Hesarukalu usli recipe - Muga usli - Green gram sundal

Hesarukalu usli or green gram sundal or muga usli - Usli is a Konkan cuisine prepared with boiled pulses, lentils, fresh coconut and seasoned with chillies. Seasoning with dry red chillies adds some chilli flavor to the dish. Usli is also known as sundal. It is a naivedya and fasting dish usually prepared during Navratri. When I was a kid,  my mother was making uslis with different legumes with different versions. Sometimes, when we were not eating it for fasting, she was making it with onion, ginger and garlic. But my favourite version is sundal type usli which does not add onion, ginger or garlic.

Even now I make and prefer uslis without onion and garlic. Besides green grams, dry green peas or batani, fresh green peas or matar, brown chickpea, kabuli chana, black eyed beans or lobia, moong dal or green gram dal and ground nuts can also be used to make such uslis. These protein packed nutritious uslis are usually prepared for breakfast in Karnataka. Green gram or moong is one of the most healthiest legume and is packed with proteins, vitamin C, B and fiber. It is best for weight loss hence using green moong in diet is beneficial for health. Protein is an essential nutrient for the muscle growth.  Here is how to make green gram usli with easy to follow instructions.

Check out below given link for some other interesting fasting recipes

• Sago Potato Khichdi
• Green Gram Dal Usli
• Sago Potato Thalipeeth
• Sago Potato Vada

Hesarukalu Usli Recipe - Muga Usli - Green Gram Sundal

Hesarukalu usli recipe

Usli is a konkan cuisine usually prepared with legumes and pulses and served as a breakfast dish. It is a nice dish to pack in the snack box for school going children.

Prep time : 5 mins                                                                               

Cook time : 20 mins

Total time : 25 mins + soaking time

Recipe type : Fasting dish

Cuisine : South Indian

Yield : Serves 2

Author : Vidya Chandrahas

Ingredients
2 cups soaked green grams / moong
1/2 cup grated fresh coconut
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

For the tempering
1/2 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds (optional)
1 green chilli, chopped
4  broken dry red chillies
8 - 10 curry leaves

Method

1. Wash and soak the green gram overnight or  7 - 8 hours. Drain the water and set aside.
2. Boil sufficient water on high flame  in a large pan. When the water starts boiling, add the green gram and reduce the flame to medium. Stir in between.
3. After 5 minutes cover the pan with lid and cook on low or medium flame until the green grams become soft. 
4. Check the green grams pressing by holding between thumb and index finger. If it is soft, switch off the flame. Otherwise cook some more time till they become soft.
5.  Leave it 5 minutes. Then drain the excess water.  
6. Heat oil in a pan  and add mustard seeds to it. When the seeds start spluttering, add the curry leaves, green chillies and broken dry red chillies to it. Fry until the flavour of chillies and curry leaves releases. . 
7. Then add the boiled green grams and stir for a minute. Add the fresh coconut, salt and sugar. 
8. Gently stir for a while and switch off the flame. 
9. Add the coriander leaves and mix well.
10. Serve the hesrukalu usli hot. 

Note

1. Do not over cook the green grams as the usli may become mushy.
2. Soaking green grams for at least 4 -5 hrs before cooking is advisable. Soaked green grams can be cooked easily.
3. You can also boil green grams directly without soaking them. But it takes longer period to cook.
4. If you are making this for Navratri naivedya and fasting then do not use onion, ginger, garlic and garam masala powder.
5. But if you want some spicy uslis for your breakfast or evening snack, you can use onion, ginger and garlic. 
6. You can also add dry red chilli powder and garm masala in small quantity to make it more tasty.
7. You can use both dry red chillies or green chillies. Dry red chillies add some chilli flavour to the usli
8. It tastes great when served hot. It doesn't need any side dish. 

Hesaru bele usli recipe - Muga dali usli - Green gram dal sundal

Hesaru bele usli or green gram dal sundal - The word  usli or sundal brings the thought of  South Indian breakfast, in the mind of many people.  Yes, its true. Green gram dal usli is an authentic dish of  South Karnataka. This usli is also known as sundal in Andhra Pradesh. Besides green gram dal, the legumes such as dry white or green peas, brown chick peas or chana and green gram or moong are also used to make such usli for breakfast. I make this usli once in a week. This dish is a protein provider and energy booster as they contain proteins and other nutrients. These uslis are extremely good for health with average taste. If one can think about the qualities of good food and develop the tendency of good eating habit, they may develop interest in eating such authentic, healthy dish. This is a healthy dish with low fat. So health conscious people can prepare and eat it. 

Methi sukke recipe - Menthe soppina upkari - Fenugreek leaves subzi

Methi sukke or Menthe soppina upkari or Fenugreek leaves subzi recipe- It is a dry subzi that goes well with roti, chapathi, rice with curry and curd rice. Fenugreek leaves are used to make thepla, curry and kadhi in Maharashtrian homes. Fenugreek leaves in combination with green peas and potato makes a delicious side dish popularly known as methi matar malai and aloo methi sukha bhaaji. Fenugreek leaves are healthy leafy vegetable which can be consumed in any season. The high level of iron in the fenugreek leaves supply the iron requirement and helps to increase the red blood cells and hemoglobin. I made this as side dish for chapathi, rice and daali varan. The combination of methi leaves, fresh coconut and jaggery is unique and flavourful. This subzi becomes tasty when it is cooked in the juice of fenugreek leaves itself and water is not added.