Horsegram curry (Kulitha Saru) with coconut

This horsegram curry (Kulitha Saru) is prepared by using kulitha kattu/hurli kattu, Mangalore cucumber(magge) and coconut. Coconut gives thickness to the gravy. This curry has a very strong aroma of garlic which gives a great taste.

We can even call this curry horse gram, Mangalore cucumber curry with garlic seasoning (Kulta Magge Kodel). This is almost similar to the traditional Horse Gram, Mangalore Cucumber And Drumstick Curry With Garlic Seasoning (Kulta Magge Kodel). 

My mom used the leftover kulitha khadi/saru from the previous day to prepare this curry and I hated this curry with mangalore cucumber. Now I absolutely love this curry as I use my MIL's secret ingredients to make this curry flavourful and spicy and yummy.  People generally prepare a simple coconut masala to prepare this curry but my MIL's secret ingredients - garlic, tomato, coriander seeds add loads of taste and flavour to the curry.

If your using kulitha khadi/saru (the leftover), kulitha kattu then cook mangalore cucumber with salt. Drain the water, add the cooked mangalore cucumber, salt, masala (see below) to the kulitha saru/ kulitha kattu and bring to boil. Add water according to your requirement. 

Here's the recipe for the curry from the scratch. (Without using kulitha kattu or leftover kulitha saru.)

Ingredients:

1 cup horse gram
1 small mangalore cucumber
20 garlic cloves
1 medium sized tomato
1 table spoon tamarind
3/4 cup grated coconut
1 tea spoon coriander seeds
5-6 dried red chillies 
2 table spoons of oil
Salt to taste

Serves: 3-4

Preparation Method:

Cooking the horse gram and mangalore cucumber:

Wash and cook horse gram with enough water in pressure cooker till it is completely cooked. Cooking horsegram normally takes a very long time compared to any other pulses/grams. About 15 minutes on low flame in a pressure cooker.

Peel, chop mangalore cucumber into dices. Be careful to remove completely the part of cucumber to which the seeds attach. It can make the curry bitter. 

Cook the magge with enough water and salt until almost done. 

Drain the water into a vessel and keep them aside.

Preparing the masala:

Fry dried red chillies and corainder seeds on medium flame.

If you like your chillies with seeds removed then deseed them by breaking them into pieces and tapping out their seeds. If your ok with the seeds in then fry the whole red chillies. 

I usually dry roast the red chillies. My mom adds few drops of oil to aid the process. So both ways work fine.

Fry until you start getting the aroma of the red chillies or until the coriander seeds start popping, whichever happens first. Put off flame and set aside to cool.

Once the chillies and coriander seeds are cooled, grind them with coconut, 8 peeled garlic, roughly chopped tomato, grated coconut, tamarind, salt into a very smooth paste by adding sufficient water. 

Preparing the curry:

Transfer the cooked horse gram, its stock, cooked mangalore cucumber and the ground masala into a cooking vessel. 

The consistency of this curry/gravy is in between a saru and a randayi, ie, medium thin. 

So add the water used to cook magge and which was kept aside and mix.

Add salt if required and bring to boil.

Once the curry has stopped frothing, simmer for a minute or two and remove off heat.

Season the curry with remaining garlic. Peel, slit or cut garlic so that they don't spurt out and fry them in oil till they start to brown in a tadka pan. Add the seasoning to the curry and mix.

Serve hot with rice.

Find more Konkani cuisine curry recipes here. 

Tags: Magge, Horsegram, Kulith, Kulitha randayi, Curry, Lunch, dinner, Mangalore cucumber, Konkani recipe, Konkani dish, Konkani cuisine, Udupi cuisine, Mangalore food, Konkani food.