Sprouted horse gram bassaru/ Huruli kaalu Bassaru

Bassaaru/ Basida saaru is a popular gravy (saaru) from Karnataka. I came to know about this saaru after moving to Bangalore as we don’t prepare it in Coastal Karnataka. This Saaru is paired with the dry stirfry of the base ingredient used making this saaru. That is if the gravy is made of any vegetable/ green leaves/ lentils, then the stock after cooking it goes in saaru and the filtered/sieved veg/ green goes in palya/ subji.  As name says basiyodu means sieving in kannada & it is the saaru which is filtered. This saaru can be made with varieties of vegetables (leafy or other) such as dil leaves, amaranth, spinach, Cabbage, beans or pulses like green gram, horse gram… It can be served with ragi mudde or steamed while rice.

I followed recipe of local villagers where I live and find the recipe of saaru and palya of sprouted horse gram/ Huruli/ Kudu.

Preparation time: 1 day (sprouting)

Cook time: 30-40 minutes (including preparation)

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients:

Horse gram/ huruli – 1 cup, to be soaked and sprouted*

Turmeric powder – 2 pinches

Ingredients for Saaru/ gravy:

Dry red chillies – 2-3

Coriander seeds - 2 tsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Black pepper – 6-7 corns

Garlic – 8-10 cloves, peeled

Onion – 1

Tomato – 1

Tamarind – gooseberry sized

Grated coconut – ¼ cup or little less

Salt – to taste

Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp chopped (optional), I used

Tempering:

Oil – 2 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – 2 sprigs

Dry red chilli - 1

Ingredients for Stir-fry/ palya:

Finely chopped onions – 1

Green chillies – 1-2, slit lengthwise

Finely chopped coriander – 2 tsp

Grated coconut – 2 tbsp

Salt – to taste

Oil – 3 tsp

Mustard – 1 tsp

Gram dal - 1 tsp

Urad dal – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Method:

Step 1: Sprouting

• Wash 1 cup of horse gram very well and soak in 3 cups of water for 6-8 hours.
• When the horse gram turns soft, drain water and transfer to clean kitchen towel.
• Maintain the moisture by sprinkling little water if the towel is dry.
• Set aside in a clean bowl, allow proper air circulation.
• Gram will be sprouted if kept so overnight.
• Once done, transfer to a wide vessel/ bowl. Run trough clean running water and wash couple of times.

Cooking the gram:

• Take the sprouted gram in a pressure cooker.
• Pour sufficient water, around 2-3 cups, this water after cooking will be used for saaru.
• Add turmeric powder.
• Cook for 4-5 whistles; let the pressure to settle down.

Making Bassaru:

• When the horse gram is done (cooked and pressure is released), run it through a (stainless steel) sieve keeping a vessel beneath to collect the stock. Set aside.
• Do not discard the stock/ cooked water.
• Keep the cooked gram in separate bowl for stir fry.
• Meanwhile, keep all the ingredients ready.
• Peel onions, wash and chop.
• Peel garlics.
• Wash and chop tomatoes.
• Now fry coriander, cumin, pepper, 2-3 red chillies with few drops of oil.
• When done, chillies and puffed & coriander, cumin turns brown. Transfer to a plate/ bowl.
• In the same pan, fry chopped onions (1), tomato, peeled garlic with little oil. Add chopped coriander leaves (2 tbsp) until raw smell goes away. The original recipe doesn’t have coriander leaves, but it gives nice flavour.
• Add grated coconut too (don’t use too much as this saaru should be runny). Saute couple of times.
• Allow cooling. Then take all the fried ingredients in mixer jar add tamarind. Grind to smooth paste using the stock (horse gram water) preserved earlier as and when needed. When it is smooth paste, add 2 tbsp cooked horse gram to it and grind once again.
• Now transfer to the vessel in which you make saaru,add remaining stock as well. If you feel water is not sufficient, then add more water too.
• Add salt and bring to a boil. Boil for couple of minutes. Switch off the stove.
• Prepare the seasoning/ tadka of mustard, red chilli in oil. On spluttering, add cleaned curry leaves as well and add it to saaru.

Making Stirfry/ Palya:

• Heat the wok/ pan with oil (3tsp).
• Add urad dal, gram dal, mustard. Let them splutter.
• Add curry leaves and slit green chillies. Fry for a while.
• Add chopped onions and salt, fry until translucent.
• Then add cooked horse gram and grated coconut.
• Combine everything well and fry for couple of minutes.
• Add chopped coriander leaves and switch off the heat.
• Mix well. Serve Saaru, palya with Ragi balls or hot rice with dollop of ghee.