Kitchen Recipe
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Sri Lankan Devilled Chickpeas (Kadala Thel Dala)
A highly addictive, spicy street food snack of boiled chickpeas stir-fried with mustard seeds, dried chilies, coconut pieces, and curry leaves.
- Prep
- 480 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 495 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- easy
- Cuisine
- sri lankan
Ingredients
Scaled for 6 servings
- dried brown chickpeas (kadala)
- mustard seeds
- dried red chilies
- fresh coconut pieces
- curry leaves
- onions
- chili flakes
- oil
- salt
Equipment
- Pressure cooker or large pot
- Frying pan
Instructions
- 1
Soak & Boil
Soak dried brown chickpeas overnight. Boil in salted water (preferably in a pressure cooker) until tender but not mushy. Drain.
- 2
Temper
Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. Once they pop, add dried red chilies, curry leaves, and chopped onions. Sauté until onions are translucent.
- 3
Add Coconut
Add small, bite-sized pieces of fresh coconut. Stir for 1 minute.
- 4
Toss
Add the boiled chickpeas and a generous amount of chili flakes. Toss everything together for 3-5 minutes until heated through.
Cooking Tips
- Brown chickpeas (desi chana) are traditional and hold their shape better, but white chickpeas can be substituted.
- The fresh coconut pieces add a crucial crunchy, sweet contrast to the spicy chickpeas.
Variations
- Maldive Fish Kadala: Add crushed Maldive fish (umbalakada) during the tempering stage for umami depth.
Chef's Notes & Storage
- Traditionally served in small newspaper cones (gothuwa) by street vendors, especially near temples and beaches.
Nutrition Estimate
210 calories · 8g protein · 26g carbs · 8g fat · 7g fiber per serving
