Horsegram Usal - Tasty, Healthy and Easy to Make
Wash and soak horsegram in water overnight; rinse and set aside for sprouting in a sproutmaker or wrapped in a towel. Rinse and transfer sprouted beans to pressure-cooker insert container; add peanuts, spices and water, then pressure cook for 20 min at full pressure. Meanwhile prepare curry base: Saute onions and garlic (if using)in Tadka, add seasonings and tomatoes and cook 5-7 min; add cooked horsegram and simmer for 8-10 min. Garnish with fresh coriander and coconut. Serve hot with Roti, Bhakri, rice or bread. Enjoy!
Equipment
- Pressure cooker preferred If not available, see Recipe Notes for stove-top cooking without a pressure cooker: you will need a heavy bottom pot to do this.
- Stainless steel bowl/insert container that fits inside the pressure cooker pot check if the empty "insert" container can be removed easily from the pot - about 1 inch of space on the side, between the container and the pressure cooker pot, should be workable - otherwise it will be difficult to remove after the horsegram sprouts are cooked
- Pressure cooker rack/trivet to raise the insert container above the (outer) level of water in the cooker pot
- Indian-style Tongs to lift hot insert container from the cooker pot also called Pakkad, Saandshi - see pics shown in Recipe Notes
Ingredients
To soak and sprout Horsegram
- 1/2 cup Horsegram - whole, dry beans Kulith, Kulthi, Ulavalu, Kollu, Hurali, Gahat, etc.
- 1/2 cup Water
To pressure cook the sprouted Horsegram
- 2 tbsp Raw peanuts If raw not available, use roasted peanuts; or OK to omit
- 1 piece Star anise
- 2-3 pieces Cinnamon sticks - broken into small pieces
- 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp Fennel seeds
- 1/2 cup Water
To make Curry base
- 2 tsp Oil I use peanut oil; other mild-flavored oil OK too; I do not recommend olive oil or mustard oil in this recipe- their flavors will clash
- 1/4 tsp Mustard seeds (black)
- 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1/2 tsp Fennel seeds
- 1 tsp Coriander powder
- 1 tsp Cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp Malvani Masala adjust- add more/less as per spiciness preferred; if not available, use Pav Bhaji Masala, or see Recipe Notes for alternative spice mixture
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1/8 tsp Asoefetida (Hing) omit if not available
- 1/2 cup Onion - chopped/diced medium any variety OK: red, white, yellow
- 1 tsp Garlic - peeled and chopped (optional) 1-2 cloves fresh garlic; I do not recommend using "bottled" chopped garlic - its flavor is unappealing in this Usal; OK to use 1/8 -1/4 tsp garlic powder if fresh garlic is not available
- 1/2 cup Tomatoes - finely chopped about 1 medium Roma
- 5-6 pieces Fresh Curry leaves if not available, dried curry leaves OK; OK to omit if not available
- 3/8 tsp Salt adjust, add more later if needed after taste-testing
- 1 tbsp Amsul (Kokum) Agal (extract) if not available, soak 3-4 pieces of dried Amsul/Kokum in 2-3 tbsp warm water, then squeeze to extract juice ; if not available, see Recipe Notes for substitution suggestions
Garnish
- 1/4 cup Fresh coriander leaves (cilantro) - chopped OK to omit if not available
- 2 tbsp Fresh Grated Coconut OK to omit if not available
- 1/2 cup Onion - finely chopped - optional any variety OK: red, white, yellow; serve on the side
- 1 fruit Lime/Lemon - cut into wedges - optional serve on the side
Instructions
Soak and sprout the Horsegram
- Wash the horse gram 3-4 times with water, scrubbing a little to release surface dirt.
- The water will be a bit cloudy/muddy at first; after the 2nd/3rd wash, it will run clear. Drain each time with a fine mesh strainer.
- Add 1/2 cup fresh water, cover and set aside overnight - about 8-10 hours: almost all the water will be absorbed by then.
