Vatanyachi Usal/ Misal- White Peas Curry

Vatanyachi usal is a popular Maharastrian breakfast recipe.The usal is made using different varieties of lentils such as white peas,moth beans and mung beans.
The usal is served as such or can be eaten along with rice and roti.If the usal topped with some farsan(mixture) and chopped onion,tomato and served with pav is Misal.
This was in my to do list since long time.Couple of days back when I was looking my cook book collections to make something for Cookbook Challenge this recipe caught my attention.
In the original recipe the entire cooking process was done using pressure cooker.But I cooked the soaked white peas in the pressure cooker for two whistles and the rest of the cooking in the pan.The usal came out very delicious and had it for our evening snack along with some homemade pav buns.It tasted heavenly after shoveling almost 30 inches of snow.It was bit quite filling snack and we skipped our dinner.Lets move on to the recipe.......

                                                                      

                                                                   Vatanyachi Usal/Misal

---

                                                                  

   Basic Information

   Preparation time ~ 10-15 minutes

   Soaking time~ 6-8 hours

   Cooking time ~ 25 minutes

   Serves ~ 3-4

    

   Ingredients

  

Ingredient	Quantity
White peas/vatana/vellai pattani	3/4 cup
Onion (finely chopped)	2 (medium size)
Tomato (finely chopped)	1 (medium size)
Ginger&garlic paste	11/2 tsp
Red chilly powder/milagi podi	2 tsp
Coriander powder/dhaniya podi	2  tsp
Turmeric powder/manjal podi	1/4 tsp
Garam Masala Powder	1/4 tsp
Grated coconut	2 tbs
Tamarind paste	11/2 tsp
Cumin seeds/jeeragam	1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves (chopped)	1 tbs
Salt	1-1.25 tsp
Oil	2 tbs

  To serve

Ingredient	Quantity
Pav buns	6
Onion (finely chopped)	as needed
Tomato (finely chopped)	as needed
Coriander leaves(finely chopped)	as needed
Farsan/Mixture	1/2-3/4 cup
Lemon wedges	few

   

    Method 

• Soak the white peas for at least 6 hours and pressure cook it for couple of whistles with a pinch of salt and adequate amount of water.The white peas should not get mushy.

• Heat a pan with 2 tsp ofoil,add in around 2-3 tbs of chopped onion.Saute it till it becomes transparent.Now add the ginger&garlic paste and fry it for a minute.Add in all the spice powders,grated coconut.

• Mix it well and put off the flame.After cooling grind it to a smooth paste along with water.Now heat the pan with the rest of the oil and crackle the cumin seeds.Add in the remaining chopped onion and saute it till the onion becomes transparent.Now goes in the chopped tomato and cook it until mushy.

• Now add in the ground paste and stir in,add around 2 cups of water,salt and tamarind paste.Let it simmer for 5-6 minutes.At this stage add in the cooked white peas and let it simmer for another couple of minutes.Sprinkle the chopped coriander leaves and put off the flame.

• Serve it with roti and rice or pav.

• Addition of tamarind paste is to get an extra tangy taste.
• Do not over cook the the white peas it may turn mushy.
• If you feel the gravy is not thick enough,mash a handful of peas and add it to the curry.

Enjoy.........................................