Cluster Beans curry - Kothavarangai usili

Ingredients:

Cluster Beans - Kothavarangai - 1/4 kg
Bengal gram dal - Kadalai paruppu - 1/2 cup
Red gram dal - Thuvaram paruppu - 1 spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Red chillies - Kaintha milagai - 2 nos.
Onion - Vengayam - 1 no. (Small)
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Red chilly powder - Milagai thul - 1/4 tea spoon
Turmeric powder - Manjal thul - 1/4 tea spoon
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Black gram dal - Ulutham paruppu - 1 table spoon
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash and soak bengal gram dal and red gram dal in water for some 2 hours. Grind it to a paste adding very little water along with cumin seeds and red chillies. Red chillies - 2 nos. and cumin seeds should be soaked along with dal.
2. Next we have to clean and cut the vegetable into 1/2 inch size. Pressure cook or microwave adding little salt.
3. Heat oil in a pan/kadai, add asafoetida, splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds, red chillies, curry leaves, black gram dal and fry for some time. Then add chopped onions add very little salt and fry for some time.
4. Mean while the grinded dal should be kept in idly cooker or in an ordinary cooker keeping piramanai or a stand and keeping a plate over which the grinded dal should be spread over. Once it is boiled split it over hand and add to the kadai. Add the boiled vegetables and fry for some time.

Kothavarangai paruppu usili is delicious and ready to be served. It can be served for 3 persons. It requires hardly 20 minutes to cook. It can be served for lunch. It is a special item prepared during special occasions like wedding, party etc.,

Note: If we use only red gram dal it will become too watery, thickess will not come. Hence only 1 spoon can be added along with red gram dal.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cluster_bean

An empty belly is the best cook
Estonian Proverb