What is Kadag Puli or Kadugu Puli?
Kadag or Kadugu means Mustard, puLi (with a sharp L) means tamarind in Tamil. Kadag Puli (ಕಡಗ್ ಪುಳಿ) is a tangy, umami flavoured curry made with country veggies like sweet pumpkin, chayote squash or even brinjal (aubergine). Sharing my family’s heirloom recipe here. Kadag Puli is a traditional Iyengar dish which is satvik (No Onion No garlic) curry. Best served with steamed rice /chapatis. It is a medley of native veggies in a pungent umami-tangy sauce. A similar curry from the Udupi cuisine served with hot rice is this Balekayi Sasam (Raw banana cooked in a coocnut-mustard sauce).
Where is Kadag Puli a native of?
Kadag Puli is a traditional dish from the Mysore Iyengar belt. Usually made for festival spreads too, this pungent tangy spicy curry is eaten with hot rice and ghee immediately after the first course, in place of sambhar. Funny how growing up, this was up there on my pet peeves dishes list when grand mom used to make it, and now we have grown (!!) to like it a lot. Guess adult life DOES teach you a thing or two about respecting and relishing local produce.
Mustard in Indian Cooking
Mustard seeds is the key ingredient here, and is used extensively in South Indian Cooking both in the form of paste (like in todays recipe and for tempering too). Vendhaya Mangai (Instant Mango Pickle) is a popular recipe using mustard and fenugreek powder as is Udupi Style KAyi Sasive Chitranna (a flavoured rice with spicy mustard paste).
In the East (and perhaps a few parts of North India too including Bihar, Jharkhand and the North East), mustard oil is used as the primary source of good fat for sautéing, frying etc. Bengali cuisine uses Kasundi (mustard paste) extensively while Punjab and other stars in the North use Sarson leaves (fresh mustard leaves) in the Winter months when the greens are harvested and mustard oil too. And the mustard leaves used in delicious recipes like Sarson ka Saag or this Badami Saag served with Makki di Roti (Cornmeal flatbread)
Benefits of Mustard seeds
Prevents cancer
Helps alleviate headaches
Prevents premature ageing
Helps strengthen cardiac muscles, thereby strengthening cardiovascular systems
What are the main ingredients for this curry?
Mustard – unmistakably this is the bedrock for the curry
Fresh coconut – rounds up the flavours smoothly
Chillies, tamarind and jaggery – to provide the balance
Tips to make a tasty Kadag Puli / Kadugu Puli
- What other veggies can be used in place of Sweet Pumpkin / Squash? Any other native veggies like aubergine (brinjal), Ashgourd (Pusanikai), Cabbage , Mangalore Cucumber , Okra or even Chayote Squash can be used
- Can onions be used in this dish? Traditionally, this dish is made sans onion garlic
- Can we use tamarind paste instead of whole tamarind Yes, use 1 tsp of Tamarind paste
- Cook the veggies only 80% in the first stage, coz it cooks further when simmered in the sauce. Else the veggies would turn mushy and unpalatable.
- If using Brinjal or Okra in place of squash, reduce the water to a minimum and time used for cooking. Simply saute it for 3-4 mins till it shrivels and appears glossy
Other South Indian based Side dishes for RIce / Roti you may like on the blog
Lets make Kadag Puli – a Traditional Gluten Free, Vegan and Satvik curry made with country veggies
Prep time – 10 mins, Cook time – 15 mins, Serves – 4
Cuisine – South Indian ; Course – Side Dishes
Ingredients for Kadag Puli / Kadugu Puli
- 200 g Squash
- 1 TBSP oil (split use)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 TBSP rice flour
To grind:
- 1.25 tsp Mustard seeds
- 1/4 cup Coconut (grated, fresh of frozen)
- 1 small tamarind roundel (sub with 1 tsp tamarind paste)
- 4 Kashmiri Red chillies (whole)
- 2 Dry Red chillies (whole)
- 1/8 tsp Turmeric
Tempering:
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1/2 tsp Split black gram (urad dal / Ulutham paruppu)
- 1/8 tsp Asafoetida (simply skip for GF)
- 1 sprig curry leaves
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How to make Kadag Puli / Kadugu Puli
- Wash and Peel the squash, cut into equal cubes. Keep aside.
- Grate coconut and keep aside.
- Soak the tamarind in 4- 5 TBSP hot water for 15 minutes.
- In a pan, heat half the oil, splutter the mustard seeds, urad dal and half the curry leaves.
