Mochai Kurma(dry)/Lima beans kurma in pressure cooker

Mochai kurma - Kurma with dry lima beans. Till marriage i never knew that kurma can be made for the rice. Here, my sister in law used to make mix veg kurma kuzhambu for the rice with ground coconut masala. The kurma is definitely not mild like the ones which we make for chapathis and pulao. My husband likes it very much, so my sister in law used to send this kurma in a thooku(container). After when I started exploring kurmas, I learnt that can be made using curd, milk, spice powders alone, using coconut masala, coconut milk and so on.

Ingredients:

As a pre-preparation soak the dry lima beans in water overnight or for a minimum of 5 hours. Pressure cook the beans. As an alternative cook the beans after seasoning and sauteing the onions.

Season the oil with cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, bay leaf and fennel seeds and curry leaves. Saute the onions. Regular big onions are used for seasoning and shallots are used in the masala. Cold pressed groundnut oil is used. Ghee or any other oil can be used.

Coconut-Tomato Masala:

Saute shallots, green chillies, red chillies, ginger, garlic, and spices like cinnamon, cloves and seeds like fennel seeds, cumin seeds, poppy seeds, coriander seeds, turmeric powder with coconut and tomatoes. Country variety tomatoes suits the best. Grind to a smooth paste. 

Combine cooked beans, ground masala with the sauteed onions. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Suggested Serving: This kurma goes well with rice and rotis. I served it with nadan meal-maker curry.

Substitutions:

Use fresh beans in the place of dry beans. Add the fresh beans with the onions, saute and cook with ground masala for 4 whistles.

If you're interested check out

White kurma(with curd)

Equipments Used: 3 ltr Pressure cooker, fry pan/kadai

Recipe:

Total Time Taken = 30 minutes

No. of servings: 5

1 cup = 240 ml

Ingredients with measurements:

Dry Lima Bans - 1/2  cup

White Crystal salt - to taste

For the Seasoning:

Groundnut oil - 3 or 4 tsp

Onion - 2 (big) or 3 (medium)

Fennel - 1 tsp

Bay leaf - 1

Cinnamon - 1"

Cloves - 2

Cardamom - 3

Curry leaves - a few sprigs.

For the paste:

Ground oil - 2 tsp

Coconut - 1 cup

Shallots - 15

Green chillies - 2

Red chillies - 4

Ginger - 1"

Garlic - 5 cloves

Cinnamon - 1/2"

Cloves - 2

Fennel seeds - 1 tsp

Poppy seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Coriander Seeds - 3 tsp

Turmeric powder -1 /2 tsp

Tomatoes - 3 nos (medium)

Garnish:

Coriander leaves

Directions:

1. Chop the onions. Pressure cook lima beans with salt added for 5/6 whistles. Allow to cool down. Transfer to a bowl

2. Add 3 tsp of oil to the cooker, add the 'seasoning' ingredients one by one. Add chopped onions and saute till brown.

3. Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan/kadai and add cinnamon, cloves, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, when they crackle add shallots, when they turn pink, add ginger, garlic, green chillies, red chillies, turmeric powder and  tomatoes.

4. When tomatoes turns mushy add poppy seeds, coconut, saute for a few minutes. Allow to cool down. Transfer to a blender.

5. Grind to a smooth paste.

6. Add the cooked lima beans along with the water to the sauteed onions in the cooker, add the ground masala, salt, as well. Mix well. Adjust the consistency by adding water(if required only).

7. Pressure cook for 3 whistles. Allow to cool down.

8. Garnish with coriander leaves. 

Note:

Lima beans can also be added to the seasoning after sauteing the onions and cooked. Cook the beans for 4 or 5 whistles, discard excess water, add the ground masala finally, cook for a few minutes and serve.