Chavli Usal | Black Eyed Beans Curry

Chavli Usal – a simple curry made with black eyed beans and few easily available ingredients.

Chavli /Cowpeas/ black eyed beans/lobia is not only rich in taste, but is also loaded with nutrients. They are rich in proteins and fibre. Chavli usal is the easiest manner to add this humble lentil to our diet. Chavli usal is a common dish in most Indian households.It tastes great both with rotis and rice.

The recipe which I am sharing today is a very easy recipe wherein all the ingredients alongwith the chavli is cooked together in a pressure cooker. There are other methods of making chavli usal wherein coconut paste with other masalas are added to the cooked chavlis. But this easy recipe can be resorted to when you are short of time and want to rustle up a quick meal. 

This chavli usal comes together in less than 30 minutes if you have  soaked chavli readily available. Chavli needs to be soaked for atleast 4 hours. In case if you have forgotten to soak chavli, you can soak them in hot water for an hour and increase the cooking time. The recipe is as under:

Some other usal recipes : Masoor Usal, Matki Usal.

Step by step recipe :

Wash and soak black eyed beans in water for 4 to 5 hours. After 5 hours, drain the water and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker, Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and asafoetida.

When the seeds start crackling, add chopped onions and garlic.

Saute till the onions turn translucent.

Add chopped tomatoes. 

Saute for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add soaked chavli and mix well.

Add turmeric powder, red chilly powder, cumin-corainder powder, garam masala and salt. Mix well. Add 3 ½ cups of water.

Close the lid and pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles.

Once the steam escapes fully, open the pressure cooker.

Garnish with chopped coriander.

Serve with steamed rice or chapatis.

Ingredients

2  cups Chavli  (Black eyed beans)
2 medium sized onions
2 medium sized tomatoes
7 to 8 cloves of garlic
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp Mustard seeds
½ tsp asafoetida (hing)
2 tbsp red chilly powder
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Garam masala powder
1 tbsp Cumin coriander powder
2 tbsp Oil 
2 to 3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves                                                                          

Method

• Wash and soak chavli in water overnight or for  4 to 5 hours. 
• Chop onion, tomato, garlic and keep it aside. 
• Heat oil in a pressure cooker.
• Add cumin seeds and mustard seeds.
• When the seeds start crackling, add chopped onions and garlic.
• Saute till the onions turn translucent.
• Add chopped tomatoes and saute for  2 to 3 minutes.
• Add soaked chavli and mix well.
• Add turmeric powder, chilly powder, garam masala powder, cumin coriander powder and mix it well. 
• Add 3 ½  cups of water and close the lid of the cooker.
• Cook it for 3 to 4 whistles. 
• Let the steam escape completely. 
• Open the pressure cooker.
• Garnish chavli usal with chopped coriander.
• Serve with chapatis or steamed rice.

WATCH RECIPE VIDEO:

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