Matki Usal – a spicy curry made with sprouted moth beans.
Matki or moth beans are tiny brown coloured lentils which is commonly used in Maharashtra and Gujarat. It is a rich source of protein. Some of the common Maharashtrian dishes using matki are Matkichi Usal, Misal, and Matki bhaat. Whereas in Gujarat, apart from making curries and sabzis with matki, matki flour is used in making mathiya papad.
Usal is a spicy curry made with sprouted beans. Matki usal is the most common usal from the Maharashtrian cuisine. Sprouted moth beans are cooked with onions, tomatoes and spices. The authentic matki usal calls for the use of goda masala. But in the absence of goda masala, garam masala can be used to make this usal. Here is the recipe.
Ingredients
1 ½ cup of moth beans (matki)
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped (pyaaz)
1 small tomato, finely chopped (tamatar)
1 tbsp oil (tel)
½ tsp mustard seeds (rai / sarson)
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
½ tsp asafoetida (hing)
1 tsp ginger garlic paste (adrak lehsun paste)
½ tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
2 tsp goda masala
1 tsp red chilli powder (laal mirch)
salt as per taste (namak)
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves (hara dhaniya) for garnishing
Method
Sprouting of moth beans
- Wash moth beans and soak in water for 4 to 5 hours. Soaking helps the outer layer of the seeds to soften.
- After 4 hours, drain the water and transfer the soaked seeds to a strainer.
- Keep the strainer on a vessel which is smaller in size than the strainer. (Watch the video here ) This aids proper air circulation.
- Cover the strainer with a lid.
- Keep this aside for 8 to 9 hours.
- After 9 hours, open the lid. The seeds would be germinated.
- Heat oil in a pressure cooker.
- Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida and chopped onions.
- Saute till the onions change colour.
- Add ginger garlic paste and saute for few seconds.
- Add chopped tomatoes and saute till they turn soft.
- Add turmeric powder, goda masala, chilli powder and mix well.
- Now, add sprouted matki and mix well.
- Add salt and 1 cup of water.
- Close the pressure cooker.
- Cook on a low flame for 1 whistle.
- Open the pressure cooker, after the steam escapes completely.
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
- Serve hot with chapatis or rice.
Notes:
In the absence of goda masala, garam masala can be used to make matki usal.
WATCH RECIPE VIDEO:
Thank you for stopping by. If you like/ tried this recipe, leaving a comment below the post will enable more readers and cooking enthusiasts to discover these recipes. Also, if you are on Instagram, do share a picture of the dish and tag @vanitascorner to be featured in my stories.
Do follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.
Subscribe to my youtube channel for easy video recipes.
Happy Cooking!!
