Brown Cow Peas Gravy (Vegetarian !)

Brown cow peas in english is Alsandebi in Konkani and Alasande in Kannada. For this dish we sprout lentils since that typically adds to the taste of the dish and normally we season these dishes with onion. This time though I tried something different. Here presenting is a different Alsandebiye Ambat.

Brown Cow-Peas

What you need to have:

1. Sprouted and pealed Brown cow Peas – 2 cups

2. Cashews – 1/3 cup

Sprouted Brown cow peas

Sprouted , pealed brown cow peas & cashews

What you do with what you have:

1. Soak peas in water over night. Drain water next morning and tie it in a clean cloth tightly and keep it aside for another 12 hours by the end of which it will have sprouted like in the picture 2 shown above.

2. Again soak in water for about 12 hours and one should be able to peal it completely as shown in picture 3. Soak cashews in water for about 1 hour and peal them as well and mix it with sprouted lentils and cook it directly on the flame.

Cooked lentils with cashews

Ingredients of Wet Masala :

1. Fresh grated coconut – 1/3 cup

2. Red chillies – 3-4

3. Tamarind – a small piece or bilimbi

4. Cardamom – 1

5. Cloves – 2

6. Cinnamon – 1/2″ piece

7. Turmeric powder – 1/2 Teaspoon

8. Coriander seeds – 1 Teaspoon

Ingredients of Wet Masala

1. Grate coconut and keep it aside. Place a spatula with 1 teaspoon of cooking oil in it on the flame when heated fry red chillies in it and keep it aside.

2. In the same oil fry coriander seeds and add cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and turmeric powder one by one and switch off the flame.

3. Grind grated coconut, tamarind, red chilies from step 1 and fried ingredients from step 2 together in the mixer adding water in steps to a fine consistency.

4. Add the ground masala from above to the cooked lentils adding sufficient quantity of salt and bring it to boil.

Ingredients of seasoning:

1. Mustard seeds – 1 Teaspoon

2. Cumin seeds – 1/2 Teaspoon

3. Red chili  – 1

4. Curry leaves – 2 strands

Ingredients of Seasoning

Place a spatula with 2-3 teaspoons of cooking oil in it on the flame. When heated, add mustard seeds to it. When it sputters add cumin seeds and red chili pieces and curry leaves to it.

Season it to the dish and enjoy it with either rice or chapathi.

Ready to serve Brown Cow Peas dish

How long it takes: 45 minutes

Number of servings: 4-5