Mushroom Kalan Masala | Rottu Kadai Kalan

Mushroom kalan served with a side of chopped onions and cilantro.

Mushroom Kalan Masala | Rottu Kadai Kalan

Mushroom Kalan is a famous Coimbatore street food. Easily make this vegan flavorful snack at home with this recipe. It's hearty, spicy, tangy, mildly sour, and slightly crispy in terms of flavor and texture. An absolute must-try if you love mushrooms!

Course Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine South Indian, street food

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1

Servings people

Calories 145.09kcal

Author Priya Lakshminarayan

Equipment

Ingredients

To prepare the mushroom pakoras

300 gms mushrooms
250 gms shredded cabbage
4 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon corn flour flour
2 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoon red chilly powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
salt
¼ cup water
Oil for frying

To make the Kalan gravy

1 tablespoon oil
7-8 curry leaves
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 cup chopped onions
2 tomatoes
⅓ cup tomato ketchup
1 tablespoon green chilli sauce
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon red chilly powder
Salt
1 teaspoon corn flour + 3 tablespoon water
1 cup water
¼ cup cilantro

Instructions

To prepare the mushroom pakoras

In a large mixing bowl, add chopped mushrooms. Chop them finely. It should resemble minced meat.
To that add shredded cabbage.
Add all-purpose flour, and corn flour.
Then add turmeric powder, chilly powder, ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, and salt.
Mix it all together by sprinkling water gradually. Use clean hands to massage the vegetables lightly. Do not add more water. These veggies contain water and the salt will bring it out. It should not turn into a batter but look similar to a semi-dry onion pakora batter mixture. Let this marinate for 10-15 minutes. The volume of the veggies would have shrunk due to wilting. Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan for frying.
Shape the mixture into small balls and fry them in hot oil. Chef tip - Don't focus too much on the shape of these pakodas. Fry them in small batches till they turn golden and crisp. It could take 3-4minutes on medium flame. Flip them around to ensure they are cooked evenly. Strain the excess oil in paper towels.

To prepare the Kalan gravy

Use the same pan with leftover oil to prepare the gravy. Reduce the quantity of oil as needed. Fry curry leaves along with ginger garlic paste and onions. Saute till the onions turn translucent. Reserve some raw onions for garnish.
Then add chopped tomatoes along with salt. Cook till the tomatoes turn soft and pulpy.
Add the tomato ketchup and the green chilli sauce.
Then add the coriander powder, red chilly powder and salt. Mix and cook for a minute.
Add water, mix and bring it to a boil.
Prepare a corn flour slurry by mixing corn flour with water. There should be no lumps. Then add it to the pan and mix. Quickly mix it. It will thicken the gravy.
Then add the fried mushrooms, and break them as you mix them with the gravy. You can also break the fritters beforehand. Cook for another 2-3 minutes on low flame.
Generously garnish with chopped onions and cilantro and serve. You can also add crushed cornflakes on top for that extra crunch.

Notes

Instead of making a mix of mushrooms and cabbage, you can also make it with just mushrooms or cabbage. Finely chop the mushrooms and shred the cabbage. Shredded carrots can also be added to the mix. Use the same leftover hot oil that you used for frying the fritters to prepare the Kalan gravy. Add a tablespoon of Meat masala spice mix (it's vegan) along with the spices when making the gravy to give it a more robust and zesty flavor. You can also use fried onions for garnish instead of raw onions. The addition of all spices and the consistency of the gravy is up to personal preference.

Nutrition