Usili is a South Indian delicacy which is actually crumbled lentil curry. The actual recipe involves lots of oil as the lentils are cooked directly in a deep pan . I have modified the recipe by steaming the prepared coarse paste of soaked lentils and then crumbling it. I have seen that the taste is not compromised and of course our health too. This is a highly nutritious recipe involving lots of lentils which are soaked (nutrition value raises by soaking too) and then it is mixed with sauteed steamed veggies of your choice. Some veggies goes very well with this lentil crumbles like Capsicum, beans, cluster beans, methi leaves, banana flower, purple brinjal.
In this recipe usually tur daal( daal used in sambar) and chana daal is used. You can prepare it completley by using chana daal which tastes great and is popular among chefs. for a change you can even substitute tur daal with yellow moong daal.
Usili
Ingredients for usili:
• Tur daal: ½ cup
• Chana daal- ¼ cup
• Red chillies- 2 to 3
• Hing- ¼ tsp
• Salt to taste
Method:
• Soak the two washed daals for about an hour. Drain the daal and reserve the soaked water.
• In a mixie jar, add the daals, red chillies, hing, salt required and little soaked water and grind to a coarse paste. The paste should be like an idli batter so that you can steam like idlis. Adjust water accordingly.
• Grease your idli plates and steam this paste like idlis for about 15 minutes.
• Cool these daal idlis and crumble them with your fingers.
• Take a non- stick pan (this works better as less oil is required and the daal gets roasted well too). Heat and add oil. Add mustard seeds, urad daal and curry leaves.
• After the mustard seeds splutters and urad daal becomes golden brown in colour , add the crumbled daal. Saute it for about 3 to 5 minutes (depends on the quantity you are preparing).
Vegetable Usili:
• Chop the vegetable into fine pieces.
• Except for capsicum and brinjal, I usually prepare this vegetable bhaji in a stainless steel/ anodized pressure pan.
You can also use a deep kadai/pan.
• Heat oil required, add little mustard seeds, curry leaves, hing. Allow the seeds to splutter and then add the chopped vegetable.
• Add turmeric powder, salt required and sprinkle about 2 tbsp. of water.
• Close the pressure cooker. Wait for the steam to come properly from the whistle vent. Place the whistle in its position and wait for only one whistle. Off the flame.
• Open the pan when cooled. Check for any sign of water in the vegetable bhaji. Usually the vegetable releases water when salt is added. Heat in an open medium flame for some time till all the water evaporates. It will take barely a minute.
• In the case of capsicum and brinjal, there is no requirement for pressure cooker as the vegetable tastes great when sautéed and cooked in a deep pan. Try to retain the crunchiness of capsicum. My personal favourite is capsicum usili .
