Horse-Gram Broth (Ulava Charu)

Ok People.. One of the most revered of dishes from coastal Andhra Pradesh, Ulava Charu, it was for long ignored as a working man's food. This dish did not find its way through the homes of the rich and the posh. The reason for this is not that it is considered cheap but because it takes patience and time to make it. It is a difficult dish to master though the process is simple.

But recently you see it is a universal favourite. This is becoming a permanent item on the wedding or function menu where traditional Andhra food is served.

At home eat it with anything you wish, with dosas, idlis, rice... it makes a great combination with fish fry or people that like can relish it with dried fish fry.

Here is a simple recipe:
ULAVA CHARU
Ingredients:
- Black Horse Gram - 500 gm
- Tamarind - 25 gm
- Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tea spoon
- Green Chillies - 25 Gm(can vary as per preference)
- Curry Leaves (dried and powdered) - 2 tea spoons
- Tomatoes (country variety not hybrid) - 50 gm (this can be eliminated based on choice)
- Drum Sticks - 2 Nos
- Salt - to taste

Tempering (Tadka):
- Mustard Seeds - 1 tea spoon
- Cumin - 1 tea spoon
- Dried red Chilly - 1 or 2
- Asafoetida - a pinch
- Sunflower oil - 2 tea spoon

Accompaniments:
- Fresh cream from curd or milk - 100 gm
- Onions - 2 or 3


Procedure:
- clean the horse grams and soak them in water for 4 - 5 hours. The quantity of water should be double that of the grams. (I prefer soaking them overnight)
- remove the soaked grams and put them to boil on very low flame for over 4 -5 hours. keep checking and add water as necessary; there should be enough water to form a thick broth
- In the meanwhile, soak the tamarind in luke warm water; chop tomatoes finely or even crush them to form a paste, slit the green chillies into two, cut the drum sticks into 4 pieces each; peal the garlic pods and roughly crush them
- Once the horse gram boils filter the broth and collect 3 glasses of it; approximately 750 ml
- Extract the paste from the soaked tamarind; mix it with the broth. Add the other ingredients (chopped tomato; garlic; green chillies; turmeric; curry leaf powder; drumsticks; salt) and set it to boil well till it thickens and the raw smell of tomatoes is totally gone
- Take off from blame and rest
- Add tempering and finish off

For Tempering:
- Heat oil till hot; add mustard, cumin, red chillies, asafoetida (Hing) and let them fry in the oil till you hear crackling sound
- Pour over the prepared dish

Serving:
- Serve hot on rice;
- Serve the fresh cream and chopped onions as accompaniments

You can preserve this dish for a couple of weeks in refrigerated conditions. eat it with fried dried fish and you will just love it.. I am already hungry

Give me your comments.. ask me for what you are looking; I will get them for you.