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Matki usal
Sprouted moth bean curry
Matki usal (मटकी उसळ): sprouted moth beans simmered with onion, coconut and goda masala, Maharashtra style
Every Marathi kitchen from Pune to Kolhapur keeps a jar of matki, the small brown moth beans, sprouting on the counter, and a bowl of usal is what turns up with chapati or bhakri at a weekday lunch, or topped with farsan as misal on Sundays. The sprouts stay slightly firm in a thin, spicy gravy flavoured with goda masala, the sweet-smoky spice mix of Maharashtra, and a little fresh coconut. A portion is about 230 kcal. Sprouting takes 2 days (soak overnight, then leave wrapped in a cloth for 24–36 hours), which is not counted in the times. The common mistake is overcooking the sprouts until they split and go mushy; they should hold their shape and still have a slight bite. Chef's tip: add a teaspoon of jaggery and a few kokum petals at the end; the gentle sweet-sour balance is what makes usal taste Maharashtrian.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 9 oz sprouted moth beans (matki)sprouted, rinsed
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 pinch asafoetidagluten-free
- 10 curry leaves
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 3 garlic clovescrushed
- ⅜ in fresh gingergrated
- 1 tomatochopped
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 2 tsp goda masalaor garam masala
- 3 tbsp fresh grated coconut
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ¾ cups water
- 1 tsp jaggerygrated
- 3 kokum petals (optional)or 1 tsp lemon juice
- ⅓ oz fresh corianderchopped
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat 1 tbsp sunflower oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add 1 tsp black mustard seeds; when the seeds start to pop, add 1 pinch asafoetida and 10 curry leaves and let them crackle for a few seconds.
1 minStep 2: Add 1 onion and cook, stirring, for 5–6 minutes, until soft and light golden. Stir in 3 garlic cloves and ⅜ in fresh ginger and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
7 minStep 3: Add 1 tomato, ½ tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder and 2 tsp goda masala and cook for 3 minutes, until the tomato collapses and the oil shows at the edges.
3 minStep 4: Stir in 3 tbsp fresh grated coconut, then the 9 oz sprouted moth beans (matki) and 1 tsp salt, and toss for 2 minutes so the sprouts are coated in the masala.
2 minStep 5: Pour in 1 ¾ cups water, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer on a low heat for 10–12 minutes. Press a sprout between your fingers: it should give but not turn to paste. Stop here rather than cooking until they burst.
12 minStep 6: Stir in 1 tsp jaggery and 3 kokum petals and simmer for 1 minute more. The gravy should be thin and soupy, not thick; add a splash of hot water if it has reduced too far.
1 minStep 7: Scatter over ⅓ oz fresh coriander and serve with chapati, bhakri or rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does matki usal take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of black mustard seeds?
- Cumin seeds, same amount (different flavour, same crackle).
- What can I use instead of asafoetida?
- A pinch each of garlic powder and onion powder (asafoetida stands in for onion and garlic).
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