Cherupayar ularthu | Green gram cooked in spices and coconut | Kukskitchen

Ularthu is a method of cooking seen especially in traditional syrian christian homes. The base can be meat like beef or pork, starchy vegetables like raw plantain or raw jackfruit or pulses like green gram or bengal gram.  Freshly roasted and ground coriander seeds and dried red chilly give an ularthu its special flavour. Garlic is added for some ularthu.

Green gram is a great protein supplement especially if you are trying cut down on your carbs, these jobbies would keep you full for longer.

Find other delicious syrian christian recipes  here.

A few things before we start:

- You can reduce the cooking time by soaking dried green gram (whole moog daal) in tap water for up to 3 hours, in which case cook for only 3mts.
- For a special extra taste dry roast and grind coriander seeds and dried red chilly.
- The initial four steps characterise the technique of 'ularthu'. Traditionally this is mixed with the cooked base ingredient as the last step. For ease, I do the 'ularthu' before the actual cooking of base ingredient.
- The recipe gives you a perfectly cooked yet dry ularthu ideal as a side dish for rice. If serving alongside puttu you need a curried version. To do that, add 2 1/2 cups of water.

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Green gram cooked in spices and coconut 

   ചെറുപയര്‍  ഉലര്‍ ത്ത്‌

Preparation time: 5 mts

Cooking time: 15mts

Serves: 4

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Ingredients:

1- Dried green gram - 1 cup
     Water - 2 cups
2- Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
    Onion - thin slices of half an onion
3- Red chilli powder -  1 tsp
    Coriander powder - 1 tsp
    Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
4- Grated coconut - 3 tbsp
    Curry leaves - 10
5- Coconut oil - 1 tbsp

Method:

• Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add mustard seeds to it. 
• Once mustard seeds splutter add sliced onions and saute till they turn translucent.
• Bring the heat down and add (3). Be careful not to burn your powders at this stage. 
• Saute for a minute and then add (4). Saute for another minute.
• Now add dried green gram and mix to combine.
• Add 2 cups of water, close the lid and let the pressure built up.
• At the first whistle, reduce the heat and cook for 10minutes and turn off the heat.
• Leave the cooker aside to naturally release pressure and then open the lid to find a delicious ularthu.

Enjoy with fluffy rice.

Cheers

Sherin Deepu