Matki upkari | Konkani sprouted moth beans recipe

This delicious moth beans recipe is from the Konkani cuisine in India. Since discovering how to make bean sprouts I have been making all kinds of dishes with them - I've been adding them to stir fries and making mixed sprout curries. One recipe which I have been really loving is this makti upkari (from Yogesh's mum!)

Bean sprouts are incredibly healthy, are easy to digest and are packed full of fibre. I have already written up a post on how to make beans sprouts at home - do check it out! I won't go into the details of how to sprout them in this recipe.You can make this recipe with packaged sprouted beans - but they are generally less healthy and they have a increased bitter taste. Making them with home sprouted beans tastes so much better! 

This makti upkari is a perfect side dish to have with rice & dalitoy (also another traditional Konkani recipe), or you can scoop it up with rotis / chapatis. The dish is seasoned with simple spices like turmeric, coriander and chilli powder. Some jaggery and salt help balance out the flavours in this dish. You need the jaggery (or some form of sugar) to take away the slight bitter taste in the beans. If you use home sprouted beans then you won't need so much, but if you use packaged bean sprouts then you might need to use some more. No garlic is added to this dish to overpower the flavours and this dish is not spicy!

Ingredients 
Serves 4

2.5 cups / 450g moth bean sprouts you need 1 cup / 200g dried moth beans to get the required sprouted beans for this recipe

1 large red or white onion finely diced 
Small piece ginger finely chopped 
2 large tomatoes finely diced 
Salt to taste 
Handful fresh coriander leaves chopped 
Small piece whole jaggery or 1/2 tbsp powdered jaggery (you can also use natural cane sugar - just don't use refined sugar)
Vegetable oil as required
Water as required 

You'll need these spices 
1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder 
1 tsp turmeric 
1 tsp coriander powder 
1/2 tsp garam masala 
1 tsp cumin seeds 


Method
Sprouting time - 2-3 days 
Cooking time - 45 mins

• Follow this recipe for sprouting the beans - you will need 2.5 cups / 450g of sprouted moth beans. Once you have sprouted them, give them a gentle rinse and then set them aside. 
  
  
• Add a few tbsp of vegetable oil to a large pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the cumin seeds and saute them until they become fragrant. 
  
  
• Add the chopped ginger and saute for a few minutes until the raw aroma disappears. Next, add the chopped onion and saute until translucent, around 5-7 minutes. 
  
  
• Next, add the chopped tomatoes. Cook them until completely soft and until you see the oil leaving the sides of the mixture. This takes around 10 minutes. 
  
  
• Once the tomatoes are soft, add the remaining spices and saute for a few more minutes until the raw aroma of the spices goes away. Add a little water to prevent it from burning or catching if needed. 
  
  
• Next, add the sprouted moth beans. Mix well to combine and then top up with around 1 cup / 250ml of water. It has to cook well and the water will be absorbed during the cooking process. 
  
  
• Turn the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid. Simmer the moth beans until tender - this takes around 30 minutes. Add water during the cooking process if required. By the end of the cooking, the beans should still hold their shape, but they should be soft as well and not hard. 
  
  
• Season the dish with salt to taste and the jaggery. Mix well so the jaggery dissolves and then garnish with the chopped coriander leaves. 
  
  
• Serve with rotis or alongside a steaming plateful of rice and dal for a well balanced and healthy meal.