2 April, 2019

Split green gram dal/hesarubele tovve

An authentic brahmin style lentil recipe/ಹೆಸರುಬೇಳೆ ಸೌತೇಕಾಯಿ ತೊವ್ವೆ/ಹೆಸರುಬೇಳೆ ತೊವ್ವೆ

One of the authentic recipe which has not changed over years in the way how it is made and you can not find it in any restaurant or hotels or anywhere except our homes and we relish this dish along with chapati (triangular) or white rice with the same old excitement and happiness, though we are eating this dish since our birth.

This is one of the most important dish made necessarily during summer to go with either steamed rice or triangular chapati. So today I’m here to share the recipe for this special dish – tovve. The kannada word ‘tovve‘ translates to ‘dal‘ and this is prepared using only yellow dal/moong dal/split green gram lentil/hesarubele.

Originally this tovve is mainly prepared using ridge gourd or cucumber. No other vegetables were used earlier. But now a days people make it using tomato, fenugreek leaves, yellow pumpkin, Rajgira leaves, carrot etc as well or they use tomato along with ridge gourd or cucumber. This can be made like thin or thick gravy, actually we make it thick when we make it to go with chapati and thin while using it with rice.

I always make this in an open vessel, but you can pressure cook the dal/lentil/bele and then you can add in the vegetable and further proceed with the recipe procedure steps

Ingredients : measuring cup used – 250 ml, servings – 6 to 8

Split green gram/hesarubele/moong dal – 3/4 cup
Water – 6 cups
Cucumber or ridge gourd (diced) – 1 to 1&1/2 cups (today I made it using cucumber)
Lemon juice – 1 tbsp (adjust)
Salt to taste (I have added 1 heaped tbsp)

For tempering :

Ghee – 1/2 tbsp
Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Green chili – 1/2 tbsp
Curry leaves – 1 string
Turmeric powder – 3/4 tsp
Hing – 1/8 tsp
Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp
Ginger – 1 tsp
Grated fresh coconut – 3 tbsp

PROCEDURE :

Boil 4 cups of water in a vessel/container, add in rinsed split green gram/hesarubele/moong dal and allow it to cook and when it is almost cooked then add in diced cucumber or ridge gourd, cook further for 5 to 6 minutes by adding salt and remaining two cups of water, then turn the heat to low and cover with a lid (leave some space, do not cover it fully)

On the other hand heat the ghee and add in all the ingredients listed below the heading ‘for tempering’ except coconut and pour it on the prepared tovve and also add in coconut increase the heat, boil further for a minute and remove from the heat

Add in lemon juice and mix well, tovve is ready to be served. The thali consists of cucumber tovve, Cucumber peel chutney, shunti/ginger tambuli and chickpeas salad