Mung Dal Usal or Spicy Bean Sprouts

    Mung Dal Usal or Spicy Bean Sprouts 

       

Ingredients: serves 2

• 1 cup brown mung beans  - soak them overnight. Next day before leaving for work drain all the water and tie them in a kitchen towel and let them sit in a bowl tightly squeezed together for rest of the day. This is the easiest technique to get the beans to sprout
• 1 medium sized chopped onion
• 1 ½ tsp. mustard seeds
• 3-4 cloves of chopped or minced garlic
• 4-5 dry green curry leaves
• 2 tsp. oil for cooking
• 1 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1tsp. chilli powder
• Pinch of asafoetida or hing
• 2-3 (depending on size) Chopped red chillies – optional
• 1 tsp. lime juice
• ½ cup Chopped Coriander for flavouring &  garnishing
• Salt to taste
• Water for cooking
• Spices:
• 1 ½ tsp. coriander powder
• 2 tsp. Usal Misal masala or substitute with regular Garam masala or all spice mix

 Method:

1. There are 2 ways cook the beans:

1. Cook the beans in a pressure cooker if you use one and/or boil the beans in a large pot with sufficient water so they are cooked through
2.  Now follow the next steps
2.  Heat oil in a pan. When hot add the mustard seeds and asafoetida. Give it a quick stir
3. Add the curry leaves. Turmeric & chilli powder. You may add the chopped red chillies at this stage if using them
4. Add the chopped onions and mix well. Now add the chopped garlic.
5. Cook till onions turn slightly brown or golden brown. Add some of the chopped coriander at this stage so it imparts the flavours. Squeeze a lime or add a tsp. of lime juice from the bottle.
6. Add the remaining spices except the Usal Misal masala (Garam masala). Mix well.
1. a.      Add the raw sprouted beans to the onion mixture. Mix well.
2. b.     Add about a cup of water to help the beans cook
3. c.     Add salt to taste. Cover with a lid and let it simmer. Keep checking and stirring and adjust water if needed.
7. If you have previously cooked (as in step 1) add them to the onion & spice mixture. Mix well. Add a few tbsps. of water mix everything well. Cover and let it cook for about 5-8mins on low heat.
8. Check seasoning and garnish with coriander leaves

Tastes best with rotis/chapatis/plain rice

Serve with sliced onions that have some squeezed over some lime juice on top