Loading...
A popular street food from Gujarat, this dish features a spicy white pea curry (ragda) loaded with crispy sev, chopped onions, and a fiery garlic chutney. It's a flavor explosion in every bite, perfect for a hearty snack or light meal.
For 4 servings
Soak and Cook the Peas
Prepare the Usal Curry Base
A popular street food from Gujarat, this dish features a spicy white pea curry (ragda) loaded with crispy sev, chopped onions, and a fiery garlic chutney. It's a flavor explosion in every bite, perfect for a hearty snack or light meal.
This gujarati recipe takes 65 minutes to prepare and yields 4 servings. At 1115.1 calories per serving with 38.58g of protein, it's a moderately challenging recipe perfect for lunch or dinner or snack.
Discover authentic recipes from cuisines around the world.
Find recipes that fit your dietary preferences.
Find recipes optimized for your goal.
Combine and Simmer the Usal
Prepare the Spicy Tari (Garlic Oil)
Assemble and Serve
You can make this dish with dried green peas (hara vatana) or even black-eyed peas for a different flavor and texture.
To make it Jain-friendly, omit the onion, garlic, and ginger. Use asafoetida (hing) in the tempering and add grated cabbage or raw banana to the curry for body.
Reduce the amount of oil used for the tari, or skip it altogether. Use baked sev instead of fried sev to lower the fat content.
Add one boiled and cubed potato along with the cooked peas to make the curry even more hearty and filling.
White peas are an excellent source of plant-based protein, which is essential for muscle repair, growth, and overall body function.
The high fiber content from the peas aids in digestion, promotes gut health, and helps in maintaining stable blood sugar levels.
This dish provides important minerals like iron, magnesium, and potassium from the peas and spices, which support energy production and cardiovascular health.
Sev Usal can be a part of a balanced diet. The base curry made from white peas is rich in protein and fiber. However, the traditional preparation is high in calories and fat due to the generous use of oil for the 'tari' and the deep-fried sev topping. For a healthier version, reduce the oil and use baked sev.
A single serving of traditionally prepared Sev Usal, including the pav, sev, and tari, contains approximately 850-900 calories. The exact number can vary based on the amount of oil and sev used.
Yes, you can. Cook the soaked peas in a large pot with a lid. It will take significantly longer, about 60-90 minutes, for the peas to become tender. Ensure you add enough water to prevent them from drying out.
'Tari' or 'kat' is the spicy, garlic-infused oil that is drizzled on top before serving. It is a signature component of authentic Sev Usal, adding a significant layer of heat and flavor. While you can skip it for a milder dish, it is highly recommended for the traditional experience.
Yes, you can use canned white peas (or cannellini beans) to save time. Drain and rinse them thoroughly before adding them to the curry base in Step 3. Since they are already cooked, you will only need to simmer them for about 10 minutes to absorb the flavors.
Store the usal (curry) and the toppings (sev, onions, tari) in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Do not mix them until you are ready to serve, as the sev will become soggy.
This recipe goes great with these complete meals
A classic Gujarati tea-time snack! These crispy, savory fried noodles are made from chickpea flour and seasoned with a blend of aromatic spices. Perfectly crunchy and addictive, they are a must-try.
Crisp and savory pearl millet flatbread bites, spiced with ajwain and sesame seeds. A healthy, gluten-free Gujarati snack, also known as 'Bajra na Vada' or 'Dhebra', perfect with yogurt or pickle. Ready in about 35 minutes.
A classic Gujarati dish, this tomato ras is a simple, soupy curry with a delightful balance of tangy, sweet, and savory flavors. It's made with ripe tomatoes and basic spices, coming together in under 30 minutes for a perfect weeknight meal.
A unique Gujarati kadhi from the Bhatia community, this version gets its creamy texture from ground moong dal instead of besan. It’s a delightful sweet and tangy curry, perfect with steamed rice.
