Val Dal Usal, the tasty and popular delicacy from Maharashtra, India, is made in so many different ways. I have presented just one of these ways to prepare this dish, made with split, skinless Val Dal ( pronounced Vaal Daal). While folks from all parts of India love their beans and Dals, Val is especially popular among the people of Gujarat and Maharashtra. Strictly speaking, what I have presented here is not a true Usal, since the word implies the use of sprouted whole beans. But here’s the thing: except for that tiny detail, it is in fact, made just like an Usal.
Dal versus the sprouted whole bean
Making this Usal from the sprouted, whole Val beans, rather than the split Dal, would most certainly be fabulous. The appearance and texture would be distinctly superior. There’s a catch, though: making the Usal this way is most definitely not an undertaking for the faint-hearted! It is far more time- consuming, and ‘patience-trying’, as it were, compared with the Val Dal. How come? You must first soak the dried whole beans, then set them to sprout. Val beans sprout rather slowly, and sometimes need a couple of days before they’re ready for cooking. Now comes the “trying” part: one must de-skin each bean by hand! Why? The skin is rather tough with an off-putting taste and texture, and it is not very kind to the stomach either! So, off it comes – even if it seems to take forever!
By contrast, the Val Dal needs no such elaborate prep. Rinse and soak the beans for a couple of hours and you’re ready to cook! So, when I want a taste of this Usal fast, and don’t want to wait 2 whole days to make the sprouted version, guess what I make?
I have yet another option for making this Usal: fresh Val beans – not the dried and soaked ones, but the ones freshly collected from the fresh pods – that is a bit time consuming as well! The fresh green pods which bear the beans, when tender, are themselves eaten as a vegetable. As they pods mature, though, they become tough and inedible. However, they contain the fully grown beans inside. You have to peel the pods to collect them, much like fresh peas from their mature pods. These fresh whole val beans can also be used in this recipe.
How to cook Val?
As with many savory Indian dishes, personal preferences dictate whether or not to use onion and/or garlic in this dish. Although I love onion and garlic, I usually make this dish without, partly because that’s how my Mom always made it. Once, after having a particularly garlicky version, I felt that the garlic somewhat overpowered the unique flavor of the Val. So… as I said, personal preference!
This simple dish, with its minimal seasonings, makes the taste and flavor of the Val pop. I was not particularly fond of Val as a child, and seriously perplexed about why so many folks raved about it. I even thought it had a funky smell that was not at all appealing. It’s funny how our tastes sometimes evolve in unexpected ways. Whenever I make this dish now, that same funky smell makes me salivate in anticipation.
A simple Tadka, salt and red chilli powder for seasoning, a bit of asoefetida and jaggery to balance the ‘funk’ factor. You can cook it in the pressure cooker, or cook in a pan on the stove-top. Not much cutting-chopping, not much “baby-sitting” either. Garnish with fresh grated coconut and lots of fresh coriander (cilantro). Tasty Val Dal Usal is ready for you to enjoy with chapati or rice, or both! Your call!
Hmmm… I can almost taste it, even as I’m just writing about it!
Tasty Val Dal Usal
Equipment
- Pressure cooker preferred, but not essential. Alternate cooking directions in Recipe notes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Val Dal split, skinless; also called lablab, etc; similar to Fava beans; if not available, can use dried Baby Lima beans – it will taste a little different, naturally, and will need longer soaking and cooking time
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder hot, cayenne; adjust quantity as per spice level preference
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp jaggery: powder or cut/shaved into small pieces Gud, Punjabi Shakkar; if not available, sugar is OK- adjust amount as per taste preference
For Tadka
- 2 tsp oil
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds brown, small seeds preferred, large seeds ok too
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1/4 tsp whole coriander seeds can use coriander powder, if seeds are not available
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/8 tsp Asoefetida- Hing powder
Garnish
- 1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves (cilantro): chopped
- 2 tbsp grated fresh coconut frozen, thawed OK
Instructions
- Rinse and soak Dal in water for 1-2 hours (overnight OK too, but not necessary)
- Set up the pressure cooker: place the rack, add water, set it to boil.For stove-top directions, please see Recipe Notes.
- Meanwhile, drain Dal in a colander. Transfer the Dal to a pressure cooker insert container, add enough water to just cover the dal. Add salt, jaggery and red chilli powder.
- Make the Tadka: heat oil in a small Tadka Wok, add mustard seeds first- cover immediately to catch splatter, lower heat and add remaining seeds; after a few seconds, add asoefetida and turmeric.
- Pour the Tadka over the Dal in the cooker insert. Stir well. Place the container on the rack over the boiling water in the cooker. Cook at full pressure for only 1 minute, then turn the heat off. Move the cooker from the hot stove to a cooler location. Allow pressure to release normally (8-10 min)
- Meanwhile, prepare the garnish materials: wash, towel-dry and chop the coriander leaves, and grate the coconut. If the grated coconut is frozen, remove only as much as needed, refreeze the rest immediately. Allow to thaw on the counter, or by warming briefly in the microwave – about 30 seconds. Divide each into two equal portions: half to be stirred into the Usal, and half to be used as decorative garnish.
- Remove container from the cooker – add one portion of coconut and fresh coriander and stir gently – the cooked dal is very delicate and liable to become mushy – ideally, the Dal structure should be retained for this dish. It will certainly "look" better.
- Transfer to a serving bowl, then garnish with the reserved portion of coconut and coriander.
- Serve hot with chapatis, Bhakri and/or rice.
Notes
Stove-top cooking directions without pressure cooker:
- Make the Tadka in a heavy-bottomed saucepan or wok (2 qt/liter).
- Add the drained soaked Val Dal, and toss gently. Cover and cook on medium heat for 5-6 min.
- Add 1/2 cup boiling hot water, gently stir, cover and simmer on low-medium heat for 5-7 min.
- Add salt, chilli powder and jaggery, stir gently to mix and simmer, covered for 5-6 min. stir and add 1/2 cup boiling hot water
- Do a “thumb-press” test to check for doneness: transfer 3-4 beans to a plate, let cool for 10-15 seconds, then press with your thumb- if done, the beans will mash readily under the pressure of your thumb.
- Cover and simmer on low heat for another 5-6 min, if needed, to fully cook the beans, but do not overcook the beans- they will begin to disintegrate and become mushy.
- Garnish as described in the main directions.
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