When I bought cluster beans to make spicy nutty cluster beans, I chopped some of the beans finely, cooked and froze them. Cluster beans are seasonal and I find that it is a task to string them. When I sit down to do it for one dish, I figured I might as well stash away some for later. Because I had cooked beans ready, I was able to make paruppu usli very quickly one night for dinner.
1/2 cup Toor Dal, soaked for 2 hours
1/2 cup Cluster Beans, chopped and steamed
1-2 tsp Chilli Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1/4 tsp Asafoetida
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp Mustard Seeds
7-8 Curry Leaves
2 tsp Oil
Grind the soaked dal to a coarse paste and mix it with the turmeric powder, chilli powder, asafoetida and salt.
Heat the oil in a kadhai. Add the mustard seeds. When they crackle, add the curry leaves and the ground dal mixture. Fry for 4-5 minutes. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes over a low flame. Add the cooked beans and cook for a couple of minutes more. The dal mixture shouldn't be a lump anymore, but should look more like huge breadcrumbs.
I didn't steam cook the dal paste this time around. I soaked the dal before we hit the gym and didn't want the hassle of bringing out the pressure cooker. Some rice, vathal kuzhambu and paruppu usli made for a nice dinner. One day I will try the mor kuzhambu-paruppu usli combination that all of you have recommended so highly.
I love sweetish cluster beans, I rarely get them here.
ReplyDeleteUsli looks delicious, love the color. I think you use Byadagi chilli pd, right? I don't get that here either, paprika is all I get! :D
I love cluster beans but i haven't made usli out of it .. colorful looking dish
ReplyDeleteThanks to your making it look doable, I make usili 2-3 times a week. Until I saw your usili recipe (with bell pepper) I don't think I ever made it (imagined it was huge amounts of work). It's a great way to get lentils into my kid at lunchtime (he finds sambhar/dal etc too messy at lunchtime). Deepa
ReplyDeleteUsli looks lovely and colorful...i like cluster beans...my mom would make usli with it....i never tried making it with cluster beans.
ReplyDeleteI love usili too. I steam it too as I feel it takes less oil that way but this is the tastier version!!
ReplyDeleteParupusili looks inviting..I love to have it with vattha kuzhambu..
ReplyDeleteRaaga, you make all your dishes look delicious and you give such good instructions. Now I just have to find a source for some ingrediants we don't find often in the USA...
ReplyDeleteThis came out really good..! Raaga good work!!
ReplyDeleteYUM! Looks delicious as always!
ReplyDeleteI miss Kothavaragai....i dont get them here.I do make Usli with Beans/Capsicum/Cabbage.Kothavaragai Usli definetly is the best of all:).The color of usli is very good!
ReplyDeleteWe get in summer and I freeze some too... Ur usli without steaming sounds more quick and very colorful!
ReplyDeleteHow did you get that colour!?!?
ReplyDeleteby the way, i'd love to learn your rajma recipe. have a good one? also, know anything else besides the traditional rajma, with red kidney beans? other than salads, i mean.
ReplyDeleteI use the direct fry method.. and when using a non-stick pan and medium flame I find that it doesn't require copious amts of oil, effort or time. Looks awesome - love the colour. My mom always made this with kothavarangai... but i always use beans instead.
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