Paruppu Usili (Beans with lentils crumbles) is an absolute crowd pleaser when it gets made. But, the prep needed for it, creates grumbles and sighs from young moms everywhere!! You have to soak the lentils beforehand, grind it, then steam it, and then crumble it. Phew!! Too much work!!
Worry not…for I, Upgrademyfood (er.. it is Swetha, but UMF sounds professional, eh?!!), have an easy shortcut for you. Now, is it going to be as tasty as the traditional method? Well, maybe not a 10/10; but if you can get at least 8/10; I’d say it’s worth it; don’t you think?
And I’ll tell you why it is worth it – you see we vegetarians love our protein hits when we get them. And this curry (subzi/poriyal if you will) has a hit of green beans + protein – a winning combination to keep you full and satiated. So, give it a try!!
Step by Step Photos
Wash and chop green beans as finely as you can.
Steam the beans until it gets tender. For me it took about 10 minutes (depends on the thickness of the beans and how fresh they are)
Pulse chickpeas (drained from a can or freshly cooked) in a food processor for a few seconds until they resemble paruppu usili crumbles.
Mix a pinch or two of powdered hing with the chickpea crumbles and mix well. (If the chickpeas are unsalted, add salt too).
Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and allow it to sputter. Then add curry leaves and red chilis and saute for few seconds.
Now add the chickpea crumbles and saute for a few minutes until they get well roasted.
Now add steam cooked beans and give a mix. I found 1:1 ratio best, i.e., 1.5 cups cooked beans: 1.5 cups crumbled chickpeas. If you prefer more beans, you can reduce the proportion of chickpea crumbles.
Hot, delicious, vegan paruppu usili ready to be served!!
Recipe
Shortcut Paruppu Usili
Course: Busy Mom Recipes, RecipesCuisine: South IndianDifficulty: Easy4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcalTraditional Paruppu Usili requires a long process of soaking, steaming and pulsing the lentils. In this recipe, I get the rich, satisfying taste of paruppu usili without the long, drawn out method. I process the canned chickpeas to make a crumble and use it as an usili substitute.
Ingredients
Green Beans: 1lb chopped
Chickpeas: 1 can crumbled in food processor
Tadka: 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 3-4 red chilies, a few curry leaves
Powdered Hing: 2 pinches
Sesame oil (or any oil): 2-3 Tbsp (use more for crispier taste)
Salt
Directions
- Wash and chop green beans as finely as you can. Steam the beans until it gets tender. For me it took about 10 minutes (depends on the thickness of the beans and how fresh they are).
- Pulse chickpeas (drained from a can or freshly cooked) in a food processor for a few seconds until they resemble small crumbles.
- Add a pinch or two of powdered hing with the chickpea crumbles and mix well. (If the chickpeas are unsalted, add salt too).
- Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and allow it to sputter. Then add curry leaves and red chilis and saute for few seconds.
- Now add the chickpea crumbles and saute for a few minutes until they get well roasted.
- Now add steam cooked beans and give a mix.
Notes
- Add more oil if you feel you want it crispier. Also, feel free to add more red chilis (Especially if there is not a little one in the house who threatens not to eat any food if the first bite is spicier than she suspected :)).
- When I served the leftovers in the night, I stir-fried it once more with a little oil and paruppu podi (storebought spicy lentil powder), which livened it up further.
- If you are using freshly cooked chickpeas, do not crush them while they are hot. You will end up with hummus. Wait till it cools completely, if possible refrigerate them overnight and then make crumbles.
Conclusion
Whenever we have paruppu usili in a meal, we eat less rice. We feel more full. You can skip curd rice and drink a glass of buttermilk instead. I think those are good enough reasons to try this recipe, don’t you think??
If you want to see a video version of my recipe, check out my pinterest pin on this:
I hope you give this short cut parrupu usili recipe a try!! I got the idea for making chickpea crumbles from the Vegan Chinese Chef, Wil Yeung. And I love it…I have been experimenting with that idea in Indian recipes. Do try it and post your comments in the sections below if you did!!
Happy New Year 2021 everyone!! I have never been this excited to welcome a New Year!! Wishing you all a wonderful New Year!!
Post your comments here....I look forward to reading them!!