Beans Patoli (Beans Paruppu Usili)

For Day 2 of BM# 18, I have this protein rich veggie dish that is one of my favorites. Patoli or paruppu usili is a delicious dish with the goodness of lentils and the veggie. I love the use of lentils in almost any dish and this dish with the ground lentils gives it an earthy, mild taste is very addictive.

Growing up my mom used to make patoli by sauteing leftover kandi pachadi with onions and it tasted divine with steamed white rice and a good dollop of ghee. 

Generally the ground lentils are either steamed or microwaved to cook it, but my mom simply sautes the paste in some oil and then adds the cooked veggie. This makes the dish get done quicker and with fewer dishes to clean. Things to keep note is not to add too much water when grinding the lentils and to use NON-STICK pan to avoid sticking of the ground paste (but the best part to me are the slightly browned bits that you scrape of from the pan.. delicious).

 

Recipe adapted from "Cooking With Pedatha".

Ingredients:

Green Beans - 3-4 cups, finely chopped

Turmeric powder - ¼tsp
Salt - to taste


For the Lentil Paste:
Chana dal (Senagapappu) - ½cup
Toor dal (Kandi pappu) - ½cup
Peppercorns - ¼tbsp
Cumin Seeds - ¼tbsp
Green chilies - 3-4
Ginger - 2" piece, chopped
Coriander leaves - ¼cup


For Tempering:
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Dry red chili - 1
Asafoetida (Hing) - ¼tsp

 

Method:

• Soak both the lentils in warm water for 1 hour. Drain the water and grind along with the ingredients listed under lentil paste and a little salt. Add just enough water to make a coarse paste.
• Microwave or boil the beans with turmeric and a little salt until tender. Drain the water and set aside.
• Heat 2tbsp oil in a non-stick pan, add the tempering ingredients and once the mustard seeds start to splutter, add the ground paste and cook on medium-low flame until the mixture starts to dry out and  cooks through, about 6-8 minutes. Stir frequently to avoid sticking to the pan.
• Add the cooked beans. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle a little water if the consistency is too dry. Season with salt.

 

Serve hot with steamed rice and a rasam, definitely makes for a delicious and nutritious meal.
Different veggies can be substituted for the green beans like broad beans, capsicum or cluster beans. Check out PJ's Carrot Paruppu Usili that sounds delicious.

Let's check out what my fellow marathoners have cooked up for Day 2 of BM# 18.