Beans Usili

If you want your vitamins and protein in a vegetable side dish, here it is. This side dish consists of green beans and spiced up lentil. The lentil used for this is Toor. Please note the generic term for lentil is dhal.

Pointer 1: Prepare lentil mix separately.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound tender green beans diced
• 1-2 red chillies (adjust the number based on how hot you may want it)
• 2 Tbsp. Canola oil to sauté (you may use olive oil)
• 1/4 cup toor dhal^
• 1 tsp. urad dhal^
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• Powdered asafoetida^ (optional)
• Salt to taste
• Curry leaves (optional)
  
  

Method:
Soak the toor dhal for about 30 minutes in lukewarm water. Drain water and grind dhal with the red chillies. Use a wok^ and add oil, let it warm a bit. Add mustard seeds. Allow it to spurt. Now add the urad dhal. Let it toast to a light brown color. Add the ground lentil paste. Sauté the paste until it is cooked and roasted. This would take about 15 minutes. If the lentil is not cooked enough, it might taste raw. When finsihed set it aside.

Steam cook the diced beans. Add salt for taste. Transfer the cooked beans into the wok that has the cooked lentil paste. Mix the whole thing. Let the cooked lentil blend in with the cooked beans. You may sprinkle asafoetida at this point. Sprinkle the fresh curry leaves as well. Serve hot. Can be had with rice or Indian bread or even made into a sandwich using regular bread.

^ Please contact me for any of these ingredients or utensils.