- Add 1/2 cup water and scrub a little - it will look muddy brown - strain with a fine mesh strainer, rinse with fresh water and prepare for sprouting.
- If you have a Sprout-Maker, transfer the soaked beans into the sprout maker container. Cover and set aside for about 24 hours to sprout.If you don't have a Sprout-Maker, follow the "old-style" traditional method for sprouting beans:- Line a colander with a kitchen towel: I recommend using a dark colored, old towel - it will likely get stained by the brown skin of the beans, and these stains don't come off easily!- Transfer the strained soaked beans to the towel in the colander(the accompanying picture shows soaked lentils, not horsegram, but the procedure is exactly the same)
- Fold over the corners of the towel; set aside to sprout for about 24 hours.
- Check to see how long the sprouts are - I like them to be at least 1/4 inch (1/2 cm) long. If they're not long enough, let it continue to grow for a few more hours.
Pressure-cook the sprouted Horse gram
- Transfer the sprouted horsegram to a bowl and add about 3 cups water. Swish the beans around and drain in a colander.
- Transfer the rinsed beans to a stainless steel bowl or insert container that fits inside the pressure cooker pot. Add 1 cup water, peanuts and the listed spices: cumin seeds, fennel seeds, cinnamon sticks and star anise.
- Place a rack inside the pressure cooker pot and add about 2 cups water to the pot.
- Place the container with the sprouts on the rack; close the lid and pressure cook the beans as follows. Instant Pot: Set the timer for 25 min. on pressure cook mode.Stove-top Pressure cookers that "whistle": After 1 whistle, turn heat to low-medium and cook for 20 min.Stove-top Pressure cookers that do NOT "whistle", but "hiss" to indicate full pressure has been reached: after it starts to hiss, turn heat to low-medium and cook for 20 min.
- Allow natural pressure release after cooking is done - this may take 10-15 min. Do NOT force release the pressure - the beans continue to cook during this time.Note:Different pressure cookers may require different cooking times. Also, the heat from different stove-tops can vary, So you may need to adjust the cooking times a little. If the cooking times suggested above give you beans that are not soft-cooked, you should increase the cooking time by up to 5-7 min. It's OK if the beans are a bit overcooked, but under-cooked beans really don't taste good and are typically harder to digest as well.I recommend doing this thumb-smash test with the cooked beans: - Transfer 2-3 cooked beans to a plate; blow on them to cool slightly, then press down on them with your thumb - if the beans get "smashed" with your thumb-pressure, it's cooked! If not, cook it a bit longer before you continue with the recipe.
Start Preparing the Curry Base: while pressure-cooking the Horsegram sprouts, so it's ready when the beans are cooked.
- Chop/dice the onions - medium dice is OK for cooking; fine dice is better for garnish
- Chop/dice the tomatoes - medium dice is fine
- Peel and chop garlic, if using
- Make Tadka: Heat oil in a medium (2-3 quart/liter) pan, add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and fennel seeds - cover to catch splatter as seeds sizzle and pop right away.
- After seeds sizzle and pop, add curry leaves and chopped onions;
- Saute for a 3-4 min, until they turn transparent and begin to brown at the edges. Do NOT over-brown.
- Add garlic - if using; if not, skip to the next step.
- Add the spices: coriander powder, turmeric powder, Hing, Malvani Masala
- Stir-fry for 1-2 min on low-medium heat to roast the spices and help release their flavors
- Add chopped tomatoes and salt
- Stir, cover and cook - 3-5 min, stirring once or twice in between, until tomatoes become soft.. Your curry base is now ready for you to add the cooked Horsegram.
- Add the cooked Horsegram, along with all the cooking liquid. Also add the Amsul Agal (see Recipe Notes for substitutions). Stir and taste-test the liquid - adjust salt, and add extra Malvani Masala if you want the Usal to be more spicy. The flavors will blend as the Usal simmers with the curry.
- Stir and simmer, covered, for 8-10 min.
