 30 minutes Cashewin Goa these would be fresh green cashew in season
- 1 cup fresh grated Coconut
- 6 Dried Red Chilli
- 4, for colour Kashmiri Chillioptional
- 1 tbsp Coriander Powderwhole coriander seed, 1 tbsp, is better if you have it. Roast it with the coconut
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 4 Cloves
- 2cm stick Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 1 large, finely chopped Onion
- 6 cloves Garlic
- 1 tbsp pulp Tamarind
- 1 tbsp Jaggeryoptional
- 3 tbsp Coconut Oil
- to taste Salt
- 600ml Water
Cookware
stovetop, blender, pressure cooker
Checked against the ingredient list for ten allergens: milk, egg, fish, crustaceans, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, mustard, soy and gluten. Brands vary, so read the label on anything new to you.
Before you start
- Soak the white peas overnight in plenty of water. They roughly double, and an under-soaked pea cooks slowly and unevenly.
- Soak the cashews separately for 30 minutes so they grind smooth.
- Roast the coconut and spices dry before grinding. That roasting is the difference between tondak and an ordinary coconut curry.
Method
- Pressure cook the drained peas with 400ml water and 1/2 tsp salt for 3 whistles, about 12 minutes, until soft but not split. Keep the cooking water.Salt the peas from the start. Added later it never gets inside them.
- Dry-roast the grated coconut in a pan over medium heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring constantly, until it turns the colour of weak tea.It goes from golden to burnt in seconds at the end. Keep the pan moving and pull it early.
- Add the dried chillies, coriander seeds, cumin, pepper, cloves and cinnamon to the pan and roast 1 minute more, until fragrant.
- Grind the roasted coconut and spices with the soaked cashews, turmeric, garlic and 150ml water to a thick, smooth paste.
- Heat the coconut oil and fry the chopped onion 8 minutes, until well browned at the edges.
- Add the ground masala and fry 6 minutes, stirring, until it thickens and the oil shows at the sides.
- Tip in the cooked peas with their water and the remaining water. Simmer 12 minutes.
- Stir in the tamarind and jaggery, check the salt, and simmer 5 minutes more until the gravy is thick enough to hold a spoon mark.Tondak is a thick curry, not a soup. If it looks loose, keep reducing.
- Rest 10 minutes and serve with rice or pao.
Storage
Keeps 3 days refrigerated and thickens considerably; loosen with hot water when reheating over low heat. Freezes well for a month.
Nutrition Medium estimate
One serving of Tondak (324 g) is about 580 calories, or 180 calories per 100 g.
High protein: 22 g a serving, 15% of the calories
| Per serving324 g | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 580 kcal | 180 kcal |
| Protein | 22.0 g | 7 g |
| Carbohydrate | 66.5 g | 20 g |
| of which sugars | 11.4 g | 4 g |
| Fibre | 20.5 g | 6 g |
| Fat | 27.8 g | 9 g |
| of which saturated | 16.1 g | 5 g |
| of which unsaturated | 8.2 g | 3 g |
Ingredients given to taste count as zero, so the real figures run a little higher. Nearest database match used for jaggery. Estimated from raw ingredients using USDA FoodData Central.
More like this: Vegan Indian recipes · Vegetarian Indian recipes · Gluten-free Indian recipes · Dairy-free Indian recipes · Goan recipes
Times, yields, allergens and nutrition are guidance. Use your own judgement on doneness and on storing. More in About.