Horsegram Saaru and Curry - Kulitha Saaru ani Upkari

Actually I went looking for Whole Masoor, and but ended up buying the wrong gram - the horse gram.  But this is a gram I knew I had eaten before and googled to find exactly what I was looking for at Aayis Recipes.  She mentions ( that was told to us as kids too) that this gram was generally fed to cattle, and is supposed to be very nutritious.  She does calls it a 'winter food', but I have always had it only in summer, since that was the only time we went to Udupi.  If I am not mistaken we would drive down all the way to Coondapur to pick up the thickened gravy of the water in which the gram was cooked.

Well, it was a nice journey back in time and we enjoyed it... and here is how it is made

But first - apologies for the pictures.  And you can figure out that I used the same spoon to pour the food into the containers ( which was part of the lunch box) - and so you will find coconut in the saaru and a piece of onion in the curry!!  Will replace with better pictures the next time I make it - I still have half a packet left.

Ingredients
1 cup horse gram - washed, soaked overnight and pressure cooked in three times the water for 5 whistles - or about 8 minutes on simmer after the first whistle

You will now have cooked gram in a whole lot of water.

The water will be used for the saaru and the gram for the Upkari or Curry

The Saaru
Horse gram broth
Green chilies - approx 2 nos - slit
Onion - 1/2 chopped
Garlic - 1 large clove - chopped
A little crushed cooked horse gram - this is for thickening the saaru ( optional)
Salt to taste
Oil or ghee for seasoning - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves - few

Heat the broth, salt, chilies, onion.  Bring to boil and allow to simmer for about 8-10 minutes
Remove from heat.
Season with oil/ghee. garlic ( allow to brown) and curry leaves
This is a nice almost thin soup with a lot of flavour

Curry
Boiled horse gram
Coconut - grated 2 tbsp
Green chilies - 3-4 nos
Asafoetida - big pinch
Salt to taste
Oil for seasoning ( preferably coconut oil)
Red chilies (optional)

Take a wok.
Add the oil, asafoetida and the curry leaves/red chilies ( optional)
Add the cooked gram, salt green chilies, and grated coconut.
Mix well.
Keep for a few minutes, remove from heat

Have with hot rice.

Supposedly good for arthritis - joint pains.