Cluster Beans and Toor Daal Curry.

Cluster Beans ( Chouli Kodu/Ghori kaai ) Toor daal curry is one of the traditional dish of Iyengars. It goes well with almost all the main dish, but I like it with plain rice and ghee.

This Cluster Beans curry takes me to go down my memory lane I have eaten this curry many times in Mr. and  Mrs. Govinda Prasad's House. They are our very close friends. It is like once upon a time when we used to stay in Yola-Gangola - Nigeria. We both the families used to visit one another very often in Nigeria. They used to stay in a place called Gombe (Bauchi State), and we in Yola. (Gangola state). The time spent together is never be forgotten. We also continued our friendship in Dubai. It is nice to have friends like our family members. Though I have many many friends, I still think of the good old days spent together with Prasads. I learnt so many dishes from Mrs. Nagamani Prasad, like parapu pudi, khara pongal(one of Mrs. Nagamani Prasad's favourite), chakkara pongal (sweet pongal), and Karnataka, Iyengar's special, Moru Kolambu (Curd Curry).

Lets see the different names of Cluster Beans in some Indian Languages.
It is known as Gawaar in Sindhi, Panjabi, Urdu, Hindi and Marati. Goruchikkadu Kaya or Gorukaya in Telugu, Gorikai, chavali kodu, javali kai in Kannada. Kottavarai in Tamil.
Coming back to Cluster Beans - Toor Daal Curry, I have used cluster beans, toor dal, ginger, green and red chilly, jeera and pepper pods.
No Onion or No Garlic is used in this "Cluster Beans Toor dal curry". Though it looks a long process, it is an easy and yummy dish and I am sure you all love this traditional tasty dish.
Lets see the recipe :

Things Needed :

Cluster Beans : 1 Cup (250 Gram).
Green Chilly : 2 ( medium hot chillies).
Ginger : An inch
Salt :To taste
Toor Daal : 1/2 cup
Curry leaves : 2 to 3 table spoon
Coriander leaves : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Oil ; 3 Table spoons
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Urd Daal : 1/2 Tea spoon
Ingh :1/4 Tea spoon(powdered ).
Water : 1/2 cup
Jeera : 1/2 Tea spoon.
Turmeric Powder : a pinch
Coconut : 2 Table spoons.( Fresh Coconut).

Method :

1. Soak Toor Daal for 1 hour.
2. Wash and cut cluster beans and cut into small pieces.

3. Wash and cut curry leaves, wash and remove the outer layer of ginger and wash again. Cut into small.
4. Grate coconut and keep it aside.
5. Drain the water from toor dal and grind it with green chilly, ginger, pepper, jeera/cumin seeds.
6. Grind into rava consistency and remove from the mixi jar. Put it in a plate.

7. Keep a big pan on the fire and heat. Put 1 tablespoon of oil. Put mustard seeds, urid dal, cut red chilly.
8. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add curry leaves and ingh. Add cut cluster beans and stir nicely.

9. Add 1/2 cup of water and mix the vegetable nicely.
10. Now place the ground toor dal plate above the vegetable and cover the pan with small plate.
11. Let it cook on low flame for a while. (4 to 5 minutes).

12. Remove the lid and mix toor dal with cluster beans and cook nicely till they turn soft and cooked        well.
13. Sprinkle little water in between so that it can be cooked nicely. Stir in between.
14. Cook on low flame for 5 minutes. Check that vegetable and dal is cooked well.

15. Add salt, little red chilly powder and mix it well. Add remaining oil and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

16. Add grated coconut and shift the ready cluster beans - Toor dal Curry to a serving bowl. Add coriander leaves and serve.

Note :
You can cook cluster beans and ground toor dal together by using more oil.
Put the ground dal along with cluster beans to the seasoning. But it takes lots of time and lots of oil should be used in that method.
OR
Pressure cook ground toor dal and then add it to the cooked cluster beans. That not only saves the time and you are sure the dal is cooked nicely. Stir nicely by adding very little oil.
Use of more /less oil is optional. Use of more chilly is optional.
Time : 3o Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4