Garnish
- Trim, wash and chop fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)
- Grate fresh coconut (or thaw if previously grated and frozen)
- Set out extra cilantro and lime/lemon wedges - let folks serve themselves.
- Set out finely chopped onions - let folks serve themselves.
Serve
- Serve hot with Chapatis, or Roti, Jowar or Bajra Bhakri, etc. Shown here with freshly made Bhakri (and butter), green chilli pickle, garlic chutney and green onion. I have posted easy recipes for home-made green chilli pickle and garlic chutney - the links are in Recipe Notes, if you'd like to make them at home.Also excellent with your favorite bread - sliced or rolls. My favorite is Mumbai style Ladi Pav.
- Enjoy!
Notes
No Pressure Cooker available?
If no pressure cooker is available, no worries. You can cook the sprouted Horsegram on the stove-top in a heavy bottom pot. It will, of course take longer to cook than with a pressure cooker.- Add 2 cups water to a medium-large (3-4 quart/liter) heavy bottom pot
- Add the spices (cumin, fennel, star anise, cinnamon sticks) and bring the water to a boil
- Add rinsed sprouted Horsegram, stir and bring back to a full boil.
- Lower heat, cover and simmer at a gentle boil for about 20 min, stirring periodically,
- Add 1 cup boiling water, bring mixture back to a boil, cover and continue to simmer for another 20-25 min, stirring periodically, until beans are tender.
- Check for done-ness as follows:
- Remove a few beans from the pot on to a plate; cool for about a minute, then press down gently with your thumb: if the beans "smash" a little under your thumb, the beans are done cooking.
- Bite into it - it should not taste raw, even if it is a little firm-textured.
- If it tastes raw, continue to cook for about 8-10 min longer.
- Remove a few beans from the pot on to a plate; cool for about a minute, then press down gently with your thumb: if the beans "smash" a little under your thumb, the beans are done cooking.
- Check for done-ness as follows:
- Remove the lid, and simmer until most of the water has dried out.
- There should be about 1/2 cup cooking liquid left in the pot.
- Continue with the recipe as directed.
Indian-style Tongs - also called Pakkad, Saandshi
To lift hot container from the pressure cooker pot:
No Malvani Masala?
- Use Pav Bhaji Masala or
- This spice mixture instead:
- 1/4 tsp Garam Masala
- 1/4 tsp Red Chilli Powder
- 1/4 tsp Fennel Powder
No Amsul?
Amsul/Kokum adds tartness and a distinct flavor that is typically "Maharashtrian". However, if Amsul is not available, you can try using one of these alternatives:- 1-2 tsp tamarind pulp - add 1 tsp first, then taste-test and add more, if need be, as per the tartness you prefer.
- 1 tsp Amchur powder - dried green mango powder
- 1 tsp Sour Grape powder (available in Middle-Eastern stores)
Home-made Green Chilli Pickle
Here's the link to the recipe: https://theculinaryheart.com/green-chilli-pickle-quick-and-easy-and-to-make/Home-made Garlic-Coconut Chutney - Lasoon Khobra Chutney
Here's the link to the recipe: https://theculinaryheart.com/easy-lasoon-khobra-chutney-deliciously-garlicky/Saving Leftovers:
Save leftovers in lidded glass or ceramic containers. I do not recommend storing in plastic containers. In refrigerator:- Use within 2-3 days
- Reheat till steaming hot, in microwave or stove-top before serving
- stir to allow even heat distribution
- Garnish with fresh cilantro
- Reheat till steaming hot, in microwave or stove-top before serving
- Good for up to 2 months, possibly longer
- Thaw on counter or in microwave
- Heat till steaming hot, in microwave or stove-top before serving
- stir to allow even heat distribution
- Garnish with fresh cilantro
Nutrition
Calories: 195kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 9gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.01gSodium: 228mgPotassium: 471mgFiber: 11gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 433IUVitamin C: 63mgCalcium: 102mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!