Kala Vatana Usal also known as Kala Vatana Sambar is a traditional Malvani black peas This tasty curry is made with dried black peas, coconut, onions, tomatoes and a lot of spices.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 30 minutes
  • Cook time: 30 minutes
  • Total time: 540 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Indian, Konkani & Malvani

Ingredients

  • 1 cup black peas ((kala vatana))
  • 2 cups water (or as required)
  • ½ teaspoon salt (or as required)
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • ⅓ cup thinly sliced onions
  • 5 to 6 garlic cloves (- small to medium-sized, peeled and roughly chopped)
  • 1 inch ginger (peeled and roughly chopped)
  • 1 cup fresh grated coconut (or ½ cup fresh coconut + ¼ cup desiccated coconut)
  • 1 to 2 dry red chillies (- the malvani masala i used does not have red chillies it, hence I have added these)
  • ⅓ to ½ cup water (- for grinding coconut masala)
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • ⅓ cup chopped onions
  • 1 tomato (small-sized, optional)
  • 1 to 1.5 tablespoons malvani masala
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ½ teaspoon red chilli powder (- optional)
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder (- optional)
  • 1 to 1.5 cups water (or add as required)
  • salt (as required)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves (- for garnish)

Method

  1. Start the previous night before. Pick and clean the black peas. Wash the peas in running water for 3 to 4 times.
  2. Soak the peas in water for 8 to 10 hours. You could also use sprouted black peas.
  3. The next day, discard the water from the soaked peas. Rinse the peas a few times with fresh water.
  4. Boil the black peas with ½ teaspoon salt and 2 cups water in a 3-litre pressure cooker for 10 to 12 mins till they are completely cooked and tender.
  5. The peas should get softened well. Drain the cooked peas in a strainer and set aside.
  6. Now on a small frying pan or tawa heat up 1 tablespoon of oil. Add ⅓ cup of thin onion slices and sauté stirring often till they become light golden.
  7. Add in the chopped garlic and ginger and sauté for a few seconds.
  8. Add the coconut. Mix well and roast for a minute.
  9. Next add the dry red chillies. Remove the seeds if you prefer from the chillies. Mix again.
  10. Roast the entire masala till the coconut turns golden. Roast on a low heat and keep on stirring often so that the masala does not stick to the pan or get burnt.
  11. Set the pan aside and let the masala cool. In a grinder transfer the roasted masala ingredients.
  12. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the boiled black peas to it together with ⅓ to ½ cup of water.
  13. Grind to a smooth and fine paste. Add more water if needed.
  14. In another deep bottomed pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Sauté ⅓ cup of chopped onions till they soften.
  15. Add turmeric powder and malvani masala.
  16. Add the ground masala paste. Now you can add the tomatoes also. You don’t have to sauté the masala paste for a long time as we have already done that earlier when the masala ingredients were sautéed. Mix everything well and sauté the entire masala for 2 minutes on a low heat. The masala splutters so keep on stirring it.
  17. Add 1 to 1.5 cups of water depending on the consistency you want in the curry.
  18. Bring to a rolling boil the first time and then lower the flame and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Take care that the usal does not spill while boiling. Make it as per your choice of consistency. If you like more gravy, add some more water.
  19. Add salt and check the seasonings. Once the curry is cooked well, you will see specks of oil floating on top of the gravy.When done add the chopped coriander leaves.
  20. Serve Kala Vatana Usal hot with Malvani Vade, rice puri or wheat poori. You could also serve Kala Vatana Sambar with plain steamed rice.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.