Alasande Kalu Palak Soppina Huli | Spinach and Black eyed peas Sambar | Legumes Curry : Without coconut

When I posted the ragi mudde recipe, some of you asked for another classic huli/sambar recipe that goes very well with the mudde. That is the kaalin huli or soppu kaalin huli (legumes curry!). So, thought of posting the recipe ASAP.

Update: Do you remember that we decided to eat healthy? Here is an update on it. I did not reduce much.., may be because I was not into junk foods any way. But, my better half reduced 16 pounds just by eating healthy!!! He did not even exercise. He is very happy about it & wants to continue for couple of more months :)

Back to the recipe.

Preparation Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time: 40 mins
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
Black eyed peas: 3/4 cup
Mixed beans: 1 tbsp, optional (refer notes)
Spinach leaves: About 4 cups, finely chopped
Toor dal/Pigeon peas: a fistful
Sambar powder: 2 tsp, refer notes
Menthyada hittu/Mixed lentils powder: 1 tsp, refer notes
Thick Tamarind Extract: 2 tsp
Turmeric powder: 2 big pinches, divided use
Salt: As needed
Curry leaves: 2-3 nos, torn

For tempering:
Oil: 1 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves: 2-3 nos, torn

Method:
Soak the mixed beans & black eyed beans in enough water overnight or for a minimum of 6 hours.

Drain & rinse the beans in running water. Add the toor dal, beans & turmeric powder to a pressure cooker. Add about 3 cups or more of water to the beans & pressure cook the beans for 4-5 whistles. If cooking in a stock pot, boil till the toor dal is over cooked & mushy, while the beans are cooked & soft.
Allow the pressure cooker to release the steam.
Meanwhile, add the finely chopped spinach & little water to a medium sized sauce pan.Add turmeric to the spinach & cook the spinach until it is soft. Spinach gets cooked very fast, say about 5 mins.

Add the salt, tamarind extract & boil again for couple of more minutes.
Add the sambar powder, lentils powder & mix well.

Drain the excess water from the cooked beans (if any). Do not add more water to cook the beans, add about 1 inch of water to the pressure cooker. That way you are retaining the nutrition & not discarding the boiled water.
Pour in the cooked beans + lentils to the spinach mixture. Throw in the torn curry leaves.
Boil it on a medium heat for 15 mins. Boiling in medium heat would allow the beans to absorb the salt, spice & sourness from the gravy.

Once the sambar has boiled enough, remove it from the heat & keep it covered.
Prepare the tempering. In a small pan, add the oil. When oil is hot, throw in the mustard seeds. When seeds splatter, turn off the heat & add the curry leaves. When leaves wilt, pour the tempering over the sambar prepared. Cover the sambar immediately. This will ensure the aroma of the tempering is held inside the sambar & enhances the taste of the sambar.

Notes:

• Add the mixed beans to this sambar is optional. I had this 15 bean soup mixture at home & hence used it a little. 
• You could use any store bought sambar powder to make this sambar. 
• The lentils powder or the menthyada hittu is used to make the sambar thicker. If you do not have this lentils powder, you could use 2 tsp of hurigadale pudi (putani powder or roasted channa dal powder) to make the sambar thick.
• Other greens like amaranth leaves, harive soppu, fenugreek leaves could be used to make this sambar.