Paruppu usili is a popular South Indian side dish for rice, which is prepared with lentils. It is a very healthy side dish as it has lentils and also steam cooked. I prepared paruppu usili with broad beans / avarakkai which is easily available in all Indian grocery store.

Ingredients:

Serves 3 to 4

• 2 cups – Broad beans / avarakkai (chopped finely)
• 1/2 cup – Bengal gram / kadalai paruppu / chana dal
• 1/3 cup – Red gram / thuvaram paruppu / toor dal
• 2 or 3 nos – Dry red chillies / vara milagai (or add as needed)
• 1 tsp – Cumin seeds / jeera
• 1/4 tsp – Turmeric powder
• 1/8 tsp – Asafoetida powder / perungayam
• 1 tsp – Sesame oil / gingelly oil
• Salt to taste

Seasonings:

• 1 tbsp – Oil
• 1/4 tsp – Mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp – Split black gram / ulunthu
• 5 to 6 nos – Fresh curry leaves
• 1 pinch – Asafoetida powder

Preparation method:

1. Wash and soak bengal gram and red gram together for about 1 hour or until well soaked. Set it aside.
2. Cook chopped broad beans in enough water along with little salt until tender or well cooked. Drain the water completely and keep it aside.
3. Take a mixer grinder, add soaked lentils, dried red chillies, turmeric powder, cumin seeds, asafoetida powder, sesame oil and required salt, grind them to a coarse paste. Sprinkle little water if needed.
4. Grease idly platter or steamer, steam the lentil mixture for 10 minutes or until well cooked. Once cooked, crumble the mixture with your hands. You can also blend it in the mixie just for a second to crumble it evenly.
5. Heat oil in a pan, season with items given in the list for seasoning. Then add the crumbled lentil mixture, cook for 3 to 4 minutes on low flame, then add the cooked broad beans and mix well.
6. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until everything blends well with flavour. Serve it with hot rice, mor kuzhambu and rasam.

Notes:

• Increase or decrease number of dried red chillies as per your spice level.
• I used rice cooker steaming method to cook my lentil mixture. You can use idly cooker steaming method also.
• You can replace avarakkai / broad beans with cluster beans / kothavarangai, plantain flower or beans or cabbage etc.