Pulse soups and curries (Part IV) you will come across a variety of dry curries from pulses and variation in their preparation. Green gram curry (Mooga ukkari in Konkani), Red lobia curry (Sukkae chavlae ukkari in Konkani), Peas curry (both green and white variety peas) (Atanya ukkari in Konkani) and Lentil curry (Thori ukkari). These curries are usually had along with rice but you can have them even as such also. Green gram curry can be given to children as a 4’ 0 clock dish along with cooked Kerala variety banana (Nendran pazham in Malayalam). This is sumptuous, healthy and nutritious dish especially for children. Green peas curry can also be given as 4’ 0 clock dish to children along with tea and other snacks. No onion and garlic have been used in the preparation of the dish(s). You can also serve these curries with chapattis and upma accompanied by Kook chirdillaein or any other thiksani humman.
Moonga ukkari (Green gram curry) is distributed to neighbors, friends and relatives during ‘Navarathri’
Ingredients
You need
- ½ cup of Green gram/ Red lobia/ Peas (both green and white variety)/ Lentil
- Water for cooking
- A pinch of asafoetida
- Salt as per taste
For seasoning
- 1 tbspn coconut oil
- A small spoon mustard
- ½ tspn red chilli powder (or as per your spiciness level)
- 1 sprig curry leaves
For garnishing
- 1 or 2 tbspns of grated coconut
Method
Wash and soak the pulse type you are going to use for 1 to 2 hours. Drain away all the water after soaking. Now pressure cook as follows: Transfer the pulse of your choice to the separator of a cooker or a wide mouth vessel which fits inside your cooker. Water not required as you are adding the soaked pulse. Add sufficient salt mix well and pressure cook. The pressure cooking method I follow is one whistle followed by cooking for 3 to 5 minutes on low flame. Then switch off the flame. Allow the cooker to cool before you open the lid. For the pulses I have mentioned the cooking time is almost the same. The main aim behind not adding water is because we want a dry preparation and too much water will make your curry to form into a mass where in it will lose its flavour and taste. The dry curry should be such that each seed of your pulse should not stick to one another.
Now heat oil in a kadai. Add mustard seeds and when they splutter add the curry leaves followed by red chilli powder. Now add the cooked pulse. Check for salt it required add salt. If you are adding salt then sprinkle some water and mix well. This is for the salt to distribute evenly. You need not have to cook for long time since your pulse is already cooked. Switch off the flame and add asafoetida and mix well. Garnish with coconut. Your pulse dry curry is ready.
Serve with rice or have as such.
If you are preparing Green gram curry have it along with cooked Kerala variety banana (Nendran pazham in Malayalam) as a 4’ 0 clock dish. Similarly for green peas curry serve as 4’ 0 clock dish to children along with tea and other snacks.
Variation in the preparation
Variation 1
Adding pepper corns
You need
- ½ cup of Green gram/ Red lobia/ Peas (both green and white variety)/ Lentil
- Water for cooking
- A pinch of asafoetida
- Salt as per taste
For seasoning
- 1 tbspn coconut oil
- A small spoon mustard
- 2 to 3 green chillies (or as per your spiciness level)
- 2 to 3 red chillies (or as per your spiciness level)
- 5 to 6 crushed pepper corns
- 1 sprig curry leaves
For garnishing
- 1 or 2 tbspns of grated coconut
In this preparation you have to cook the green chillies along with the pulse of your choice in the pressure cooker.
The next difference is in the seasoning. It is as follows: Heat oil in a kadai and add the mustard seeds when they begin to splutter add red chillies. Sauté for a second and then add the curry leaves followed by addition of crushed pepper corns. As soon as you add crushed pepper corns to the seasoning add the cooked pulse of your choice.
Variation 2
Adding green and red chillies
Ingredients
You need
- ½ cup of Green gram/ Red lobia/ Peas (both green and white variety)/ Lentil
- Water for cooking
- A pinch of asafoetida
- Salt as per taste
For seasoning
- 1 tbspn coconut oil
- A small spoon mustard
- 2 to 3 green chillies (or as per your spiciness level)
- 2 to 3 red chillies (or as per your spiciness level)
- 1 sprig curry leaves
For garnishing
- 1 or 2 tbspns of grated coconut
The method of cooking of the pulse remains the same. During seasoning after addition of mustard seeds add green chillies and sauté for a second so that the raw flavour goes off. Then add the red chillies and sauté for a second till the raw flavour goes off. Then add the curry leaves followed by pulse of your choice. The rest of the procedure remains the same.
Variation 3
Adding either green chilli or red chilli alone
This method of preparation goes well with green gram only.
This is similar to variation 2 the only difference is that you can either add green chilli or red chilli to the seasoning but not both together.
Tips
It is better to add red chilli powder after adding curry leaves. This is to avoid red chilli powder from getting burnt. Or you can even switch off the flame and add the powder.
As soon as you add crushed pepper corns to the seasoning add the cooked pulse of your choice. This is done because of chances of pepper corns getting burnt is more. So if you add your cooked pulse immediately the pepper corns will not get burnt.
