Roadside kalan, also known as “Rottu Kadai Kalan” or “Mushroom Curry,” is a beloved coimbatore style street food delicacy originating from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, in South India. The unique taste and texture of the dish made with mushroom and cabbage has gained immense popularity not only among locals but also food enthusiasts from all over.
If you are a fan of mushroom recipes, try my Mushroom Biryani, Mushroom Pulao, and Mushroom Malai Matar.
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The name “kalan” refers to mushrooms in Tamil, but interestingly, the dish often includes a combination of mushrooms and cabbage. Some vendors even make it exclusively with cabbage due to its lower cost, while still calling it kalan. In many shops, a variation using fried cauliflower is sometimes passed off as mushrooms.
The fritters are made with finely chopped mushrooms, shredded cabbage, all-purpose flour, corn flour, and a blend of spices. The kalan gravy typically includes onions, tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, and various sauces and spices. The mushroom cabbage fritters are deep-fried until golden brown and crispy, then added to a specially prepared gravy. The dish is usually semi-dry in consistency.
This mushroom kalan dish is often served as a snack on its own, garnished with raw onions, cilantro, and sometimes grated carrots. Some vendors serve it with a side of bread or parotta.
Why you will love this Street-Style Roadside Kalan Recipe?
This roadside mushroom recipe brings the genuine taste of Coimbatore street food right to your kitchen, allowing you to experience the real deal without traveling all the way there.
The combination of crispy mushroom fritters and tangy, spicy gravy creates a burst of flavours that’s hard to resist for everyone.
While coimbatore roadside kalan gravy is traditionally enjoyed as a snack, it can also be served as a side dish with parotta or roti.
You can easily adjust the spiciness of this kalan curry to suit your taste preferences.
This kalan gravy is a crowd-pleaser and can be easily scaled up for parties or potlucks.
How to make Delicious Roadside Kalan Recipe?
In a large bowl, mix finely chopped mushrooms, grated cabbage, all-purpose flour, corn flour, Kashmiri red chili powder, garam masala, and salt.
Add water little by little to make a thick, sticky batter. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
Heat oil in a deep pan. Drop the mixture little by little and deep fry until golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels and set aside. They should be small pakoras. If they are bigger, just tear them, into small pieces once fried.
Heat oil in a kadai or wok over medium heat. Add chopped onions and ginger-garlic paste. Sauté until onions turn translucent.
Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, and garam masala. Sauté for a minute.
Add finely chopped tomatoes and saute for a few minutes. Add tomato ketchup. Mix again. Add little water and bring it to a rolling boil. Add salt to taste.
In a bowl, add cornflour and little water. Make a thick slurry without having any lumps. Add the cornflour slurry to the gravy and mix well.
Adjust the consistency of the gravy by adding water, because once the mushroom cabbage fritters are added, the gravy will completely thicken.
Add the fried mushroom fritters to the boiling gravy.
Cook on high heat, stirring gently, until the gravy thickens and coats the fritters. The final consistency should be semi-dry, with the fritters well-coated in the spicy gravy.
Transfer the roadside kalan to a serving plate. Garnish generously with finely chopped onions, and fresh coriander leaves.
Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.
Tips for making perfect Roadside Kalan Mushroom
Chop mushrooms finely: This helps achieve a texture similar to minced meat, which is characteristic of the street-side version.
Don’t skip the cabbage: It adds volume and a subtle crunch to the fritters.
Fry at the right temperature: Ensure the oil is hot enough (but not smoking) to get crispy fritters.
Serve immediately: Roadside Mushroom Kalan tastes best when served piping hot. The crispiness of the fritters starts to diminish as it sits.
Adjust spices: Feel free to increase or decrease the amount of chilli powder based on your spice preference.
Frequently asked questions
While button mushrooms are traditional, you can experiment with other varieties like oyster mushrooms for a different texture.
Yes, the traditional Roadside Kaalan is vegan-friendly. Just make sure your soya sauce and tomato ketchup are vegan friendly.
It’s best consumed fresh. If you must store, keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a day. Reheat before serving, but note that the texture may change.
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Roadside Kalan Recipe
Ingredients
For Fritters
- 200 gms Mushroom finely chopped
- 200 gms Cabbage finely chopped
- 1 cup Maida / All Purpose Flour
- ¼ cup Corn Flour
- 1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
- 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
- ½ teaspoon Coriander Powder
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
- Salt as needed
- 4 tablespoon Water adjust
- Oil for deep frying
For making Kalan Gravy
- 2 tablespoon Oil
- 1 Large Onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
- 2 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala
- 2 medium Tomato finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Corn Flour
- 1 cup Water for corn flour slurry
- Salt as needed
- 2 tablespoon Coriander Leaves for garnish
Instructions
To make fritters
- In a large bowl, mix finely chopped mushrooms, grated cabbage, all-purpose flour, corn flour, red chili powder, garam masala, and salt.
- Add water little by little to make a thick, sticky batter. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Heat oil in a deep pan. Add the mixture little by little and deep fry until golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
- They should be small pakoras. If they are bigger, just tear them, into small pieces once fried.
To make kalan gravy
- Heat oil in a kadai or wok over medium heat. Add chopped onions and ginger-garlic paste. Sauté until onions turn translucent.
- Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala. Sauté for a minute.
- Add finely chopped toamtoes and cook for a few minutes until the get cooked well and well mashed.
- Add tomato ketchup. Mix again. Add little water and bring it to a rolling boil. Add salt to taste.
- In a bowl, add cornflour and little water. Make a thick slurry without having any lumps. Add the cornflour slurry to the gravy and mix well.
- Adjust the consistency of the gravy by adding water, because once the mushroom cabbage fritters are added, the gravy will completely thicken.
- Add the fried mushroom fritters to the boiling gravy.
- Cook on high heat, stirring gently, until the gravy thickens and coats the fritters. The final consistency should be semi-dry, with the fritters well-coated in the spicy gravy.
- Transfer the roadside kalan to a serving plate. Garnish generously with finely chopped onions, and fresh coriander leaves.
- Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.