Moth bean and coconut stir fry

 Moth beans or Turkish gram is a small, oblong shaped bean which is brown in color. It is protein packed as 100g of raw moth beans contain 23g of protein. This bean is native to India as it can grow in arid and hot climate. It is called matki in Hindi and is used to prepare lentil soup (dal) in North India. The preparation here is oil free and cooked in the South Indian style of payar thorans. 

The drawing is by the 'kiddo in the house' to show me how she wanted her hair to be styled. You can notice the myriad tiny braids on the girl's forehead! Though I attempted, it was mom who made her wish come true :-)

The components of the stir fry..

Moth beans - 1 cup (soaked overnight)

Water - for cooking the beans

Coconut, grated - 1/2 cup

Curry leaf - a few

Green chili - 1

Shallots - 6

Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp

Salt - 1/4 tsp

The routine...

Soak moth beans overnight, changing the water at least thrice. Strain the beans. Pressure cook in water with a bit of salt. Drain excess water and keep aside.

Slit chili and cut shallots into small pieces. Prepare the arappu by grinding coconut, curry leaf, chili, shallots, cumin seeds and salt for 2 seconds.

Heat up a saucepan on slow flame. Add cooked beans into it. Prepare a well in the center of the beans by pushing some of it to the sides. Spoon in the coconut mixture into the middle and cover it with the beans (which were pushed to the side of the pan earlier). Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir to intermingle. Serve with puttu and let your hair down as you dive in!