If you’re Tamil or if you have read this blog for any length of time, you know all about Paruppu Usili, the side dish that makes healthy eating both decadent and delicious.
But if this is the first time you’ve heard about it, trust me, you’re in for a treat.
There’s really no way you can go wrong with this really simple, very traditional dish that rolls in the wonderfulness of veggies — all kinds of them– with the rich, nutty flavor of tiny lentil dumplings. I may have said this before on Holy Cow! but I’ll say it again– paruppu usili is perhaps my most favorite of all the amazing South Indian comfort foods I’ve learned from being married to a Tamil guy.
The basic paruppu usili paste for the dumplings (or rather crumbles) is a very simple one, and I often tweak it slightly to add more flavor to the vegetable I am using. For instance, I add a smidgen– or more– of garlic to my Broccoli Paruppu Usili, or sometimes I just go plain as with my Green Beans Paruppu Usili. In today’s Cabbage Paruppu Usili, I added a teaspoon or so of sambar powder which took no effort but produced an amazing flavor.
Cabbage Paruppu Usili
Ingredients
- 1/2 head cabbage , finely shredded
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp udad dal (black gram dal)
- Soak together for an hour: 1/4 cup chana dal (bengal gram dal) and 1/4 cup tuvar dal
- Place the dals in a blender , add enough water to keep the blades moving, and grind to a fine paste along with:
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- A generous pinch of asafetida (hing)
- 2 dry red chillies
- 1 tsp sambar powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Remove the dal paste to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes. The paste would be cooked on top. Turn over with a spoon so the uncooked paste on the bottom is now on the top and microwave 2 more minutes.Set aside.
- In a cast-iron or non-stick skillet, heat the oil.
- Add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When they sputter, add udad dal and stir, allowing the dal to brown lightly, about 30 seconds to a minute.
- Add the cabbage and some salt. Stir-fry the cabbage on medium heat until it is beginning to get tender, about 5 minutes.
- Now, with your fingers, crumble the dal paste into the skillet over the cabbage.
- Continue to stir-fry the cabbage until it is quite tender but has a slight bite, and the dal dumplings are a couple of shades darker.
- Check salt and turn off heat.
Question about TSP of the Udad dal. Udad is often called for in dishes i prepare and it always comes out too hard to bite/chew. I am using the whole black udad dal? perhaps i need to soak or brown it longer because it is always left much too hard. am I doing something wrong?
The whole black udad dal is too big to be cooked properly during the tempering process. You need to use the split white dal without the black coating which is also available in Indian stores. No need to soak the dal.
So far I have made usilis (or patoli as we call it) only with french beans. I’m going to try your recipe today. I always crave comfort food on winter evenings 🙂
I am not as good a cook as you are.. so thank you for the recipe.. I do love Paruppu usili. More importantly, I liked the 10 things about you – its more like me!!
hi vaishali,
paruppu usili is one of my all time favorite recipe, but feel lazy to do it ‘coz i used to just mix the raw dal paste along with the veggies and let it get cooked… which took really long time to get it to the correct consistency…. but the idea of cooking it in the microwave for few mins works the miracle and the time taken for the the dish becomes a breeze :)thanks for the tip and this yummy recipe!!
Nice post.
I love parppu usili so much, same pinch…need to give this a try with cabbage. Enjoyed reading wo things about you, I am morning person as well…yeah I cud’ agree with you more, fresh and clear.:)
He is adorabe…
Your dog sounds so cute! I too am crazy about paruppu usili with any vegetable…love yours with cabbage, I love this with rice and rasam, best combination for me 🙂 It was nice reading about you Vaishali 🙂
Usilis are wonderful…