Matki Usal, Maharashtrian Sprouted Moth Curry

Looking for a wholesome, filling, and wonderfully healthy breakfast that doesn’t just pack in the nutrients, but also the flavour? Hello, you’ve found the one! Matki usal is a Maharashtrian dry bhaji (curry) made from sprouted moth beans flash-fried with hearty, warming spices.

❓What is Usal?

Usal is an authentic Maharashtrian dish using sprouted pulses, beans, or lentils stir-fried with onions, tomatoes, curry leaves, and spices.

It can be made from sprouted black-eyed beans (chavli), moong beans, moth beans, chickpeas, or peas. Misal pav, the famous street food, is the most famous and widespread variety of usal.

Usal can have a dry, semi-dry, wet consistency, depending on the sprouts used. For example, this matki (moth bean) usal is a dry recipe, whereas misal has a thin gravy.

🌱 How to Sprout Moth Beans

Although there are several ways to sprout moth beans, I have a clear favourite. A lovely Marathi woman taught me this traditional method. It’s an easy, foolproof process.

Firstly, you must soak your moth beans overnight in plenty of water. The next morning, rinse the moth beans and drain. Next, tie the beans tightly in a cheesecloth or cotton wrap. Place them in a covered container and leave for 2-3 days.

There’s usually no need to untie and check on the sprouts daily. Sometimes, I sprinkle the cloth with just a little water.

How long does it take to sprout moth beans? Unfortunately, there’s no easy answer; it varies. In summer heat, the sprouting process will only take two to three days — in winter, expect it to take around four to five days.

Note that we’re not trying to achieve Chinese-style beansprouts. For usal, misal pav, and sprouts chaat, you only want the sprouts around 1-inch in length.

🥘 Ingredients for Matki Usal

Prepare to raid your spice cupboard — matki usal doesn’t require too many ingredients, but you’ll need a few mainstays of Indian cooking — essential spices, plus a few special components! If you need to buy anything, your local Asian market will cover all these.

Let’s dive into what each ingredient brings to the table:

• Sprouted moth beans (matki) are the highlight of this matki usal recipe. They’re nutty, earthy, and packed with oh-so-many nutrients.
• Oil is a flavour carrier! We’ll bloom the spices in the oil, allowing their aromas to flavour the rest of our food.
• Spices such as mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida (hing), coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, and a touch of goda masala to finish each bring layers of depth and complexity. Plus salt to taste, of course!
• Curry leaves add a note of indescribable citrusy herbiness to the matki usal. Don’t skip or substitute!
• Green chilli provides a sharp, fruity spiciness. Use Indian jwala chillis or finger chillis.
• Onion is mild, lending a gentle sweetness to the matki usal. We also use some raw onions to garnish the dish, which adds more punchiness.
• Ginger garlic paste mellows the dish with a butteriness while adding warmth and peppery spice. I always use homemade ginger garlic paste mixed with fresh coriander (that’s what makes it green!).
• Tomatoes are tangy and sweet. They melt down to create a beautiful coating for the moth bean usal. Always use fresh, good-quality tomatoes for the best flavour.
• Lemon juice helps to subdue the heat from chillis (this matki usal is SPICY!) but also adds a twang of acidity.
• Fresh coriander (cilantro in the U.S.) adds a pop of bright freshness and builds on that lemony, citrus flavour we have going on.
• Mixture or namkeen is a beloved topping for matki usal. It adds a crunchy texture, really enhancing the overall dish. The mixture usually has pieces of sev, roasted lentils, dried and fried peas, and sometimes nuts (choose one without if you have a nut allergy).

🔄 Subs and Allergies

Amazingly, matki usal is 100% vegan, soy free, nut free, and gluten free! That means it’s one of the absolute BEST breakfasts you can serve to friends and family for breakfast, as it avoids most of the major allergies.

There are just two ingredients you should be careful of: The mixture, which may have nuts (peanuts are a common addition) and asafoetida, which can be mixed with gluten. Luckily, finding pure asafoetida is easy on Amazon.

Furthermore, you can substitute moth beans for sprouted moong beans. There will be a slight difference in flavour, but if I don’t have moth beans to hand I often use moong — or a mix of both, like in my famous misal pav.

Sometimes, I also choose to cut down on the spiciness by completely omitting the red chilli powder and skipping the ginger garlic paste. This makes the matki usal recipe more homely with simpler flavours, which is occasionally what I crave for early morning breakfasts.

Don’t try to substitute fresh curry leaves with dried ones. Dried curry leaves lack any flavour; it’s best to buy them fresh from your local store — Amazon also sells curry leaves if you’re remote — or skip them entirely.

🧑‍🍳 How to Make Matki Usal

So, fair warning — matki usal does need some foresight in preparation. You’ll need to sprout the moth beans a few days before you start cooking, but, once you start cooking, you’ll only need around 30 minutes before the matki usal is on your plate and you’re tucking in.

1. Begin by tempering the whole spices (mustard and cumin seeds) in hot oil. Then add the curry leaves, green chillis, and hing.
2. Fry off the onions until they soften, then add the ginger garlic paste and tomatoes. Season with the dried spices and mix well, cooking until the tomatoes soften.
3. Add the sprouted moth beans and cook for a few minutes.
4. Finish the matki usal with freshly chopped coriander, goda masala, and lemon juice. Mix well then serve with mixture.

🍽️ How to Eat + Serve Sprouted Moth Bean Curry

I love to eat matki usal for breakfast — in which case, I keep things incredibly straightforward. Just garnish the sprouted moth bean curry with fresh coriander, sprinkle it with a crunchy mixture, and then dig in with a spoon (or your hand).

However, if you’re making matki usal for lunch, you might want something more filling on the side. Pav — soft and fluffy Indian bread rolls — are ideal here, as is coriander naan, although you can use whatever bread you have on hand … roti/chapati, pita … anything goes.

Make a feast out of it by serving matki usal alongside other Maharashtrian classic dishes, like flower batata rassa, varan bhaat, kothimbir vadi, and kurdai.

✨ This Recipe Is:

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