Kalya Vatanyancha Sambar

Y et another Malvani delight, the Kalya Vatanyancha Sambar is nothing but black peas curry. Made essentially with sprouts, lentils or peas, the semi-gravy dish is served with Indian flatbreads like Chapati or Bhakri. The pulses or legumes are sourced from local regions within and around Maharashtra and the dish is served mainly in the western coastal sectors of the state. 

Much like the other foods belonging to the region, Kalya Vatanyancha Sambar is a coconut-based gravy that is underscored by punchy Malvani flavours. Thus, it is a heartwarming combination of the sweet nuttiness of the coconut with the earthy taste of black peas.

Also called Kala Vatanyancha Usal, this Malvani dish is often served with the much-loved Amboli (pristine white, spongy dosa-like flatbreads). This combination is frequently part of Maharashtrian celebratory events and is specifically savoured with messy hands (yet another sign of the scrumptious delicacy that the dish is). In fact, the dish is occasionally offered with a steaming bowl of rice as the usal is typically fiery. And of course, as with other usals, this one too can be mopped up with freshly baked pav.

Ginger-garlic paste, along with elements like cumin, coriander and garam masala powder are generously added while preparing the Black Bean Curry, making it a distant cousin of the Kaali Dal, a North Indian delight also prepared with black lentils. One of the main differences between the North and Western Indian dishes lies behind the fact that the Northern variant uses a generous amount of butter to undercut the spiciness whereas the Kala Vatanyancha Sambar has ample amount of coconut milk in it.

Good To Know:

The Kalya Vatanyacha Sambar/Usal gets its distinctive flavour and taste due to the addition of the signature Malvani masala, a staple of the region. Much like the garam masala is to the North, a little of this masala goes a long way, and households will typically powder the ingredients for the mixture and store it for months, to add to a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian curries. 

The standard Malvani masala contains roasted coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, peppercorns, and poppy seeds as well whole dry red chillies, star anise, mace, cloves, stone flower, nutmeg powder, turmeric. Asafoetida is among the last spices to be added to the roasting pan. The roasting releases the unique aromas of each of the ingredients, and they are ground into a fine powder once cool.