28 March, 2019

COWPEAS/LOBIA/ALASANDE KALU SWEET USLI/SALAD

Cowpeas/black eyed peas or lobia or alasande kalu (as called in Kannada), has numerous health benefits and nutritional facts. It is rich in fibre and protein. We, in south India make both sweet and spicy salad using this healthy peas. When we make any salad, whether sweet or spicy, we make use of the water/stock in which the peas being cooked to make saaru/rasam. And this combination ie saaru along with salad is very much liked by almost everyone there. I have posted cowpeas/alasande kalu kootu , cowpeas/alasande kalu holige/pooran poli & brunch platter , here on my blog so please do check the recipe.

Ingredients : measuring cup used – 250 ml, serves – 4 to 5 people

Cowpeas/lobia/alasande kalu – 1/2 cup
Water – 2 cups
Jaggery power – little less than 1/2 cup
Water – 2 to 3 tbsp (to dissolve the jaggery)
Ghee – 1 tsp
Grated fresh coconut – 1/3 cup
Cardamom powder – 1/8 tsp

PROCEDURE :

Boil the water in a cooker and add in rinsed cowpeas and cook until 2 whistles (or depending on your cooker), once cooled pass it through the strainer and collect the stock or if you feel like cowpeas are not soft yet, then put it along with the water to the kadai later (below)
Gather jaggery and 3 tbsp of water in a vessel and heat till jaggery dissolves, strain the syrup and keep it aside