Nov 19, 2012

Beans Paruppu Usli

French beans lentil curry... Beans Paruppu Usli one of the traditional and heavy dry curry served during Tamil marriages. This is made mostly during festivals. But, indeed a regular one at least a month at many of the Tamil Brahmin homes. You can use the dal as base and do usli in cabbage,carrot,beetroot too..
There are 2 different procedures which people follow. You can have a look on both of them here.

  • 1/4 kg - French Beans
  • 200 gms - Channa dal/Kadalai parupu/Gram Dal
  • 4-5 - Dry red chilly / Kanja segappu mellagai /Sookhi sabuth lal mirch
  • 1/2 tbs - Hing/Perunkayam/Asafatida
  • 1/2 tbs - Turmeric powder
  • 250 ml - Water
  • 4 tbs - Refined oil
  • 1 tbs - Kadugu/Mustard seeds /Sarsoon
  • 2 Arc - Curry leaves/Karvepillai/Curry pathe
  • Salt to taste
Method /Vidhiee:
1. Wash and soak Channa dal in water for at least 2 hours. If, you are in a hurry soak them in lukewarm water for 1 hour.
2. Along with it soak 4 dry red chilly. Keep one aside for tempering.
3. Meanwhile, wash and finely chop the french beans after removing the strands from them.
4. After 2 hours take a dal and try to break it. If, it breaks then it means the dal is soaked well.
5. Drain excess water and grind them in a blender.
6. Do not add water. Grind them coarsely and not to paste.

As i mentioned before after this step there are 2 types of processes people do.

I st type:
1. In a frying pan add oil. Once its hot add hing, mustard seeds, dry red chilly and curry leaves.
2. After the mustard splutters add the beans over it.
3. Saute them for about 2 mins.
4. Fry them till they are half done.
5. Or you can also add 5 tbs of water and boil them.
6. Now when the beans are done add the ground paste.
7. It's better you use a non-stick pan or else this method requires more oil.
8. Mix beans and ground dal thoroughly.
9. Add salt and turmeric powder to it.
10. Add at least extra 2 tbs of and keep sauteing it until the dal and beans gets together.
11. A consistency you would get when the dal gets golden brown and crisp.
12. This indicates that the curry is done and the dal is cooked.

I Ind type:
1. Grease the idlli plate or any plate and make balls of the ground dal and steam them for at least 7-8 mins.

2. You can prick the dal balls with a knife and if they come out without any dal on them then its done.
3. Semi-cool them and take them out.
4. Break the dal balls and make it as a bread crumb.
5.In a frying pan add oil. Once its hot add hing, mustard seeds, dry red chilly and curry leaves.
6. After the mustard splutters add the beans over it.
7. Saute them for about 2 mins.
8. Fry them till they fully cooked in oil.
9. Add salt and turmeric to it and saute again.
10. Now add the crumbled steamed dal over the beans.
11. Saute them till the dal turns golden brown.
12. You can add oil to make them crisp.