Majjiga Pulusu with Greens
Majjiga pulusu or majjiga charu is a scrumptious Andhra dish made with buttermilk, spices and veggies. Serve with rice for a delicious meal.
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Ingredients
For Masala Paste & Vada:
- ⅓ cup Chana dal
- ⅓ cup Toor dal
- 1 tablespoon Raw Rice
- 1 tablespoon Coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon Cumin seeds
- 1" Ginger piece, coarsely chopped
- 3 ~ 4 Green Chilies
- 2 tablespoons Grated Coconut, fresh or dry
- To taste Salt
- 1~2 tablespoons Water, plus more to make the spice paste
For Pulusu:
- 1 cup Yogurt*
- ½ cup Water, plus more as needed
- 2 teaspoons Oil, plus more to make vada
- ½ teaspoon Mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 2 Dry red chilies
- 6 Curry leaves
- ⅛ teaspoon Hing
- 3 cups Chopped Spinach (either bachali kura or palakura)
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
Instructions
Make the Spice paste & Vada mixture:
- Soak chana & toor dal and rice for about 30 minutes in warm water. Drain the water. In a blender, combine coriander & cumin seeds, ginger, green chilies and coconut. Blend to form a coarse paste. Add the drained lentils & rice, salt and blend to make a coarse mixture. Add just 1~2 tablespoons water, if needed, while grinding. Remove 1 cup of the mixture into a bowl. To the remaining mixture in the blender, add ½ cup of water and grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.
Make Majjiga Pulusu:
- In a small bowl, whisk yogurt along with the water to make a smooth paste with no lumps.
- Heat oil in a medium size saucepan on medium flame. Add mustard & cumin seeds, dry red chilies and hing. Cook till the seeds splutter, about 1 minute. Add the curry leaves and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chopped greens and turmeric. Cook till they are wilted, about 3~4 minutes.
- Add the ground paste and 1 cup of water. Mix well to avoid any lumps. Bring the mixture to a simmer, lower the heat and cook for 4~5 minutes. Stir in the whisked yogurt and cook just until heated through, about 2~3 minutes. If you think the mixture is too thick, add water to bring to your desired consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Make Vada:
- Heat enough oil in a medium size pan on medium-high heat for deep frying. Test if the oil is hot enough by dropping a bit of batter. If it sizzles and comes up to the surface, it is ready to go. Take about 1 teaspoon of batter and flatten it between your fingers.Gently slide the batter into the hot oil. Fry the vada until golden brown on both sides, about 1~2 minutes per side. Depending on the size of your pan, you can fry multiple vada at a time. Remove fried vada using a slotted spoon onto a paper-towel lined plate. Repeat with the remaining batter.
- Serve vada either on the side or add a few to majjiga pulusu just before serving and enjoy!!
Video
Notes
- Use sour yogurt for the best flavor. Either homemade or store bought yogurt will work. Greek yogurt is naturally tangy and would work well in this recipe.
- Feel free to add other veggies like potato, carrot, okra etc. along with the greens. Or omit the greens and use only veggies.
- You can also make anapakaya majjiga pulusu ~ instead of using bachali kura (or spinach), use chopped bottle gourd in the recipe.
- Add vada in the pulusu just before serving otherwise they will get soggy.
- If you don't want to make vada, then use the following quantities to make the lentil masala paste:
- 1 tablespoon Chana dal
- 1 tablespoon Toor dal
- 1 teaspoon Raw Rice
- 1 teaspoon Coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- ½" Ginger piece, coarsely chopped
- 1~2 Green Chilies
- 2 teaspoons Grated Coconut, fresh or dry
- You can make the lentil mixture 1 day in advance. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Store leftover majjiga charu in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 208kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 117mg | Potassium: 202mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1544IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 2mg
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