Alasande Saaru – traditional way of cooking alasande, badane and alu gravy

Traditional yet simple and easy to cook alasande badane huli or alasande gojju is what I got for today, in Karnataka style.

Alasandalu curry or alasande kalu gravy is a very tasty simple recipe which goes well with rice or ragi mudde. Alasande is filled with nutrients like any other legumes and gram. Alasande can be cooked even without soaking them overnight. Alasande Kalu has a very unique taste by itself - can be cooked in many ways, alasande sundal or usli famous in South India, alasande vada and kodi chaaru very popular in Andra, Alasande chutney, Alasande Bas saaru special food of Karnataka, cook alasande in any form it tastes good.

Alasande badane huli is traditional Karnataka recipe, alasande kalu cooked to soft is added to badane or brinjal and potatoes with coconut masala and tamarind which is then simmered to get creamy gravy – alasande badane huli. We like this huli or gojju so much so that, this is a must gravy at least once in a week.

Alasandalu curry or huli can be made with many other vegetables like – Seemebadane / chayote squash, sorekai / bottle gourd, kumbalakai / red pumpkin

Other Karnataka special gravies

Cabbage Bassaru

Snake gourd kootu

Majjige huli

Upsaaru Khara

Alasande Badane huli

Cuisine: South Indian, Karnataka

Prep time – 30 minutes

Serves – 5 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

Alasande kalu - 1 cup ( about 100 grams)

Onion – 1 medium size finely chopped

Tomato – 1 medium size finely chopped

Badane / Brinjal – 2 or 3 each cut into four parts

Potatoes – 2 cubed

Tamarind – small lemon size

Curry leaves – few

For grinding

Coconut – 1/4 cup

Onion – 1 small

Chilli powder or home made sambar powder – 2 teaspoons (adjust to your taste)

Turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon

For tempering

Oil – 3 teaspoons

Mustard – 1/4 teaspoon

Jeera / cumin – 1/4 teaspoon

Method:

Pressure cook alasande kalu / red cow peas to perfect soft, not mushy – and keep aside

Grinding - In a small pan heat 1 teaspoon of oil, saute chopped onions and few curry leaves until onions change color to brown, add chilli powder, turmeric powder and off the heat. Dry powder get roasted in the heat present in the pan. Cool this and grind with coconut, to fine paste adding water as required to make thick masala paste

In a large pot, heat 2 teaspoons of oil and mustard, cumin. let it fry and mustard splutter

Add onions and curry leaves, sauté for few minutes until onions are translucent, then add chopped vegetables brinjal and potatoes.

Sauté all together for 2 to 3 minutes, add ground coconut masala paste and required water ( about 1/2 cup of water)

Add tomatoes chopped sauté for few more minutes

Cover the lid and cook for few minutes until vegetables are 3/4 cooked

Then add pressure cooked alasande with the cooked water and give a good mix

Add tamarind extract or juice and salt, adjust water at this stage to the required consistency (I added about 1 cup of water)

Allow to cook until all the vegetables and alasande are cooked and blended well with the added masala

Once gravy is cooked, off the heat and leave it to rest for about 5 minutes

Alasande badane huli or Alasandalu curry is ready to be served with rice and pickle.

Tips:

Do not over cook Alasande in pressure cooker as this will again be cooked in coconut masala or gravy along with other vegetables.

Do not miss the tamarind extract, this is the main taste giver to the dish, tangy.

Give resting time of about 5 minutes before serving. This makes sure all the flavors get into alasande and vegetables.

Replace chilli powder with home made sambar powder for better taste.

Notes:

If sauteing onions takes time and you are running out of time, then only coconut can be grounded to fine paste and added to this recipe, not much difference in taste but only consistency will be thicker when added onions for grinding.

Only Brinjal or only potato also can be preferred in this recipe as per your convenience and liking.