Huli | Lentil-vegetable stew
By Usha Hegde, Puttanamane
Huli is a traditional flavorsome lentil-vegetable stew made with pigeon pea lentils (togari bele or tur dal or arhar dal), vegetables, coconut, and spices. The lentils and vegetables are cooked to a smooth texture and a fresh ground coconut with spices is mixed and then simmered for some minutes. Later a tempering is done and added to Huli.
Huli is widely eaten by mixing with plain rice almost daily. Sometimes, Huli is also consumed as a side dish with tellevu, dose, Idli, roti etc.
Huli can be made with one or more vegetables. However, vegetables combination should be proper. In this recipe I have used mixed vegetables. You can choose any combination of vegetables from the list in the ingredients section below.
Prep time
20 mins
Cook time
30 mins
Cool off time
0
Total time
50 mins
Course
Curry
Diet
Vegan, Vegetarian
Difficulty level
Moderate
Servings
8 cups
Ingredients
-
3/4 cup pigeon pea lentils (Togari bele or tur dal or arhar dal)
- 1/4 teaspoon jaggery
- Water as required
-
Salt as required
Vegetables
You can use any 2 or more vegetables from the list below:
- 1 cup double beans (or any other beans) - chopped
- 1 cup cauliflower – chopped
- 1 cup Kohlrabi (Navalkol) – chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh green peas
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 medium potato
-
2 drumsticks
For ground spices mix
- 2 to 3 tablespoons grated fresh coconut
- 1 teaspoon oil (any edible oil of your choice)
- 2 long dry red chillies
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds (Kottambari or Dhania seeds)
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (Jeerige or Jeera)
- 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (Mente or Methi seeds)
- 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds (Sasive or Sarson seeds or Rai)
- 1/4 teaspoon sesame (Ellu or Til)
- 4 to 5 black pepper
- 3 to 4 cloves (Lavang or Laung)
-
1 teaspoon or 2 inches tamarind
For tempering
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds (Sasive or Sarson seeds or Rai)
- 1 generous pinch asafoetida (Ingu or Hing)
- 10 curry leaves
Cookware / Utensils
-
Pan
- Bowl(s)
- Spoon
- Mixer or grinder
Instructions
Instructions
Cook lentils and vegetables
- Take 3/4 cup pigeon pea lentils in a bowl and rinse them 2 to 3 times or until clean.
- Add the lentils in a pan or vessel and add 3 cups water.
- Cook the lentils for about 10 minutes on a medium to high heat.
- While the lentils are cooking, rinse the vegetables, chop them, cover and keep aside.
- Now, check if the lentils are cooked. Lentils should be cooked to a soft texture.
- Once the lentils are cooked soft, add chopped vegetables. Also, add more water if required.
- If adding cauliflower, add it once the other vegetables are half cooked as cauliflower gets cooked faster than other vegetables.
- Cook till the vegetables are almost done. Do not overcook the vegetables.
Make ground spice mix
- While the vegetables are cooking, heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a thick pan on a low heat.
- Add 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds, 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1/4 teaspoon sesame, 4 to 5 black pepper, 3 to 4 cloves.
- Fry them for a minute or till they become aromatic and crispy. Do not brown or burn them.
- Add 2 long dry red chillies. Give a stir, and switch off the heat. Let the spices cool down.
- Take a fresh coconut and grate it - 2 to 3 tablespoons.
- Once the spices are cooled, add grated coconut in a mixer jar.
- Add 1 teaspoon tamarind.
- Add fried spices and 2 tablespoons water.
- Grind to a smooth paste. Cover and keep aside.
Make Huli
- Once the vegetables are almost cooked, add salt as required. Mix well.
- Add 1/4 teaspoon jaggery and mix well.
- Add ground spices mix.
- Add 1/2 cup water in a mixer or grinder jar. Swirl and shake the jar so that the spice paste at the bottom and sides of the jar gets mixed with the water.
- Add the spice mixed water from the mixer jar.
- Mix well and let it boil for about 8 to 10 minutes on medium heat. Stir occasionally.
- Now switch off the heat. Cover and set aside.
Tempering
- In a small pan, heat 2 teaspoons oil. Add 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds. Let them crackle.
- Add 1 generous pinch of asafoetida.
- Add curry leaves, and fry them for a couple of seconds.
- Switch off the heat and immediately add this tempering mixture in the hot Huli.
- Cover the pan or vessel with a lid for 5 minutes, so that the aroma and flavors from the tempering mixture gets infused with the Huli.
- Mix well and serve hot with plain rice.
Step by step guide
How to make Huli
Cook lentils and vegetables
1. Take 3/4 cup pigeon pea lentils in a bowl and rinse them 2 to 3 times or until clean.
2. Add the lentils in a pan or vessel and add 3 cups water.
3. Cook the lentils for about 10 minutes on a medium to high heat.
4. While the lentils are cooking, rinse the vegetables, chop them, cover and keep aside.
If you are using cauliflower, soak the chopped pieces in salt water for 20 to 30 minutes before you start making Huli.
5. Now, check if the lentils are cooked. Lentils should be cooked to a soft texture.
6. Once the lentils are cooked soft, add chopped vegetables. Also, add more water if required.
7. If adding cauliflower, add it once the other vegetables are half cooked as cauliflower gets cooked faster than other vegetables.
Cook till the vegetables are almost done. Do not overcook the vegetables.
Make ground spice mix
8. While the vegetables are cooking, heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a thick pan on a low heat.
9. Add 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds, 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1/4 teaspoon sesame, 4 to 5 black pepper, 3 to 4 cloves.
10. Fry them for a minute or till they become aromatic and crispy. Do not brown or burn them.
11. Add 2 long dry red chillies. Give a stir, and switch off the heat. Let the spices cool down.
12. Take a fresh coconut and grate it - 2 to 3 tablespoons.
13. Once the spices are cooled, add grated coconut in a mixer jar.
14. Add 1 teaspoon tamarind.
15. Add fried spices and 2 tablespoons water.
16. Grind to a smooth paste. Cover and keep aside.
Make Huli
17. Once the vegetables are almost cooked, add salt as required. Mix well.
18. Add 1/4 teaspoon jaggery and mix well.
19. Add ground spices mix.
20. Add 1/2 cup water in a mixer or grinder jar. Swirl and shake the jar so that the spice paste at the bottom and sides of the jar gets mixed with the water.
21. Add the spice mixed water from the mixer jar.
22. Mix well and let it boil for about 8 to 10 minutes on medium heat. Stir occasionally.
23. Now switch off the heat. Cover and set aside.
Tempering
24. In a small pan, heat 2 teaspoons oil. Add 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds. Let them crackle.
25. Add 1 generous pinch of asafoetida.
26. Add curry leaves, and fry them for a couple of seconds.
27. Switch off the heat and immediately add this tempering mixture in the hot Huli.
Cover the pan or vessel with a lid for 5 minutes, so that the aroma and flavors from the tempering mixture gets infused with the Huli.
28. Mix well and serve hot with plain rice.
Notes
-
There are varieties in pigeon pea lentils and cook time depends on the variety used. Some get cooked within 10 minutes and some may take more time. Add vegetables only after the lentils are cooked properly.
- Add dry red chillies as per your taste. Some chillies do not add red colour to the Huli (stew) but will be very spicy. So check the spiciness of the chilli before using.
- Most people tend to take out the curry leaves in the food. So add chopped curry leaves so that they get mixed with the food well.
