Matki Usal: curry made of sprouted moth beans
Papillons beans – moth – is known in Europe as Indian beans.
Although it is found here less often than other types of legumes – only in some regions of India. This particular recipe comes from the Marathi language region – the states of Maharastra and Goa.
Usal is characterized by a strong aroma obtained thanks to the use of spices, especially a goda masala – a traditional spice mix in the Maharastra cuisine. Here I give the recipe with proportional proportions of spices – instead of the goda masala.
Moth beans can be replaced, in this dish, with commonly available mung beans, or red moong bean.
Beans
| Ingredients | Amount |
|---|---|
| Moth bean/Moong bean/Red moong bean | 1 cup |
- Soak the bean – just 6 to 8 hours
- Rinse, drain and leave for another 6 to 8 hours, spreading in a large, uncovered germination dish.
- Before preparing the dish, rinse the beans several times and then dry.
Vegetables
| Ingredients | Amount |
|---|---|
| red onion | 1 big |
| tomato | 1 big |
| garlic | 4 pieces |
| fresh ginger | 1 piece - in size of a finger |
- Cut vegetables into thick cubes
- Grind in a blender, put aside
You can also chop them finely. Grate ginger on a grater and add without blending at the same time as vegetables.
Spices
| Ingredients | Amount |
|---|---|
| green chili pepper | 2 pieces |
| mustard seeds | 1 table spoon |
| kumin | 1/2 table soon |
| asafoteida | 1/2 table soon |
| curry lives | 1 branch |
| chili powder | 1 table spoon |
| turmeric powder | 1 table spoon |
| coriander powder | 1 table spoon |
| black cardamom powder | 1/2 table soon |
| green cardamom powder | 1/2 table soon |
| bay leaf | 1 piece |
| salt | for taste |
| fresh coriander | few branches |
| oil | 2 spoon |
- Cut the chilli pepper in small circles.
- Put the mustard seeds on the hot oil, fry on medium heat, stirring for a few seconds – mustard should bounce and change color to gray. It’s best if you cover the pan.
- Then add kumin, curry leaves, chopped chilli and asafetoida. Fry constantly stirring for about 15 seconds – the leaves should become crisp.
- Then add the chopped/blended vegetables and fry for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add grounded spices: cardamom, coriander, turmeric and chilli powder and bay leaf and mix.
- Add soacked bean, mix. Add 2 glasses of water, and boil. Leave on a low heat for about 20 minutes. Control the water amount in the dish and add it if necessary. Usal should have a medium density.
- After put salt, mix and taste.
- Add the greens
Serve with rice or paratha bread . On a separate plate, serve thinly chopped onion, chilli and chopped coriander, which blends well with freshly mixed food.
