String, wash and cut French beans into half centimeter sized pieces. Cook beans in salted boiling water for two to three minutes. Drain well and reserve. Remove stems, wash and finely chop green chillies. Remove stems and break red chillies into two. Wash and pat dry curry leaves.
For the paste, wash and soak all the dals for about twenty minutes in double the quantity of water. Remove stems and break red chillies into two. Drain dals and grind to a thick paste with red chillies, asafoetida and salt to taste. Add water if required.
Apply a little oil on a piece of banana leaf according to the size of the steamer or the pressure cooker. Spread dal paste evenly on it and steam in a cooker for fifteen minutes or till cooked. Insert a toothpick or needle into the dal mixture and if it comes out clean then it is cooked.
Turn out cooked dal on a large plate and cool. Crumble cooked dal to a coarse powder with your palm and fingers. If dal is quite dry and solid, then you can blend it briefly in a food processor to crumble.
Heat oil in a shallow pan, temper with mustard seeds, broken red chillies, urad dal and curry leaves.
Stir-fry briefly and add chopped green chillies.
Stir-fry briefly and add crumbled dal mixture. Toss on high heat for two to three minutes. Reduce heat and cook, stirring frequently for five to six minutes or till the beans and dal start sizzling.
Adjust seasoning and serve hot. |
