A Traditional Thanjavur-Style Paruppusili
Paruppusili is a crumbly beans-and-lentil dumpling that is beloved across the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Paruppu usili (or paruppusili, in a single breath), is a vegan lentil and vegetable dish, deeply beloved in Tamil Nadu. Paruppu is the Tamil word for lentil, and usili roughly translates to crumble. Those with ancestry in the Cauvery delta of the Kumbakonam-Thanjavur belt, serve this dish in combination with mor kuzhambu, a spiced yoghurt curry. The soft, spicy, fragrant lentil crumble paired with steamed cluster beans or banana blossoms, marries perfectly with the tart yoghurt curry chock full of juicy chunks of ash gourd, or fried lady's finger. And no Tamil Brahmin wedding feast is complete without paruppusili, typically served as second course, right after arachivitta kadamba sambar — urulai roast.
In our family, paruppusili is traditionally cooked every Saturday in the month of Purattasi (mid-September to mid-October), on a table laid with ellu saadham (roasted sesame seeds pounded with fried urad dal and red chillies), folded in with hot rice and gingelly oil, and of course, mor kuzhambu. On holidays, the children of the house, seated around an adult, are fed small mouthfuls of rice and ghee with paruppusili — kaai saadham, relished with much gusto!
While paruppusili is a favourite with the Tamil Brahmin community, it is not exclusive to Tamil Nadu. In Udupi and the surrounding regions of Karnataka, another version of paruppusili is popular, called matvadi palya. The Kannadigas of the Mysore-Bangalore belt also make a similar dish, called nuchinunde. And in some parts of Andhra, a dish called patoli mirrors the paruppusili in many ways. All these dishes make use of similar ingredients in slightly different proportions, and slight variations in aromatics and condiments.
Traditionally, paruppusili is made in a heavy-bottomed brass or cast-iron vessel called a VaaNali (similar to a kadai). The course-ground lentil mixture is added to copious amounts of coconut oil (or gingelly oil) along with a drizzle of water and left to cook, covered, until a beautiful crisp crust is formed at the bottom. It is then mixed with a steamed vegetable, and tempered with mustard seeds, and curry leaves, and freshly grated coconut.
Over time, the recipe has been modified to accommodate for changing lifestyles, so the dish is steamed instead of fried. Some households make the usili with a combination of chana dal and tur dal; chana dal brings a crunch to the dish, and tur dal softens it. Proportions can be varied without compromising on flavour. This is the recipe for paruppusili, the way it is made in our home, using only tur dal. The older folks and young children in our family like their paruppusili soft and palatable.
RECIPE FOR TAMIL-STYLE PARUPPUSILI
Ingredients
For the Usili
3/4 cup tur dal (can be substituted with equal proportions of chana dal and tur dal for a dish with more bite)
1/2 cup grated coconut
1 red chilli
2 green chillies
Asafoetida, a generous pinch
Salt, to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp coconut oil
For the vegetable
2 cup French beans, ends trimmed, chopped fine
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp coconut oil
For the tempering
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 sprigs curry leaves
Asafoetida, a generous pinch
1/2 cup coconut, freshly grated
Method
Soak the dal(s) along with one red chilli, together for 2 hours. Grind to a fairly coarse paste, along with both the green chillies, salt, asafoetida, turmeric powder and half of the grated coconut, adding just enough water to make a smooth paste. Be careful not to add too much water.
Grease a steamer plate with coconut oil and pour in the batter. Steam for about 20 minutes. Turn off the flame, let it rest for 10 minutes and then move the steamed dumplings to a plate. Allow to cool.
In the meanwhile, in a 2 litre pressure cooker, pour 1/2 a cup of water and 1 tbsp of coconut oil. Add 1/4 tsp salt and let it come to a boil. Add the chopped beans. Allow to cook for exactly two whistles. Release pressure immediately when done, with a spoon, so as not to overcook the beans. (Alternately, steam-cook the beans in a regular pan, until soft). Set aside to cool.
Grease your fingers and crumble the cooled dal dumplings by hand. Another way to do this, is to grind the cooked and cooled dumplings in a blender, for just 3-4 seconds, along with 2 tbsp coconut oil. This will ensure it crumbles evenly. The oil is essential while grinding, to ensure the dumplings don't become a paste.
In a heavy-bottomed wok, add 2 tbsp coconut oil, and when it begins to smoke, lower the flame and add mustard seeds. When they sputter, add in the asafoetida and curry leaves. Then add the beans and sauté briefly. Add the dal crumble and the grated coconut, and mix well. Switch off the flame. Serve hot along, with mor kuzhambu or rasam-saadham and ulundhu appalam. Enjoy!
Variations
Paruppusili can be made with cluster beans, banana blossoms, beetroot, cabbage, carrot, broad beans, spinach, fenugreek leaves, amaranth leaves, colocasia leaves, long beans, capsicum and most hard vegetables. The steaming time for each will vary (especially for leafy vegetables).
Gourds and starchy root vegetables like potatoes, colocasia, sweet potatoes, yam will not work here.
Gourmet vegetables like brussels sprouts, asparagus, purple cabbage make for an unconventional but great option to use in paruppusili.
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