HorseGram curry - Muthira Kootan / Muthira Eriserri

Horse Gram, is one of the healthier legumes normally recommended as part of a iron rich diet. Today's gravy can be made in three ways - without coconut in the sauce base, using roasted coconut as the sauce base or without roasting the coconut. Each method has it own deliciously distinctive taste.

Below I will list all the ingredients specifying modifications to the recipe on the way.

(Muthira Kootan -Without Coconut)

Ingredients:
Muthira / horsegram - 1 cup
Pearl Onion - 4 sliced
Green Chilli - 2 Sliced
ginger - 1 " piece
Red chilli - 1/2 tsp
turmeric powder - 2 pinchCurry leaves - a few
Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
Jeerakam / Cumin Seeds -1 /2 tsp
Peal onion - 1 chopped
salt to taste
coconut oil - 1/2 tsp

In a pressure cooker dry roast muthira for 6 to 8 minutes on medium heat. Add about 2 cups of water or enough water to cover the dal and pressure cook it upto 4 whistles.Turn off the heat and let the steam release. Once you can safely open the pressure cooker, turn on the heat add salt, green chilli, turmeric powder,red chili powder, once the water starts reaches a rolling boil and you can no longer smell raw chili powder,take down the heat to a very low.At this point you can decide how you would like the gravy to be. If you want to exclude the coconut then don't add the coconut and the cumin seeds and let the gravy boil for another 5 minutes until the water reduces to a thicker consistency. If you decide you want to add coconut then you can either

1. Blend grated coconut, cumin seeds and 1 chopped pearl onion into a thick paste with very little and pour over the gravy. Take off heat as soon as the gravy starts to boil again.
OR

2. Dry roast the coconut, chopped pearl onion and cumin seeds, until coconut is a golden to dark brown (make sure not to burn the coconut!)and then grind in the blender with minimum water. Add the mixture to the gravy. Remove from heat as soon as the gravy begins to boil again.

Once the gravy has turned to a boil the second time according to the method your chose from above, take it off the heat and move the gravy to a serving dish. Then, in a saute pan heat the coconut oil. Once the Oil is hot add the sliced onions and let it tenderize in the heat. Then add the curry leaves. Remove from heat and pour this mixture over your gravy.

(Muthira Eriserri - With unroasted coconut)