Broccoli Rajma Poriyal

I know that sounds like a weird, unusual combination but it definitely results in a very tasty dish. We first tasted this when we ordered the meals at the Saravana Bhavan in NJ and I was intrigued and pleasantly surprised by how good this dish tasted. Simple masalas but very tasty. My attempt at re-creating it at home was a success and I just went based on what I thought must've gone into the dish. I use canned rajma since it's ready and available but you could just soak and pressure cook some at home (with a bit of salt) and use that too. It shouldn't be too mushy though.

BROCCOLI RAJMA (KIDNEY BEANS) PORIYAL


Ingredients:
Broccoli - 1 medium head, cut into small florets (about 2 heaped cups)
Rajma (Dark red kidney beans) - 1 can (15 oz) drained & rinsed well
Onion - 1/3 of a medium onion, cut into half inch slices
Tomato - half, chopped
Sambar powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Coconut - 1 to 2 tbsp, shredded
Cumin seeds - half tsp

Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - half tsp

Urad dhal - half tsp
Curry leaves - few
Asafoetida - a pinch

Method:
1) Heat the oil in a pan and season with mustard seeds, urad dhal, asafoetida & curry leaves. Toss in the onions and fry them till transparent.

2) Next the broccoli florets go in and get sauteed for a few minutes. Meanwhile, drain and rinse the can of kidney beans completely.

3) Add the tomato to the broccoli and after a quick stir, sprinkle salt, turmeric powder & sambar powder followed by the rajma (ensure there's no liquid). Cover and allow to cook on medium flame or low-medium, stirring every couple of minutes so it doesn't stick to the bottom. I didn't add any water since the broccoli & tomatoes generated enough but if you feel that it's very dry, then by all means, sprinkle a few drops.

4) Meanwhile coarsely pound together the coconut and cumin seeds (I used a mortar and pestle) but a a mixie would work too. If you are not upto grinding then just sprinkle them directly on the curry.

5) When the broccoli is tender enough (to your liking and preference - a little bite is preferable so it doesn't become too mushy) and the masala has been absorbed, sprinkle the coconut-cumin mixture, switch off the stove and cover for a few minutes, before transferring to a serving dish.