- When the dal turns brown, add the cubed veggies and saute for 1- 2 min
- Add salt and 1/4 cup hot water and let it cook till 80% cooked (takes about 5-7 mins depending on quantity and the squash variety)
- Meanwhile, make a paste of all the ingredients under the “To grind” list. Add 2-3 tsp of water to grind smooth.
- Once the veggies are cooked, add this ground paste to the pan, and add 1/2 cup hot water.
- Mix well and let the veggies simmer for 5-6 mins.
- Prepare a slurry with the rice flour and 3 tsp of water.
- Add this rice slurry to the pan. The curry will thicken in 1-2 mins.
- At this point, make a second tempering with the remainign oil, cumin, curry leaves
- Add this tempering to the curry. Serve hot with rice / chapati (Indian unleavened flatbread)
Iyengar style Kadag Puli / Kadugu Puli- a Traditional Curry
Equipment
- 1 saute pan
- 1 Wet Blender
Ingredients
- 200 grams Butternut Squash
- 1 TBSP Sesame oil split use
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 TBSP Rice flour
To grind:
- 1.25 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1/4 cup Grated coconut grated, fresh of frozen
- 25 grams Tamarind sub with 1 tsp tamarind paste
- 4 kashmiri red chillies whole
- 2 Dry Red Chillies whole
- 1/8 tsp Turmeric
Tempering:
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds jeera
- 1/2 tsp split black gram urad dal / Ulutham paruppu
- 1/8 tsp Asafoetida simply skip for GF
- 1 Curry Leaves
Instructions
- Wash and Peel the squash, cut into equal cubes. Keep aside.
- Grate coconut and keep aside.
- Soak the tamarind in 4- 5 TBSP hot water for 15 minutes.
- In a pan, heat half the oil, splutter the mustard seeds, urad dal and half the curry leaves.
- When the dal turns brown, add the cubed veggies and saute for 1- 2 min
- Add salt and 1/4 cup hot water and let it cook till 80% cooked (takes about 5-7 mins depending on quantity and the squash variety)
- Meanwhile, make a paste of all the ingredients under the “To grind” list. Add 2-3 tsp of water to grind smooth.
- Once the veggies are cooked, add this ground paste to the pan, and add 1/2 cup hot water.
- Mix well and let the veggies simmer for 5-6 mins.
- Prepare a slurry with the rice flour and 3 tsp of water.
- Add this rice slurry to the pan. The curry will thicken in 1-2 mins.
- At this point, make a second tempering with the remainign oil, cumin, curry leaves
- Add this tempering to the curry. Serve hot with rice / chapati (Indian unleavened flatbread)
Notes
Tips to make a tasty Kadag Puli / Kadugu Puli
- What other veggies can be used in place of Sweet Pumpkin / Squash? Any other native veggies like aubergine (brinjal), Ashgourd (Pusanikai), Cabbage , Mangalore Cucumber , Okra or even Chayote Squash can be used
- Can onions be used in this dish? Traditionally, this dish is made sans onion garlic
- Can we use tamarind paste instead of whole tamarind Yes, use 1 tsp of Tamarind paste
- Cook the veggies only 80% in the first stage, coz it cooks further when simmered in the sauce. Else the veggies would turn mushy and unpalatable.
- If using Brinjal or Okra in place of squash, reduce the water to a minimum and time used for cooking. Simply saute it for 3-4 mins till it shrivels and appears glossy
Love this kadag puli ..tastes so delicious with suda suda saadham and nei. I like it with parangikkai (orange pumpkin) . Kadag puli surely is an explosion of flavors
Thank you, this is with Parangikkai only ! we love it too
Kalyani with limited veggies available which I can use for Indian cooking, this recipe has come my way on time. So many different veggie options that I can use. Can’t wait to try out this delicious looking kadag puli.
that’s is so good to know Mayuri that you would be trying this out, so do let me know how it works for you..
I made this today. First time making. It came out very well. I made it with watermelon rind, which ends up tasting just like chowchow. Thank you for sharing this great recipe.
Thank you so much for trying this out. Watermelon Rind is such a wonderful rind to use – am sure I will try that out soon
This curry sounds good, I have some squash from my garden and was wondering what more I can prepare from it. By mustard here you mean the black or the yellow one?
thanks Renu, the black mustard is used here, if making for the first time, add a little less as the pungency from the mustard takes a little getting used to.
Kadag Puli sounds flavooursome. Liked the varied vegetables which can be used in the preparation. It makes a good side dish with hot steamed rice.
thank you, Jayashree – yes it surely taste great with steamed rice