Maharastrian Usal

For cooking sprouts

• ▢ 1 cup Mixed Sprouts (legumes) or Moong Bean Sprouts or moth bean sprouts (matki sprouts)

• ▢ 1.5 cups water – for cooking sprouts

For the usal masala

• ▢ 1 tablespoon oil

• ▢ 1 tablespoon coriander seeds

• ▢ ½ tablespoon fennel seeds

• ▢ ¼ cup chopped onion – chopped

• ▢ 4 to 5 medium garlic cloves – chopped

• ▢ 1 inch ginger – chopped

• ▢ ½ cup desiccated coconut (unsweetened) or ½ cup fresh coconut

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• ▢ ½ to ⅔ cup water or as needed to make the usal masala paste

for the usal

• ▢ 2 tablespoons oil

• ▢ ¼ cup onion – chopped or 1 medium-sized

• ▢ ⅓ cup tomatoes – chopped or 1 medium-sized

• ▢ ½ teaspoon Red Chili Powder or cayenne pepper

• ▢ ½ teaspoon turmeric powder

• ▢ 1 teaspoon malvani masala or Goda Masala or ½ teaspoon Garam Masala, optional

• ▢ 1 cup water or 1 cup of broth/stock got from boiling the sprouts or water

• ▢ salt as required

• ▢ 2 to 3 tablespoons coriander leaves – for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Cooking mixed bean sprouts

• Prep by making homemade sprouts. Sprout ⅓ of dried mixed beans a couple of days earlier. You will need 1 cup of mixed bean sprouts. 

• Pressure cook or steam the sprouted beans till they are tender. If pressure cooking, then cook the mixed sprouts in 1.5 cups water. 

• When the bean sprouts are softened and tender, keep the cooked mixed sprouts aside. 

Making usal masala

• On a frying pan or skillet heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add the chopped onions.

• Fry stirring often until the onions soften and look translucent.

• Add the fennel seeds and coriander seeds to the onions. Sauté till they smell fragrant.

• Add chopped ginger and garlic and sauté these too for 1 to 2 minutes.

• Add the desiccated coconut.

• Stir and mix it well with the rest of the mixture.

• Fry the coconut till golden. But remember not to burn the coconut and to fry the masala on a low heat.

• Let the roasted spices and coconut mixture cool. Then make a fine and smooth paste of the masala ingredients in a mixer-grinder or blender with ½ to ⅔ cup water or as needed.

Making usal

• In another pot or pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the chopped onions.

• Sauté the onions till they turn translucent and are softened.

• Next add the chopped tomatoes.

• Saute the tomatoes for 2 to 3 mins or till they soften.

• Pour the ground masala paste. Since we have already browned the paste, we have less work to do. Simply sauté the paste for 1 to 2 minutes stirring often.

• Add the turmeric powder, malvani masala and red chili powder.

• Mix the above ground spice powders evenly with the coconut paste.

• Add the boiled sprouts to the paste.

• Add 1 cup water or the broth or stock (in which the bean sprouts were cooked) or add more, as per the consistency desired by you.

• Add salt and stir. Lastly let the entire curry simmer for 10 to 12 minutes or till you see some oil floating on top. 

• Lastly add chopped coriander leaves. 

• Serve Usal with steamed rice or bhakri or pav or chapati or poori. You can also make misal pav with this malvani usal recipe.