Beans Paruppu Usili

Paruppu usili is a traditional south-indian side dish for rice. It is a dry curry made with the combination of dhal and vegetables. Usili can generally be made with many vegetables, string beans, cluster beans, banana blossom to name a few. This recipe here is a short-cut method to make usili. Authentically the dhal mixture is ground into a paste and stir-fried in oil until it is dry and cooked through. But I found it is time consuming and would need much more oil and so tried it this way. This method is quicker and consumes less oil but still has the same great taste.

Ingredients:

String Beans - 1/4 kg ~ 1/2 lb - chopped fine - pre-cook in microwave for a minute

Oil - 3 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Urad dhal - 1 tsp

Onion - chopped fine - 1/2 cup

Chana dhal / Kadalai Paruppu / Split Garbanzo beans - 1/2 cup

Dry red chillies - 2

Fennel seeds/Sombu - 3/4 tsp

Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Salt - to  taste

Method:

Wash and soak the chana dhal in water for 1 hr. Coarsely grind the chana dhal with red chillies, fennel seeds, asafoetida adding little salt in a blender without adding any water. Mix the ground mixture with chopped onions and make small lime sized balls. Steam in a pressure cooker or a idli steamer until done. Allow it to cool and pulse in the blender to resemble a crumbled mixture. Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds and urad dhal. When the mustard splutters add the beans and saute until three-fourths cooked. Sprinkle little salt to taste and give a quick mix. Add the crumbled dhal mixture and fry until the beans and dhal get together well (they wouldn't blend since it is dry) about 4-5 mins. Serve hot as a dry curry side dish or as a snack. 
I love this usili with curd rice or just in a bowl as a snack!

Sending this to our Serve It - Stir-Fried event for this month hosted by me and Denny.

I am also linking this curry to the following events:
Comfort food event by Resh; CC-Vegan Diet by Sravs; Bon Vivant - Savory by Sumee; Colorful Palette by Sizzling Tastebuds;Only-South Indian by Pari