Spring Onions with Split Bengal Gram

This Spring Onions with Split Bengal Gram recipe is one of those rustic recipes that you grow up eating and the kind you miss when when you move out of your home. There are recipes that are local to a region and community which are not heard of by others. This is one of such recipes. Certain combinations of ingredients in a dish would become your favorite, if only you knew about them. This is one of those combinations. I am only aware of this recipe because my mother makes it and she came to know it after she got married from my grandmother.

Hearing "spring onions" one thinks of garnishing, salads and soups or Chinese recipes such as spring onion rolls. A spring onion curry doesn't cut the list. A spring onion curry with Bengal grams is not even far fetched. But the concept of it so humble and delicious that it needs to be out there in the world for every one to know for themselves. 

I do not make this dish too often but now is the season for fresh spring onions and spotting it in the market makes it mandatory to grab some and go back to the simple ways of truly tasteful cooking. Just two major ingredients and and a dash of spices for a welcome change in taste. 

Spring rolls can wait. 

Ingredients:

Spring onions with shoots- 1/2 kg

Split Bengal gram- 1 cup

Oil- 4-5 tbsp

Cumin seeds- 1/4 tsp

Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp

Red chilly powder- 1 tsp

Coriander powder- 1 tbsp

Amchoor (Dried mango powder)- 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Recipe:

Wash and soak bengal gram in water for an hour.

Chop spring onion bulbs and shoots.

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard and cumin. 

When spluttered, add chopped spring onions and drained gram. Mix.

Cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Add all spices and salt except amchoor. Mix well.

Cover and cook for another 10-12 minutes.

Take off heat and add amchoor. Give a nice stir.

Serve with roti.

I like to use it as a spread in sandwiches too.