Matki Usal Recipe (With Sprouted Matki) - Spice Up The Curry (2024)

Published: Jun 29, 2023 · Last Modified: Jun 29, 2023 by Kanan Patel / 14 Comments

This Maharashtrian-style matki usal is a protein-packed, healthy, and delicious curry made with sprouted matki (moth beans), potato, onion, and a few spices. In the marathi language, it is called ‘matki chi usal'.

❤️ You’ll Love This Matki Usal Recipe

Healthy and nutritious: Sprouting matki is a great way to increase the nutrient content of this already-healthy legume. So one should include this matki usal in their diet.

Make it a meal: It goes well with roti, paratha. Or serve it as a side with your dal-rice or kadhi chawal.

Easy to make (with pre-plan): You’ll need to plan ahead and sprout the beans a day or two before. Once sprouts are ready then making matki usal recipe is super easy and gets ready in just 30 minutes.

🧾 Ingredient Notes

• Matki (moth beans): These dry beans are easily available in any Indian grocery store.
• Potato: It is optional, but I like to add a small potato to my matki chi usal recipe. I prefer to use red skin potato or Yukon gold potato.
• Curry leaves: It adds a nice aroma and flavor to the dish.
• Hing: It aids in easy digestion.
• Onion: For Indian cooking, I prefer to use red onion.
• Ginger, Garlic: You can use readymade ginger garlic paste. Or simply crush a piece of ginger and a few cloves of garlic together in a mortar and pestle or small grinder.
• Red chili powder: It adds a spicy taste to the usal. Adjust as per your liking spice level. The given amount makes medium spicy matki usal.
• Goda masala: It adds a unique flavor, you can make it at home or use store-bought. In the absence of it, you can use regular garam masala but sure you’ll miss the flavor.
• Lemon or Lime juice: It perks up the flavor of the dish, so it is a must.

👩‍🍳 How To Make Sprouted Matki? (Pics)

1. Take matki beans in a bowl and rinse with water 2-3 times by massaging the beans lightly. Rinse until the water is not cloudy anymore.
2. Soak in enough water (2-3 inches above the beans) for at least 8 hours or overnight.
3. Drain the soaking water and take matki beans in a damp cotton cloth (handkerchief) or a muslin cloth.
4. Tie the cloth and keep it upside down in a bowl.
5. Cover the bowl and keep it in a dark warm place for 12-14 hours or more or until sprouted. Rinse sprouted matki once and keep it aside until ready to make usal. Or you can store it in the fridge for 2-3 days.

👩‍🍳 How To Make Matki Usal Recipe? (Pics)

1) Take sprouted matki in a pressure cooker, and add around 2 cups of water and a pinch of turmeric powder. Place a small potato (rinsed well) in it. Cover the cooker with a lid, and put the weight on.

2) Pressure cook on medium-high heat for 1-2 whistles.
Instant pot: Manual for 5 minutes.

3) Remove the potato, peel, and cut into cubes. Drain the excess water from the beans and save it to make gravy later.

4) Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add mustard seeds and let them splutter.

5) Add curry leaves and saute for 10-20 seconds.

6, 7) Add hing and immediately add chopped onion. Sprinkle a little salt to speed up the cooking process. Cook until onions are soft, light pink or translucent in color.

8, 9) Add ginger garlic paste. And saute for 1 minute or until the raw smell of ginger garlic goes away.

10, 11) Add red chili powder and goda masala. Mix and cook for a minute. If the mixture looks dry then sprinkle some water to keep them moist and avoid burning.

12) Add potato cubes and mix.

13) Add boiled sprouts, and remaining salt and mix.

14) Add around ¼ cup drained water and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Most of the water will be absorbed by the potato.

15) Turn off the stove and lastly, squeeze the lemon juice, mix, and ready to serve.

💭 Expert Tips To Make BEST Matki Usal

• Do not simmer after adding lemon juice to retain its flavor. So always add lemon juice at the end once the cooking is done.
• The water amount may vary depending on how you prefer your matki usal - dry or semi-dry (moist kind). The above measurements give a dry sabzi kind consistency.
• Do not overcook sprouted matki otherwise, it becomes mushy and loses its nutrients.

🍽 Serving Ideas

• Serve matki usal with roti, paratha, bhakri, or poori with a side of salad or koshimbir.
• Serve it as a side with your dal-rice or my favorite kadhi-rice.
• It can be used in making misal pav.

🥣 Storage Instructions

• Sprouted matki can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
• Matki usal can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
• I have never tried freezing it because of the sprouts in it. I prefer to consume them fresh.

Did you try this matki usal recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comment section below.

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