Dalimbi Rassa bhaji (Val Usal Rassa)

Dalimbi  or Val, also known as butter beans or Bitter Beans and some call it field beans is a very staple pulse in Maharashtra state, Gujarat state etc. Its funny that in most of my posts I have to mention various names of 1 ingredient - such is the culture and global influence we live in today! It can be cooked as a nice dry Usal or as a nice slurpy Rassa. Some even make it with full fledge ground coconut masala called Birde. This is basically my Mother In Laws recipe, which she makes fondly for her ladla beta ..yes.. you heard me right :) Intentional or not the biaseness oozes out in one form or the other hehe.. Well thats how most moms are. Who knows I may turn out the same way, only time will tell :)

Dalimbi Rassa

Frankly at my home while growing up this dish was not cooked very often but I had tasted it at my neighbors home and I simply love anything that is slurpicious with exquisite red color along with that oil floating on top of the curry. I will never say NO to that, cross my heart. After I married, and as my husband loved it so much, I started getting a bag of split Val or whole Val at home. Usually I get split one. But right now beggars are not choosers applies to us because of lockdowns in most of the states. Just grabbing whatever is found :) in the aisle or in shopping cart online.

Veg Thali

 Coming to the recipe, I have already posted Dalimbi dry Usal on my blog. You can take a look if interested. I like Curry style with more Rassa any day. This particular beans has a nice soft bitter taste to it which has to be complimented with sweet so the usage of gud/jaggery is important and as well as sourness, so kokum water is used in this recipe to give that particular unique flavor to the curry. Use of ginger/chillies and goda masala are few other ingredients that bring out a lovely taste to it.

Lets take a look at the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup val (or butter beans)- soaked and sprouted preferably- yields approx  2 cups
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp jaggery 
• 4-5 kokum petals - washed and soaked in 1/2 cup of warm water for 10 min
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• 1 tsp chopped ginger
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• big pinch turmeric powder
• 1 1/2 tsp goda masala (or onion masala or garam masala pwd)
• handful cilantro finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh coconut for garnish (optional)
• salt to taste

Boiled Butter  Beans

Kokum Petals

Chopped other ingredients

Preparation:

• Soak the val beans in the water overnight or for 8 hours. If you want to make sprouted val beans  (which is more nutritious) then drain the water and keep it to sprout for 8 hours in a muslin cloth tied up. 
• In a saucepan add enough water till val beans is immersed and on med heat cook for 15-20 minutes. Keep a close eye after 15 minutes. It must be just soft. ( It gets mushy quickly and we don't want that). Switch off the gas and drain the water out. Keep cooked val beans dal aside.
• During this time also soak kokum in half cup water and keep aside for 10 min.
• In a pan, heat oil , add cumin seeds-  once it starts to splutter add curry leaves, then add hing and then chopped ginger - saute for couple of min on med flame. 
• Add chopped onion, saute onion till light brown, then add the powders, red chili pwd, turmeric, goda masala - stir quickly on a low flame. 
• Transfer the cooked butter beans to this mixture, add kokum water and discard the kokum leaves, add jaggery, salt to taste.
• Now add 1 cup + more water as per your required consistency and let the curry simmer for few minutes where you will see a nice red color and some oil floating on top! 
• Add cilantro and grated coconut(optional) Your curry is done, serve hot with rice or rotis.

Thank you for visiting my site. njoY cookinG!

You may also like Dalimbi Usal , Matki chi Usal,  Methichi chi Bhaji,  Misal Pav,  Mooli Pachadi  etc

Health Benefits:

Val or Lima beans (butter beans), like any other beans, are rich in dietary fiber. It is a slow burning complex carbohydrate. Val Beans gives you much energy to burn while stabilizing blood sugar. Also, has a good amount of Iron which is very crucial for the body. It is a power packed protein. A good source of manganese and folate along with potassium and has low sodium content.

Sol Kadi (Kokum/Amsol Kadi)

Sol Kadi or Kokum(Amsol) Kadi is a staple drink in many households of Goa, coastal Karnataka and Maharashtra(konkan). It is made in two different ways, one without using coconut milk and other one using coconut milk. Both taste delicious, my favorite being the latter :) I enjoy it even more after seafood meals. It is basically a cooling summer drink. Kokum is an outer skin of the fruit that is dried and used in kadis, fish curries etc. It imparts sour taste like tamarind and color is simply gorgeous. Goan thalis are incomplete without sol kadi :) I simply love the color of the drink, it is so eye pleasing.

In my house, my mom always made the sol kadi without coconut milk and I used to not enjoy it as a child, but now everything is just reversed :). I tuck in a packet of kokum in my bag without fail when I visit my hometown :) It has lots of health benefits too which will be jotted at the end of the page.
Konkani meals are never complete without kokum kadi or a buttermilk(tempered).

Let us check out the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 10-12 Kokum/Sol soaked in 1 cup water 
• 2 cups coconut milk*
• 2 green chillies
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• 2-3 pods garlic 
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
• salt as per taste

When it sits for some time this is how it looks, stir it before serving.

Preparation: 

• Grind coarsely chillies, cumin seeds, garlic and cilantro in a mixer.
• Soak kokum(sol, amsol) in water for atleast 30 minutes. It imparts fantastic color. Now squeeze all the water out of kokum and discard kokum. 
• Take 2 cups of coconut milk, add kokum water, above ground mixture, salt and mix everything nicely. 
• Chill kokum kadi for an hour before serving.
• You can garnish it with few cilantro leaves  before serving it.

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

Notes:* you can make coconut milk using coconut powder or canned coconut milk too. Authentic method to do is take about 1 cup of grated coconut (if frozen use little lukewarm water) add some water and grind it for few seconds, squeeze out the water in a bowl. Repeat the process for 2-3 more times. Use that water which is coconut milk in the kadi.

Health Benefits:  

Kokum (Gracinia indica) has multiple health and medicinal benefits. Kokum is an excellent source of antioxidants thus helps to minimise the impacts of many diseases. It also promotes cell regeneration and repair. Cold blend of Kokum can be rubbed on the skin in case of allergic rashes. (It is true as I have experienced it first-hand). It cures acidity to a great extent, the cold mix of kokum, sugar and little amount of salt is given to overcome the problems of acidity. One can take the mix of Kokum along with black pepper and salt to overcome indigestion. Basically, keep kokum handy in your kitchen :) it is of great use!