Mixed Pulses & Cluster Beans Curry

Eating pulses during the rainy season is good because it helps to keep our body warm and healthy. 
Pulses are full of proteins, minerals and vitamins. I have prepared a curry with Mixed Pulses/Legumes & Cluster Beans/Gori Kai/Chawali kodu  Curry goes well with almost all the main dishes.

I have used Moth bean, Cowpea  (red variety), Kabooli Chenna, Whole Moong, cluster beans and some mild spices.
Let us see some benefits of eating Gori kai/Chawali Kodu/ Cluster Beans in our diet.
Cluster beans are rich in nutrition, proteins, minerals, vitamins and dietary fiber. They are very low in calories. They do contain Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and minerals like calcium, iron, potassium and phosphorous. They do not have cholesterol or fats. Cluster beans helps to control blood sugar levels. They are good for strong bones and anemia. They are good for ladies during their pregnancy period. They are good for controlling blood pressure. They are rich in dietary fiber.
Now  let us see the recipe :
No Onions or Garlic used in this " Mixed Pulses & Cluster Beans Curry".

Things Needed :

Mixed Beans /Pulses : Each One Handful . ( 1 Cup)
Tomatoes : 2
Cluster Beans : 250 Grams
Spice powder/Rasam powder/Sambar Powder : 2 Teaspoons
Lemon extract : 1 Teaspoon
Salt : As required
Methi seeds/Fenugrik seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
For Seasoning :
Cooking oil : 1 Teaspoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Urid dal: 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh /Asafoetida : A little
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8 or little more
Coriander leaves : 1 Tablespoon

Method :

1 Wash and soak all the pulses together over night or for 4 to 5 hours. Soak methi seeds with pulses.
2. Pressure cook the pulses and methi seeds with required water.
3. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes and put off the gas. Let the pressure cooker cool down.
4. Wash and cut tomatoes into small. (Remove the seeds and cut).
5. Wash cluster beans and remove the top edges using your finger. Cut them into pieces.
6. Keep a pan and put oil. Let it get heated. Add mustard seeds and urid dal.  Let mustard seeds splutter.
7. Add ingh and curry leaves. Add cut cluster beans and cooked pulses. Let it cook for 3 to 5 minutes. (On medium flame).

8. Add cut tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes. Add turmeric powder and salt. Mix it well.
9. Add spice powder and mix it well. Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Put off the gas and shift the curry to a serving dish. Add a spoon of ghee.

10. Add lemon extract and coriander leaves and mix it well. Serve with the main dish you have prepared.

Note : 

It is always better to soak any pulse before cooking. It cooks faster and good for health too. Adding any brand of cooking oil is your choice. Adding any spice powder is optional. Taste might change.
Adding more/less spice is optional. Home made powder is always better. You can use any spices of your choice. I have added lemon extract. (1/2 lemon used ). Adding coconut at the end is optional.
Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 3 to 4 .
Spice powder Recipe :
Things needed :
1/4 Teaspoon methi seeds, 1 teaspoon urid dal, 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, 1/2 Teaspoon jeera. a little ingh, red chilly, dry coconut 2 tablespoons and 2 cloves. Handful of curry leaves. Dry roast all the ingredients one by one and dry grind when they turn cool.  Your home made spice powder is ready to use.

Graama Bhojana - Restaurant Review

Graama Bhojanam or Prem's Graamabhojanam restaurant is in Jayanagar, namma Bengaluru. We saw this restaurant while coming back from a programme in National College. After a few days, one of the Adminis  of FOODIES BLOG Mr. Sadashiva Rao Mailankody has put up the restaurant name. FOODIES blog is one of the very good and creative blog and the members and adminis always have new and useful tips and the yummy recipes. I am a member too. Visiting the restaurant Graama Bhojana was already in my mind and we planned to visit the Restaurant very soon. ( I have already had the plan  ☺☺☺  ).

When Usha - Suresh Cukkemane came to our home we told them about the restaurant since they are millet lovers. (They use millet regularly since 5 years).

Thats how we visited this restaurant for lunch. This is my opinion about the lunch /Thali which was served on Saturday 1 st July. Will visit again and again because I am a millet lover too. 

Saturday's Lunch Menu at " Prem's Graama Bhojana ":

The Mini Thali 

 The Thali Costed Rs 125 and I think it is very reasonable.

We had thali in Graamabhojan.   I knew that the food is prepared using millet. Being a blogger  http://nsomayaji.blogspot.in/   I have tried so many dishes with different millet except raagi mudde. As I said our friends Suresh Cukkemane and his wife Usha are also use millets on regular basis. They are millet lovers and do intake millet food since 5 years with the advice of Dr. Khadar from Mysore. I have planned the visit for Saturday lunch. It was perfect hungry stomach. We ate mini thali food. Food is nice there is no other words. Coconut rice,  sambar rice , dal rice, sweet rice, curd rice. Millets were used instead of rice, coconut rice was prepared using Haraka, Sambar rice with Navane, Dal rice is with Oodalu, Curd rice is with Saame/little millet. The sweet dish was with red flattened rice and palm jaggery (Vaale bella as we call it).  Every thing tasted well with mild spice and well it filled the stomach to tell happy tummy, yummy taste for the tongue. 

We met the owners wives, Smitha and Tina. (Two friends and their wives joined together and started this restaurant). The owners were too busy and checking about their food quality and taste with the customers. 

With Smitha  ( One of the partner's wife)

I would say  yummy taste, but the sambar rice and rasam rice/dal rice were loaded with tomatoes .

(The hard outer layers were more. ( It is not healthy to eat so much tomatoes at one time too). The skin of the tomatoes might cause kidney stone. 

Use of different millets at a time is not a good idea. Each millet takes its own time to digest and one might get into a problem in the process of digesting . Use of one millet at a time is advisable. Prepare dishes with one millet and serve the sambar rice, dal rice with same millet. ( I felt a teaspoon of millet mixed with sambar and dal and may be a tablespoon of millet in Curd rice). Use some vegetables instead millet in these varieties. Its just a suggestion and according to Dr. Khadar one should use one millet for 2 days to get the good benefits. ( You must have heard his speech).

 We did not feel hungry for a long time and that's the effect of eating millet. They digest in a very slow manner. 

I should say the sweet dish was ok.

The ambience was good reflecting village mood, the waiters were entu and full smile on their face, 

Drinking water with lavancha smell ( a very healthy way ), the service is bit slow since there were too many loved to have saturday lunch. Raagi Mudde is soft and nice. The ghee smelt coconut rice prepared with Haraka (Kodo millet ) was excellent.

All the best to the start up group of two families. 

Your idea is good but do take care of the place where the food is kept to serve. It looked bit messy but the rooms and tables were clean. 

Suggestions :

Just visit Taja Tindi restaurants in Jayanagar and Kathriguppe where kitchens and the washing areas are kept open to people to see. I have no connection with the people who run these restaurants but admire the cleanliness of the restaurants. 

Once Again Wishing You the owners ...All the best and You Rock....(Y).    
Address :
PREM'S GRAAMA BHOJANAM, ( unit of stay hospitality )#234, 2nd Main, 32A cross, 7th Block, Jaya Nagar. Banglore. Tel:- 9 8 8 6 8 7 6 8 6 8.