Green Gram (Mung Bean) Curry with Greens

All izzz well when heart is well. What better way to keep it that way than teeming our lifestyle with this magical green coloured gram called Mung Bean. This tiny bean plays a mighty role in combating heart diseases since its rich magnesium content relaxes arteries and veins keeping the heart healthy.

Dish Type:  South Indian Vegetarian Side Dish

Preparation Time:  20 min

Cooking time:  30 min

Serves:  4 persons

Ingredients

For pressure cooking:

Green gram                75 gms

Water                          250 ml

Ghee                            1 tsp

Turmeric                     A pinch

Dantina soppu             1 bunch (amaranth leaves)

Tomato                        2 nos.

Salt to taste                 ½ tbsp. (at the time of adding chopped greens)

For seasoning:

Ghee                            1 tsp

Mustard seeds                        ½ tsp

Black gram                  ½ tsp

Green chillies              2 nos. (red chillies or salted chillies can also be used)

Onions                         2 nos. (medium size, fine chopped)

Salt to taste                 ½ tsp approx.

For garnishing:

Raw grated coconut    1 tbsp approx. (optional)

Directions

Wash green gram thoroughly. Keep it for boiling on low flame in a pressure cooker along with water, turmeric and ghee. 

Wash greens (dantina soppu) and tomatoes thoroughly in salt water. Drain out the water.

Chop greens finely. No need to chop tomatoes.

Peel the skin of onions and finely chop them. Wash the 2 green chillies, slit them and keep aside.

By this time, green gram would have been half cooked. Remove the lid of the pressure cooker. Add the chopped greens and salt and over this, add tomatoes. After 2 whistles, switch off the pressure cooker. Let it cool.

While the cooker is cooling….do spare time to read footnotes given at the end of this recipe.

By now, pressure in the cooker would have subsided. Transfer the contents on to a colander to drain the water to another vessel. Preserve this precious nutritious water, a tbsp. of cooked green gram and greens and the 2 cooked tomatoes aside to make “Green Gram Rasam with Greens”  later. (Recipe posted separately at Sarapaaka).

Now is the time for seasoning. Heat a drop of ghee in a small skillet. Do not heat it too much. When it is just hot, put mustard seeds. When they crackle, immediately put black gram, slit green chillies and then the finely chopped onions. Now add a pinch of salt and the remaining cooked green gram and greens. (Do you remember keeping a tbsp. of this aside to use for Rasam?) Mix them well and toss it for a minute or two. Garnish with raw grated coconut if desired.

 Hmmm….Green Gram Curry with Greens is ready. Let this side dish occupy the altar, next to Rothis n Parathas.

Tete – a – Tete:

Don’t forget to use the remaining cooked green gram and greens and the boiled and drained water to make “Green Gram Rasam with Greens”.

Recipe Contributor: Smt. Saraswathi

Pulgura (Huli Soppu) Greens Chutney

A typical Andhra tangy curry – when cooked with “love-lies-bleeding” can leave one with a trickly, tickling feeling. Called as curry and ground like chutney, this spicy spotlight sure drives away one’s apathy when teamed with steamed rice, roti or chapathi.

“Love-lies-bleeding” is a red variety leafy veggie and known as fox tail amaranth. Can’t find them…oh, don’t turn red. Pluck those green leaves (Dantina Soppu in kannada), a bunch will do. Done? Now off to the kitchen….for great health to drop on to your plate!   

Dish Type:  South Indian Vegetable Curry

Time: 20 min

Serves:  5 persons

Ingredients

For boiling

Amaranth leaves         1 big bunch (Dantina soppu)

Tamarind paste           1 tsp (or tamarind 1 small lime size)

Green chillies              3 nos.

Salt to taste                 2 tsps approx. (put at the end stage)

For dry frying:

Methi seeds                1 sp

Cumin seeds                2 tsps  

Asafoetida                   A pinch

For seasoning:

Oil                               1 tsp

Mustard seeds              ½ tsp 

Curry leaves                Few (optional)

Asafoetida                   A pinch (if you forget to put while frying)

Directions

Wash dantina soppu with water, drain and keep aside.

Saute the chopped amaranth leaves in a vessel along with salt and tamarind for about 10 min. till the soppu turns just soft. (Do not overboil)

While vegetable is boiling….

Heat a medium sized kadai. Dry fry ingredients listed above one after another separately and keep transferring each of them to a plate. Let them cool. Grind this to a fine powder. Transfer the powder to a small container leaving behind a tsp of powder in the mixie. To this add the cooked vegetable and grind to chutney consistency.

Now is the time for seasoning…

For this, heat ghee in a small skillet. Put mustard seeds. When they crackle put broken red chillies and curry leaves (both are optional) and switch off the flame. Add asafoetida. Immediately pour it on to huli soppu.

Pulgura is now ready.

Tete a Tete: 

Pulgura can also be prepared using Ridge Gourd (Heerekayi), Egg Plant (Badanekaayi)
If you are short of time for grinding, here's a short cut: Add cumin powder, methi powder and asafoetida powder while seasoning.

Juice of Amaranth leaves helps treat diarrhea, haemorrhage, hair loss and premature greying, makes a great wash for skin that suffers from eczema and acne.

Recipe Contributor: Smt. Lalithamma Ramamurthy, a nonagenarian lady and an expert cook, mother of Sri. Sheshadri Mokshagundam
Few other recipes contributed by Smt. Lalithamma:
Vangibath Powder
Rasam Powder
Sambar Powder
Greens Chutney (Pulgura)
Citron Lime Sauce (Heralekayi Gojju)
Hasi Majjige Huli (Sambar variety using yogurt)