170) ALSANDYA UPKARI

ALSANDYA UPKARI

AN EASY TO MAKE KONKANI

COWPEA BEAN SIDE DISH

Ingredients:

     1)    Tender long cowpea beans – 500 gm.

     2)    Dry hot red chilies – 3 Nos.

     3)    Coconut oil or other cooking oil – 1 tablespoon

     4)    Mustard seeds – ¼ teaspoon

     5)    Salt – ¾ teaspoon

To Cook:

          Wash and drain the cowpea beans. Cut off the tips and chop to fine pieces (around 2 to 3 mm. thick). Break each dry chili into 2 or 3 pieces.

          Set a thick cast iron wok on high heat. Pour in the oil and tip in the mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds are about to finish popping, throw in the chili pieces. Stir once and chuck in the chopped cowpea beans. Sprinkle the salt.

          Stir well and cover with a lid. Lower the heat. Stir occasionally. There is no need to add any water. Take care not to burn at the base. The cowpeas will change colour and cook in 5 to 10 minutes depending on the variety and maturity of the beans.

          Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot alsandya upkari with rice, chappatis or with freshly baked bread. You will love this simple, mild, naturally sweet and delicious vegetable dish.

Enjoy!!!

Tip:

          If you like, you can add freshly grated coconut (a quarter of a coconut will do) as a dressing for extra texture and taste.
    

Notes:

     1)    A traditional way of preparing alsandya upkari is to break the cowpea beans by hand into 1 inch pieces (after removing the tips). Mature beans are shelled and only the seeds are taken. Only a cast iron wok is used for the cooking. Grated coconut is not used. This traditional alsandya upkari too is very tasty. Try for sure!

     2)    You will see that the taste changes with the style of cutting even when the ingredient as well as the method of preparation is exactly the same.