Mangalorean Malabar Spinach Curry Recipe

 

 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 

Recipe type: main
Cuisine: indian, mangalorean
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
main ingredients:
  • ¾ cup black eyed beans/lobia/chawli
  • 1 to 1.5 cup chopped malabar spinach leaves and stems (mayalu or valchi bhaji or pui shaak)
  • ¾ cup to 1 cup fresh grated coconut/nariyal
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 small onion/pyaaz
  • 1 medium tomato/tamatar
  • 3 to 4 garlic/lahsun
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds/rai
  • a pinch of asafoetida/hing
  • salt as required
for dry roasting the spices:
  • 3 tsp coriander seeds/sabut dhania
  • 2 tsp cumin/sabut jeera
  • 3-4 black peppercorns/sabut kali mirch
  • ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds/methi dana
  • 2 to 3 dry red chilies/sookhi lal mirch
Instructions
  1. rinse and soak the black eyed beans or chawli/lobia in enough water overnight or for 5 to 6 hours.
  2. drain them and pressure cook the black eyed beans in 2 or 2.5 cups water along with salt, till they are cooked well and softened. they should not become mushy.
  3. heat a small skillet or pan. add all the whole spices and on a low heat dry roast them till aromatic.
  4. when the spices cool, add them to a grinder long with grated coconut.
  5. add some water and make a smooth paste of the roasted spices with the coconut.
  6. keep the coconut-spices paste aside.
  7. lightly crush garlic in a mortar-pestle keeping the peels on it. just crushing them lightly, not making a paste of them.
  8. finely chop the onions and dice the tomatoes.
  9. rinse and remove the leaves from the stems of the malabar spinach. small leaves can be kept intact. large leaves can be chopped.
  10. cut the tender stems in 1 or 1.5 inch pieces. if the stems are not tender, you will have cook them separately in water in a pan or pressure cooker, till they are cooked well.
  11. heat oil in a pan. crackle the mustard first.
  12. then add the crushed garlic with their peels. saute for 4-5 seconds
  13. add onions and saute till translucent. add the tomatoes and coconut spice paste
  14. stir and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
  15. add the malabar spinach leaves and stems.
  16. stir and add 1 to 1.5 cups stock or water. season with salt and stir again.
  17. simmer the curry for 6-7 minutes on a low to medium flame.
  18. add the cooked black eyed beans and simmer for 6-7 minutes or more, till all the flavors are well blended. you will see specks of oil on top of the curry when its done.
  19. add water if required if the curry looks thick and continue to simmer.
  20. the curry is neither thick nor thin, but of medium consistency.
  21. lastly, garnish the curry with chopped coriander leaves if you prefer.
  22. serve the malabar spinach curry hot with steamed rice and chapatis.

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