Growing up, I would come home from swimming classes on Sundays to a breakfast for champions – Val Dal and rice flour rotis. The Kolis love val or field beans, even though it gets a bad rap for inducing excessive flatulence and must be cooked thoroughly. They have it in various forms – sprouted, with skin or without skin. In this recipe, apart from the val, it is the Koli masala that is the star.

  • Serves

    2

  • Cook Time

    01h 30m

Ingredients

  • Val dal (field beans), soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
  • 2 onions, sliced
  • 2 green chillies
  • 2 tsp oil
  • 1 tsp Koli masala
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • Salt to taste
  • Coriander, chopped for garnish

Preparation

  1. Heat oil on a tava. Toss in the onions and fry until pink and translucent.
  2. Add the powdered spices.
  3. Add the soaked dal, and pour enough water to just cover the dal. Place a lid on the tava and cook for 25-30 minutes. Should it dry up, add a little water occasionally.
  4. The dal is ready when it crumbles when pressed between the fingers. Do not stir too much. The dal should remain al dente.
  5. Garnish with green chillies or chopped coriander.

Note: You could replace Koli masala with a mixture of garam masala and red chilli powder in a 1:1 ratio.

Anjali Koli

Anjali Koli

Anjali Koli left her IT job to follow her food dream. She is happiest when cooking Koli food, the food of her ancestors, and serving it to people who are surprised at its simplicity yet soul-satisfying capacity. She retails masalas and traditional kitchen tools across Maharashtra from her e-shop [Annaparabrahma](https://www.annaparabrahma.com/).

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