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Ulavacharu
Horse gram soup
Ulavacharu (ఉలవచారు): thick, tangy Andhra horse-gram soup with tamarind and a mustard-garlic tempering
Horse gram (ulavalu) was once the grain fed to horses and the poorest farmers in the dry Rayalaseema and Krishna districts; today ulavacharu is a prized dish in Vijayawada restaurants, served with hot rice, a dot of ghee for those who eat it and fresh cream in the fancier places. The beans are boiled for a long time, and their dark, earthy cooking liquid is simmered down with tamarind, jaggery and spices into a thick, glossy, sweet-sour soup. A portion is about 210 kcal. The beans need soaking overnight first. The most common mistake is throwing away the cooking water: it is the soup. Chef's tip: let ulavacharu reduce slowly until it coats a spoon like thin gravy; that thick, almost syrupy finish is what separates it from rasam.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the beans
- 5 ½ oz horse gram (ulavalu)rinsed and soaked overnight
- 5 cups water
For the soup
- 2 tbsp tamarind pulpthick, seedless
- 1 tbsp jaggerygrated
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tsp rasam powderor ground cumin and coriander
For the tempering
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 4 garlic clovescrushed
- 10 curry leaves
- 1 onionsmall, finely chopped
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Drain the soaked 5 ½ oz horse gram (ulavalu) and put it in a pressure cooker with 5 cups water. Cook for 8–10 whistles (about 35 minutes) and let the pressure drop naturally, or simmer covered in a pot for about 1½ hours, until the beans crush easily between your fingers.
35 minStep 2: Strain, keeping every drop of the dark cooking liquid; you need about 750 ml (top up with water). Keep the beans for a salad or sundal, or blend 3 tablespoons of them back in for body.
2 minStep 3: Pour the liquid into a pan and add 2 tbsp tamarind pulp, 1 tbsp jaggery, 1 ¼ tsp salt, 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder and 1 tsp rasam powder. Simmer over a medium-low heat, stirring now and then, for 20–25 minutes, until reduced by about a third and thick enough to coat a spoon.
25 minStep 4: For the tempering, heat 1 tbsp sunflower oil in a small pan over a medium heat. Add 1 tsp black mustard seeds and ½ tsp cumin seeds; when they pop, add 4 garlic cloves, 2 dried red chillies and 10 curry leaves and fry until the garlic is golden. Add 1 onion and cook for 3 minutes until soft.
5 minStep 5: Pour the tempering into the soup, simmer for 2 minutes and taste: it should be sour, a little sweet and spicy. Serve hot over rice.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ulavacharu take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 75 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 jaggery?
- Dark brown or muscovado sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of kashmiri chilli powder?
- Sweet paprika with a pinch of cayenne (gives the same colour, less heat).
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