Mung Bean Usal

Usal is a Maharastrian dish made with sprouted beans. Dry beans are soaked overnight and they allowed to sprout for 6 to 8 hours. Spouted beans are rich in protein and they taste delicious when cooked in ground masala. This usal is mom's recipe. She learnt it from her best friend 'Sushila'. Sushila aunty is from Maharastra and she makes excellent usal. Aunty has a beautiful "sil batta" (grinding stone) and she grinds masala for usal in sil batta. When I called her to get usal recipe, she was suggesting me to grind the masala in sil for authentic taste. Now , I am more tempted to buy one. But not sure if I will have energy to grind using sil. :)

Ingredients 

• 1 Cup Mung beans / Whole Green Grams ( Soaked over night and sprouted for 6 to 8 hours)
• 1 Medium Potato chopped
• 2 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
• 1/2 Teaspoon Fennel Seeds
• 5 Curry Leaves
• 1 Medium Sized Onion
• 1 Tablespoon Goda Masala ( optional )
• Salt to taste 

For Grinding :

• 1 Teaspoon Vegetable Oil
• 1 Inch long Cinnamon Stick
• 3 Cloves
• 1 Green Cardamom
• 1 Black Cardamom
• 1/2 Teaspoon Black peppers
• 1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Ginger
• 10 Garlic Cloves
• 2 Green Chillies Slit
• 2 Medium Onion Sliced
• 1 Small sized Tomato chopped
• 1/2 Cup packed Cilantro leaves + Mint Leaves

Preparation : 

1. Soak whole green grams overnight in tap water. Next day morning, drain water completely and transfer the soaked mung beans to a wet muslin cloth. Bring the edges of the cloth together and tie it together , leave some space for the beans to breath

2. Place the muslin cloth on a plate and cover the plate with a big bowl

3. let the plate sit in the kitchen counter at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours

4. Open the cloth and check if the mung beans are sprouted. If not, sprinkle little water over the beans and keep it back for sprouting. Check after 2 hours or 4 hours  

 

Directions:

 

                           

 

 

1. In a pan, heat 1 teaspoon oil. When the oil is hot, add cinnamon stick, cloves, green and black cardamom, black peppers and fry until they splutter

2. Immediately add garlic , ginger , Green Chillies and fry until garlic starts changing color

3. Add onion slices and fry until they are soft

4. Add tomatoes are fry until they are soft and almost mushy

5. Finally add cilantro and mint leaves and fry until the leaves change color

6. Switch off the flame and let the ingredients cool completely

                                 


7. Once cooled, grind it to fine paste using 2 or 3 tablespoon water. Set aside

                               

8. In a pan / wok, heat 2 tablespoon oil. When the oil is hot, add fennel seeds and curry leaves

9. When the curry leaves splutter, add onions and fry until they are just soft

10. Add the paste we prepared at step number 7 and fry until the oil separates from the mixture. Add goda masala and fry for 2 minutes

11. Meanwhile, Add 1 cup sprouted beans along with potato cubes , 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1/4 Teaspoon Salt , 1/2 Cup water and pressure cook for just 1 Whistle on low flame

                            


                           


12. Add this pressure cooked potatoes and bean sprouts along with remaining water to the pan and mix it along with the masala mixture we prepared at step number 10

13. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes and switch off the flame

 14.  Serve hot with roti / chapathi / rice