Spicy Sprouts Curry

Spicy Sprouts Curry

 This is a healthy and versatile curry.

Here's how I make Spicy Sprouts Curry (Usal):

3 cups mixed sprouts - I have used mung bean, moth bean (matki) and brown chana. I soaked them separately 2 days in advance. The mung and moth beans sprout in a day. I let the chana soak and sprout for 2 days. Then I boiled the chana in the pressure cooker for 4-5 whistles. No need to pre cook the mung and moth beans.

Masala paste - Fry 1/2 cup chopped onions, 1 inch ginger, 2 cloves garlic in 1 tsp oil till onions turn light brown and the ginger, garlic turn aromatic. Add 1/4 cup chopped tomato and cook 5 mins. Cool and grind to a fine paste using little water.

Tempering - 1 tsp oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1/4 tsp hing, few curry leaves - torn

1/2 cup chopped onions

Other seasonings - 2 tsp salt, 2 tsp goda masala (can substitute with store-bought goda masala or garam masala), 2 tsp cumin-coriander pwd, 1 to 2 tsp red chilli pwd, 2 tbsp gul (jaggery), 2 tsp tamarind paste

First make the masala paste and keep aside. Then make the tempering my heating 1 tsp oil in a pot. Add the mustard seeds. When they stop spluttering, add the cumin seeds, hing and curry leaves. Fry 1 min. Add the chopped onions and fry till softened. Then add the sprouts, seasonings per taste and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium heat for about 20 mins. Add more water if necessary to get the consistency desired.

This Spicy Sprouts Curry can be served with rice or rotis.

It can also be served as Usal - Pav - for this top the sprouts curry with finely chopped onions and cilantro. Serve with toasted and buttered pav/dinner roll/bread and a lemon wedge.

Usal - Pav

 Another popular way to eat this curry is as Misal or Misal-Pav. To use this curry to make misal, take about 2 ladleful of curry in a bowl, top with chivda or shev or any of the spicy snack mixtures available in Indian stores (I have used Haldiram's Kashmiri mixture). Then add some chopped cilantro and onions. You can also add some green chutney, dates chutney and a dollop of yogurt whipped with some chaat masala. Serve as is (Misal) or with toasted, buttered bread (Misal - Pav).

Misal - Pav

This Spicy Sprouts Curry goes to the MLLA event at Seduce Your Tastebuds. This event is run by Lisa and was conceived by Susan.