Tori Gashi is a very healthy protein-packed vegetarian side dish from India prepared using whole pigeon peas.
About the Recipe
Tori Gashi is a popular temple-style Konkani dish where whole pigeon peas are first pressure cooked along with yam (surnu or suvarnagadde). The cooked peas and yam are simmered in a simple coconut paste, and a basic tempering is added. You can substitute yam with potatoes, raw jackfruit (kadgi), venti (yam stem), or gabbo (banana plant stem).
This South Indian Style Pigeon peas recipe is one of the best protein-rich side dishes for your vegetarian and vegan, gluten-free lunch or dinner. In Gujarat, pigeon peas curry or tuvar totha is prepared using whole pigeon peas. Each region has its own special dish using pigeon peas.
Ingredients
1 cup White or Black Pigeon Peas
1 cup Yam (Suvarnagadde or surnu), you can also use potatoes
1 cup Yam stem (venti, optional)
1 teaspoon Salt
For the coconut masala
1 Coconut grated (approx. 2 cups, loosely packed)
4 Dry red chilies
6 to 8 Curry leaves (optional)
½ teaspoon Tamarind (small ball)
For the tempering
1 tablespoon Coconut oil
1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
1 Dry red chile
8 to 10 Curry leaves
How to make Konkani Tori Gashi or Pigeon Peas Curry
How to cook whole pigeon peas
Wash and soak pigeon peas in water for 6 hours or overnight. Soaking the peas helps in faster cooking.
In a pressure cooker, add soaked and drained pigeon peas (tori) along with yam (surnu), venti (yam stem, optional) with enough water, and pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles. Check out the video.
Let the pressure release naturally.
Making of coconut paste
In a mixie jar or blender, add coconut, dry red chilies, curry leaves, and tamarind with little water and blend it to smooth paste.
Making of Tori Gashi (Thori Gashi)
Open the pressure cooker, add the coconut masala paste, and salt to taste, and bring it to a nice boil. Simmer it for 5 to 10 minutes. Add water only if required. Do not add too much water.
Prepare the tempering
In a pan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds splutter, add red chilies and curry leaves and saute for a few more seconds.
Add this tempering to the gravy and mix.
Easy Tori Gashi is ready. Serve hot with steamed rice, and enjoy.
Substitutes
Pigeon Peas, whole - I have used white pigeon peas. You can use black pigeon peas (kali tori), fresh or dry green peas, or even canned beans. Another good part is you can prepare this dish with any beans like kidney beans (rajma), great northern beans, navy beans (tingalavare), black-eyed peas (alsande bee), etc.
Suvarnagadde (Yam) & Venti (Yam stem) - the best and most readily available substitute is potatoes (aloo). Traditionally you can use any one of the following as a pair with pigeon peas in this gravy, i.e., raw jackfruit (kadgi), suvarnagadde (surnu or yam), venti (yam stem), gabbo (banana plant stem), kirlu (raw bamboo shoots), etc.
Dry red chilies - While making the paste, you can use red chile powder instead of dry red chilies.
Fresh grated Coconut - You can even use dry or frozen coconut to make this recipe.
More Konkani recipes to try
FAQs
Tempering is a must and traditionally in coconut oil. It adds additional flavor to the dish.
If you are making on days other than fasting days, you can crush a few garlic cloves and saute in oil and add them to the recipe. It gives a different taste, and this version of the curry is also called koddel in Konkani.
Yes, any variety of canned peas or beans can be used to make coconut-based gashi. Just skip the step of pressure cooking the peas. You can cook potato/yam on stove top until tender and then add the canned peas to it, followed by coconut paste and tempering.
Video
Check out my 1-minute video on making Tori Gashi.
Temple Style Tori Gashi | Vegetarian Pigeon Peas Curry
Equipment
- 1 Pressure cooker
- 1 Mixie Jar or Blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup White or Black Pigeon Peas
- 1 cup Yam (Suvarnagadde, surnu) you can use potatoes
- 1 cup Yam stem (venti, optional)
- 1 teaspoon Salt
For the coconut masala
- 1 Coconut grated (approx. 2 cups, loosely packed)
- 4 Dry red chilies
- 6 to 8 Curry leaves (optional)
- ½ teaspoon Tamarind (small ball)
For the tempering
- 1 tablespoon Coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
- 1 Dry red chile
- 8 to 10 Curry leaves
Instructions
How to cook whole pigeon peas?
- Wash and soak pigeon peas in water for 6 hours or overnight. Soaking the peas helps in faster cooking.1 cup White or Black Pigeon Peas
- In a pressure cooker, add soaked and drained pigeon peas (tori) along with yam (surnu), venti (yam stem, optional) with enough water, and pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles. Check out the video.1 cup Yam (Suvarnagadde, surnu), 1 cup Yam stem (venti, optional)
- Let the pressure release naturally.
Making of coconut paste
- In a mixie jar or blender, add coconut, dry red chilies, curry leaves, and tamarind with little water and blend it to smooth paste.1 Coconut grated (approx. 2 cups, loosely packed), 4 Dry red chilies, 6 to 8 Curry leaves (optional), ½ teaspoon Tamarind (small ball)
Making of tori gashi (thori gashi)
- Open the pressure cooker, add the coconut masala paste, and salt to taste, and bring it to a nice boil. Simmer it for 5 to 10 minutes. Add water only if required. Do not add too much water.1 teaspoon Salt
Prepare the tempering
- In a pan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds splutter, add red chilies and curry leaves and saute for a few more seconds.1 tablespoon Coconut oil, 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds, 1 Dry red chile, 8 to 10 Curry leaves
- Add this tempering to the gravy and mix.
- Easy Tori Gashi is ready. Serve hot with steamed rice, and enjoy.
Nutrition
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