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.

Dalimbi Usal (Val/Pavte Usal)

Val Usal or Dalimbi Usal (lima beans, butter beans, some also say field beans) is a very authentic staple curry preparation from the state of Maharashtra. I learnt it from my mother-in-law. My husband is a big fan of dry usal preparation of dry val beans and also moong dal usal. His eyes light up when he sees these dishes on the kitchen counter :) It is a simple preparation more or less like matki chi usal, goes very well with rotis or dal/rice. It has a very nice rustic taste and little bit of bitterness to it which makes me go all nostalgic :) When you add jaggery to it the taste balances just perfectly! Actually, it can be made dry or patal(thin) bhaji as per your liking.

It is just amazing how in Indian cooking we make use of so many lentils and legumes. Of course, from where else will the world's largest vegetarian population bring protein into their diet? right? We truly are blessed- we get to taste and enjoy so much variety, along with so many different styles and methods of cooking. My mom always says, woman who is blessed with good cooking skills, can literally add a fantastic tadka(tempering) to the water and get going :) :)

Let us take a look at this Dalimbi Usal or Val Usal.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup val (dry lima or butter beans, some say field beans too)
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2 tbsp dry coconut grated
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp jaggery
• 2-3 kokum petals
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• pinch of asafoetida (hing)
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp goda masala (garam masala pwd)
• handful cilantro finely chopped
• 1-2 tbsp fresh coconut for garnish
• salt to taste

Preparation:

• Soak the val beans in the water overnight or for 8 hours. If you want to make sprouted val beans usal (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.
• In another pan, dry roast- dry coconut and cumin seeds- cool it and make a coarse powder. Keep aside. 
• In a pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds, once it starts spluttering add cumin seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida, turmeric powder and red chili powder. Add cooked val dal and very gently mix everything. 
• Add water sparingly if you want a dry dish or add little more to get gravy. After a couple of minutes add kokum petals, jaggery, salt, dry coconut+cumin powder, goda msala and mix the usal with a light hand. 
• Cover the lid and let it cook for few minutes.
• Once Usal is done sprinkle some fresh grated coconut, cilantro and serve hot with roti or rice.

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

njoY!! happY cookinG!!

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.