Traditional Kerala Recipe that uses minimal ingredients with maximum flavors - Cherupayar Curry or Sprouted Green Gram Curry. Vegan Curry Recipe for Breakfast and Main Course.
Today's recipe is one of my favourite from Kerala cuisine called Cherupayar Curry or Green Gram Curry (Green Moong). A very simple No Onion No Garlic Coconut based Curry that serves as a great side dish option for chapati, rice and breakfast too.
A protein rich recipe that is easy to make, is not heavy on spices and is quite filling too. This recipe can be done under 30 minutes and ideal menu option for busy weekdays. The Recipe is also Gluten Free and Vegan.
Cherupayar is green moong or mung beans also called green payar. One of the most popular legume variety that is stocked in most Indian homes.
At our home, Cherupayar is quite frequently soaked and sprouted. Pretty much a weekly ritual. We love sprouts as our early dinner either in the form of Sundal or a cheela.
Some recipes using Cherupayar
- Sprouts Salad - Easy Indian Salad recipe
- Green Mung Beans Onion Uttapam - No Rice Uttapam Recipe for breakfast
- Green Gram Sundal - South Indian Stir Fried legumes served as prasad during navratri. Makes a wholesome snack.
This Green Gram curry is an excellent side dish for Puttu, Kerala's favourite and popular breakfast. Usually this curry is served with puttu and papadam. Don't forget to serve a banana! Most Kerala breakfasts end with the consumption of a small banana.
In fact, there is an onion tomato version of this recipe too, in similar lines with Kadala curry and it contains cooked lentils. I honestly prefer this version of the recipe though.
I love simple recipes such as this curry. Firstly it doesn't call for a ton of ingredients and there is hardly any chopping involved. Secondly, they can be made with an almost empty refrigerator too.
This curry is a perfect fit for those times when you run out of onions, tomatoes, garlic, ginger or even coriander leaves. Heck - It doesn't even need spice powders.
Coconut is mostly available in a South Indian home and if you are like me who always stocks some grated coconut in the freezer, then this thenga aracha cherupayar curry is something you will always find reasons to make - because its pretty darn simple!
This recipe uses oil only for tempering. I prefer using Coconut oil, like it is traditionally done in Kerala. You can use vegetable oil too.
The recipe doesn't necessarily call for sprouting the green gram. Since it was readily available in the refrigerator, I have used the sprouted mung beans.
Now that you know how easy and simple this curry sounds, let's take a look at the cooking process below.
Step by Step Cherupayar Curry Recipe
Pressure cook the Cherupayar or green gram with salt to taste along with 1/2 cup of water.
Pressure cooked sprouted moong or green gram.
Once pressure cooked, mash the green gram with the back of your spoon (do it when its hot and just removed from the pressure cooker).
In a mixer grinder jar, add grated coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds or jeera. Grind it without using any water.
Heat a kadhai, add the cooked green gram along with the coconut-chilli-cumin mixture. Add turmeric powder and mix well.
Add some water to adjust consistency. Allow it to simmer on low flame for couple of minutes. Check for salt and add extra if required.
Add the tempering once the curry is ready and serve piping hot with rice, chapati or breakfast dishes like dosa, puttu etc.
Recipe Notes
- Mash the mung beans or cherupayar with the back of the spoon after its cooked. It adds natural thickness to the curry.
- Using coconut oil is not mandatory. You can use vegetable oil too.
Kerala Cherupayar Curry / Sprouted Green Gram Curry
Ingredients
- 2 cups Sprouted Green Moong or Cherupayar 1 cup is 250 ml measurement
- 1 cup Grated Coconut
- 2 tsp Jeera or Cumin Seeds
- 3-4 nos Green Chillies
- 1/2 cup Water for cooking (Add extra if required to adjust gravy consistency)
- Salt to taste
- FOR TEMPERING
- 1 tsp Coconut Oil
- 1-2 nos. Whole Red Chillies
- 1/4 tsp Urad Dal
- Curry leaves as required
Instructions
- Pressure cook the Cherupayar or green gram with salt to taste along with 1/2 cup of water.
- Once pressure cooked, mash the green gram with the back of your spoon (do it when its hot and just removed from the pressure cooker).
- In a mixer grinder jar, add grated coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds or jeera. Grind it without using any water.
- Heat a kadhai, add the cooked green gram along with the coconut-chilli-cumin mixture. Add turmeric powder and mix well.
- Add some water to adjust consistency. Allow it to simmer on low flame for couple of minutes. Check for salt and add extra if required.
- Switch off the flame and prepare for tempering.
- In a tempering pan, heat coconut oil, add mustard seeds, whole red chillies and curry leaves. Once mustard crackles, pour the tempering over the curry, mix well and serve as main course or side dish for breakfast.
Notes
- Mash the mung beans or cherupayar with the back of the spoon after its cooked. It adds natural thickness to the curry.
- Using coconut oil is not mandatory. You can use vegetable oil too.
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Vidya Narayan
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