Paruppu Usili ( Lentil Curry )

I have been lately out of action in the kitchen. Work and the festivities involved during the Ramzan period can be comfortably blamed. Haleem has almost kind of become a daily ritual. I'm almost getting around to grabbing my own recipe of this dish which can match Haggis and to some even beat it too!
Though the papers are flooded with recipes of Haleem from different readers, but I still prefer getting my own recipe and see it being tried out.
So, to ensure that I do not disappoint readers visiting this site for lack of new recipes, I'm adding a TamBram favorite that my wife cooks and is known to provide a good intake of proteins.
Literally translated this dish means Lentil (Paruppu) Crumble (Usili), but everyone down south refers to it as a curry dish, hence the name I gave it on top :-) Andhraites have a similar dish called Patoli, which I haven't seen, thus no comments.

Ingredients:
Toor Dal (Split Red Gram or Split Pigeon Peas)- 1/4 Cup
Chana Dal (Split Bengal Gram Dal) - 1 Cup
2 Red chillies - 5 or 6
Asafoetida (Hing) - Pinch
Turmeric Powder (Haldi)- Pinch

Choice of vegetables:
Fresh beans (Chopped ) - 100 gms

For Tempering:
Oil - 20 ml
Mustard seeds- 1 Tsp
Urad Dal (Split washed Black Gram)- 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Method:
1. Soak the dals half an hour before preparation.
2. Grind the dals with six dry red chillies and pinch of hing into coarse matter, without adding any water.
3. String & Blanch the Fresh green beans. Chop them into little dices and fry the beans nicely in a little oil.
4. Put 2 tsp Oil in tawa or pan and add the Mustard seeds, when they start to crackle add in the urad dal. Add the ground mixture with salt and turmeric and saute. Keep adding drops of oil from time to time. Cook till mixture becomes crumbly and golden brown.
5. Add the fried beans to the dal mixture. Cook for another 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Note:
1. Always cook this on low flame.
2. People who detest French Beans, need not despair ...substitute them with Green Bell Peppers(Capsicum). Other substitutions can be Cluster Beans and Carrot.

Posted in: Iyer Cooking,South Indian Cooking,vegetarian dishes