Mahanandi

Living in Consciousness ~ Indi(r)a’s Food and Garden Weblog

Marathi Usal with Sprouted Peas & Spinach

Sprouted Vatana (batani, peas) on a Spinach Leaf

Sreemathi Kamalabai Ogale, my authority on Maharashtrian vegetarian cuisine has written in Ruchira that usal can be prepared with fresh or rehydrated dried peas and also with sprouted ones. So, I reserved a cup of sprouted peas to try the usal recipe today. I couldn’t resist adding little bit of green – the fresh spinach from the local ritu bazaar. Two pretty and ordinary foods together became an extraordinary combination, all thanks to miracle like Marathi usal recipe. What a way to enjoy the sprouted peas!

Recipe:

1 teaspoon peanut oil
¼ tsp each – mustard seeds and asafetida
1 cup – yellow and green sprouted peas
1 bunch – fresh spinach, finely chopped
¼ tsp turmeric
2 tablespoons fresh coconut gratings, 4 green chillies and ¼tsp cumin
(blend to smooth paste)
Salt to taste or ¼ tsp

Heat peanut oil in a wide skillet.
Add and toast mustard seeds and asafetida.
When seeds start to pop, add the sprouted peas and reduce the heat to low.
Sprinkle handful of water, cover and steam-cook the peas to tender.
Add the chopped spinach.
Sprinkle turmeric, coconut-chilli-cumin ground paste.
Mix and cook until the spinach collapses. Season with salt and serve hot.


Sprouted Peas and Spinach Usal ~ A Fine Sidedish for Rice and Chapati

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Peas (whole),Spinach,Sprouts (Molakalu) (Tuesday July 24, 2007 at 9:05 pm- permalink)
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Scrumptious Subjis ~ Sprouted Pea Subji

In pale green and yellow colors, the dried peas make pleasant looking sprouts. The sprouting process changes dried peas to tender and also enhances the natural sweetness unique to peas. And when cooked together with tomatoes and spices, sprouted peas make a robust and filling meal.

Both green and yellow colored dried peas can be purchased from Indian grocery shops. To sprout, soak the peas in water overnight. Next day, drain the water and gather the peas in a clean, breathable cotton cloth. Place them in a basket, cover, and keep the basket at a well ventilated windowsill or warm area in the home. Don’t let the cloth dry. Spray water to supply moisture necessary for sprout growth. Usually within a day, sprouts start to appear and wait another day or two, to grow them the size shown in the photograph.

Green and Yellow Vatana  Sprouts
Green and Yellow Sprouted Peas

Recipe:

1 teaspoon peanut oil
4 curry leaves and a pinch each cumin and mustard seeds
1 onion and 4 tomatoes – finely chopped
1 cup green and yellow sprouted peas
2 tablespoons roasted cashews – ground to fine powder
½ tsp each – ginger-garlic paste and garam masala powder
¼ tsp each – turmeric, red chilli powder and salt or to taste
Lemon/lime juice to taste

In a big saucepan, heat the oil until a curry leaf tossed in it sizzles. Keep the heat to medium. Add the curry leaves and toast to pale brown. Toss in cumin, mustard seeds. When seeds start to splutter, add the onions and ginger-garlic paste. Stir fry few minutes until onions soften. Stir in tomatoes, sprouted peas and about a cup of water. Cover the pot with a lid and cook.

When peas start to get tender, stir in the garam masala powder, turmeric, chilli powder, salt and cashew powder. Add water if the subji looks too dry. Mix and simmer until peas reach the tenderness you desire. Serve the Subji warm with lime juice sprinkled on.

We had it with paratha and a cup of yogurt on the side. Good meal.


Punjabi Inspired Sprouted Pea Subji
for RCI: Punjabi Cuisine Event Hosted by Richa of As Dear As Salt

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Peas (whole),Sprouts (Molakalu) (Monday July 23, 2007 at 7:45 pm- permalink)
Comments (16)

The New Home of Mahanandi: www.themahanandi.org

Batani (Vatana) Sprouts ~ Green and Yellow

Green and Yellow Pea Sprouts
Green and Yellow Pea Sprouts ~ for This Week’s Indian Kitchen

Yellow peas split are marketed as yellow split peas. And, yellow split peas are neither toor dal nor chana dal.

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Indian Ingredients,Indian Kitchen,Peas (Bataani),Peas (whole),Sprouts (Molakalu) (Sunday July 22, 2007 at 9:13 pm- permalink)
Comments (7)

The New Home of Mahanandi: www.themahanandi.org