This traditional recipe is very flavourful and finger licking delicious. You can use this recipe with dried white or green peas, massoor (lentils), Kabuli chana, fresh green peas, potato, cauliflower, etc. instead of the cowpeas.
Recipe: Darshana Muzumdar
Serves 4 as part of a traditional Indian meal
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup alsane/alsande (cowpeas) soaked overnight
- 1/2 cup cashews
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp jaggery
- a handful of chopped coriander leaves for garnish
- Salt to taste
For the Masala
- 12 to 14 Byadgi dried red chillies (adjust as per taste)
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 12 cloves
- 8 pepper corns
- 1 inch piece of cinnamon
- 1 piece mace
- 1/2 inch piece nutmeg
- 1 star anise
- 1 black cardamom
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp poppy seeds
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 cup grated coconut (1/2 coconut)
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 small lime sized ball of tamarind
Method
- Soak the cowpeas overnight.
- Soak the cashews for an hour or so.
- Rinse and drain the cowpeas, put them in a pressure cooker, add a cup of water and the chopped onion and cook for one whistle. Turn off the gas and allow the pressure to release on its own.
Make the Masala
NOTE: The masala though easy to make is the most important part of this recipe and once you master it, you can use it with other pulses and vegetables to make delicious gravies.
- Heat an iron kadhai and dry roast the red chillies on medium heat.
- Turn the heat down and add the coriander seeds, cloves, pepper corns, cinnamon, mace, nutmeg, star anise, black cardamom and fennel seeds. Roast these on low to medium heat till they are completely dry and crisp and release their flavours. Keep sautéing them to make sure they don’t burn.
- Turn down the heat to low and add the poppy seeds. Roast them for a few seconds mixing the spices continuously to make sure they don’t burn. Take care because poppy seeds burn easily.
- Transfer all the roasted spices onto a plate and keep it aside to cool.
- Heat the oil in the kadhai add the sliced onion and sauté till it is translucent and light brown.
- Add the coconut and roast it sautéing it continuously till it is light brown. Allow this to cool.
- Grind all the spices, the onion coconut mixture, turmeric and tamarind to a fine paste with as little water as possible.
Complete the Dish
- Open the pressure cooker once the pressure is all released, turn the heat on to medium, add the soaked cashews, the ground masala, half the jaggery and salt and bring it all to a boil. Add more jaggery after tasting the gravy for sweetness, and more water if necessary to get a thick gravy. Remember that the gravy thickens with time because of the coconut.
- Turn down the heat to a simmer and mix it well once.
- Add the coriander leaves give it one final mix and turn off the heat.
- Serve hot with roti, bhakri or rice.
For the Whole-Food Plant-Based (WFPB) version:
- This is a whole plant based recipe except for the oil. Instead of using oil, dry roast the coconut and onion together on low to medium heat till the onions are soft and the coconut is a light brown. This may take a while to have some patience.
- Alternatively, put the sliced onion in a pan with some salt and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Turn on the heat to low and sauté it till it’s translucent and a light brown.
- Follow the rest of the recipe as above.