The month of Shravan is here and one of the favourites in my family is Waalachi Sual. Peeling waal sprouts for usal or birde was meditative but peeling huge quantities of waal for a large family was difficult for any house wife or home chef. So all the available help was roped in, including the youngsters. Sitting at one place peeling waal was punishment but the prize of waalachi usal beckoned. This training I put to use today. I plan the sprouting of waal and patiently peel the Waal. As my family is small, I don’t have to source help.
For this waalachi usal and other waal preparations we use ‘kadwe waal’.Though in the market Gode waal, Pawate such legumes are available we prefer using these kadwe waal which have hint of bitterness which contrasts with other flavours in the dish. Once in Vadodara I tasted Gode Waal. My aunt had cooked these in a totally different way than ours. It also tasted very good, but our original recipe for kadwe waal stay puts.
When we soak waal in preparation for usal, we soak little more than required .We do not stop only at the usal. We like to prepare waalachi aamati, waalacha bhat or khichadi. Sometimes these are added to other bhaji as taste enhancers e.g. Snake gourd, Ridge gourd, Colocasia leaves (alu).The peeled sprouts are stored carefully in fridge and used meticulously in different preparations. But in the line of preference first is waalachi usal.
Waalachi usal is a symphony on our palate. The bitterness mellows and is played down with kokam and jaggery. Our home made masala further lifts up the flavours. Connoisseurs like my husband can have it a plateful for breakfast. We can never get tired of eating waalachi usal. In the month of Shravan, on Monday or Saturday waalachi usal is a must. For special occasions waalachi usal will have a place in the vegetarian spread.