Method of preparing Huli( ಹುಳಿ) wiith Hulipudi ( ಹುಳಿಪುಡಿ)

Huli with Brinjal,Potato and Ripe french beans seeds

In Karnataka we prepare huli(ಹುಳಿ) and saru(ಸಾರು) regularly. Usual daily menu will be rice and huli or rice, saru and a vegetable dish. If huli prepared no need to prepare another dish with vegetable. So when we are very busy rice and huli is the best menu.

Huli can be prepared with a single vegetable or mixed vegetables. Huli can also prepared with vegetable mixed with Beans (ಕಾಳುಗಳು) .Brinjal and Bengal gram, Amaranth (ದನ್ಟಿನ ಸೊಪ್ಪು) and Bengal gram, Ash gourd and Bengal gram. Chow-chow and black eyed peas (ಅಲಸಂದೆ ಕಾಳು ), Brinjal and Flat beans (ಅವರೇಕಾಳು) are a few well known combinations.

 When we do not have vegetable at home  Menthya bele huli( ಮೆಂತ್ಯಬೇಳೆಹುಳಿ)  can be prepared.It goes very well with Aralu sandige( ಅರಳುಸಂಡಿಗೆ)!.

Huli can be prepared with stored huli pudi or freshly prepared masala.

Huli (ಹುಳಿ) with huli pudi (ಹುಳಿಪುಡಿ)

Ingredients

Tovar dhal(ತೊಗರಿಬೇಳೆ)            1 cup            

Vegetable of Your choice        1/ Kg

Mysore Sarinapudi                   1 tea spoon

Huli pudi                                  3 tea spoons.

Salt                                           3 tea spoons.

Tamarind                                  size of a lemon

Seasoning

Oil                                            3 teaspoons

Mustard seeds                          ½ tea spoon

Byadagi chillies                       2 broken into pieces

Asafoetida                               1 pinch

Curry leaves                            2 sprigs

Method

Take washed   Tovar dhal in a medium size pressure cooker and 4 cups of water and boil. Remove froth that forms with a ladle. Add ¼ tea spoon of turmeric powder and 1 tea spoon of cooking oil and close the lid .When steam comes out of the vent place the weight on the vent and press. As soon as the cooker “whistles”, reduce the flame and cook for just 3 minutes. Allow to cool.

(You can also cook dhal in a separator in a big cooker along with rice. In this method we have to wait for a long time as cooker takes longer time to cool)

Soak tamarind in a cup of hot water.

Wash, peel and cut vegetables .Pieces should be approximately equal in size. Place them in a small pressure cooker with ¼ cup of water add ½ tea spoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of sarina pudi. Mix well and cover the lid.

 Steam comes out of the vent.If you are cooking vegetables which take less time to cook such as Brinjal, cucumber, and snake gourd, cover the vent with a tumbler and reduce the heat and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on a slow flame.

For other vegetables which take more time for cooking, such as French beans cluster beans Knol –kohl, place the weight on the vent reduce the flame and cook for 1 minute and switch off the stove.Do not wait till the cooker whistles. Allow to cool.

By practice you will come to know the exact cooking   time.

 Squeeze and extract tamarind pulp from the soaked tamarind.

Transfer cooked vegetable to the cooker containing  dhal. Add water if needed. Mix Huli pudi with ¼ cup of water and add. Add salt and boil for 2 to 3 minutes stirring in between. Finally add tamarind paste, reduce the flame and boil for few more minutes so that vegetable absorbs salt,sour and spicy taste.

Heat 3 teaspoons of oil in a ladle; add mustard seed Byadagi chillies pieces and asafoetida. When mustard seeds splutter add curry leaves and add to the Huli.

Serve with hot rice. Aralu sandige goes well with Huli.