Patholi with goruchikkudu kaya and sanaga pappu (Patholi with cluster beans and chana dal powder)

Patholi in Andhra cuisine refers to a dry subzi. The main ingredient is either yellow split dal, pesara pappu (moong dal) or chana dal or toor dal. Either blended soaked dal paste or dal powder is added to any sautéed vegetables like cluster beans, kundru sandita or leafy vegetables like methi (fenugreek) or drumstick leavrs and pan fried. Patholi is a popular side dish for either rice or roti. Usually it is served with buttermilk pulusu or raita.

Patholi is known by different names in different parts of India eg. paruppu usili in Tamil Nadu, or a popular Malvani dish Vatli dal in Maharashtra , Goa and Konkan region. In Goa and Konkani cuisine, patoli is a steamed sweet dish with rice flour, coconut and jaggery wrapped in turmeric leaves!

Coming to patholi from Andhra Pradesh, this is a different version from the other recipes that I posted earlier. In this version, I used powdered chana dal (chick pea dal) cooked with sautéed cluster beans.
The advantage with this version is, you do not need to soak, grind, make idlis and process the idlis before you use. It is less time consuming. The dal can be processed dry with chiles and jeera seeds and saved in a jar. No refrigeration or freezing is needed! When I made this dish, all of us liked the flavour and taste!

Ingredients:

•      1 cup goruchikkudu kaya pieces ( cut cluster beans)

•      1/2 cup chana dal

•      1/2 cup diced onion

•      2 red chile

•      2 Tsp. jeera seeds

•      1 Tsp. mustard seeds

•      3 Tbsp. oil

•      Pinch of hing

•      A few curry leaves

•      Salt to taste

Directions:

1.      Wash and cut beans in to small pieces.
2.      Dice the onion.
3.      Coarsely grind chana dal in a mixer, adding one red chile and jeera seeds.
4.      Set aside.
5.      Boil beans in a pressure cooker for one whistle.
6.      Or microwave the pieces till they are half cooked.
7.      Heat oil in a thick and deep pan.
8.      Add red chile, mustard and jeera seeds.
9.      Add asafetida.
10.      When mustard seeds splutter add curry leaves.
11.      After a minute, add onion pieces and sauté till the pieces are translucent.
12.      Add cooked beans.
13.      Stir and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
14.      Sprinkle the dal mixture and mix thoroughly.
15.      Add salt.
16.      Cook for 2 minutes.
17.      Sprinkle less than half a cup of water and mix well.
18.      Cover and reduce the heat.
19.      Keep stirring regularly.
20.      If necessary, sprinkle a little more water.
21.      Cover and cook on low heatfor about 5 to 6 minutes.
22.      When the chana dal mixture and vegetable are fully cooked, turn off the heat.
23.      Cover and let it rest for five minutes.
24.      Transfer and serve.
25.      A nice side dish for rice or roti.
26.      Popular combination for this subzi is Roasted eggplant chutney or raita