Vanpayar mezhukkupuratti Kerala style recipe (also known as vanpayar ularthiyathu) is very easy South Indian Kerala style red cowpeas stir fry recipe. Vanpayar is also known by the names red chori, red lobia dal, adzuki beans, red cowpeas etc!

Adzuki beans is used in many other cuisines as well as this is a healthy, delicious red beans which is also easy to cook.
I also have these posts on how to cook red adzuki beans and instant pot red adzuki beans which are easy cooking methods for this small red beans.
This vegetarian/vegan stir fry makes an easy, healthy and yummy side dish with rice, kanji (rice soup), chapathi, puttu, dosa (Kerala breakfast dishes) etc.
We also use red cowpeas or red adzuki beans (which is known as vanpayar in Kerala) in a variety of Kerala dishes or recipes like vanpayar thoran in pressure cooker, Kerala style vanpayar thoran recipe, vanpayar/cowpeas curry in coconut gravy and many more.
This vanpayar mezhukkupuatti or stir fry is a much more simpler recipe where we cook the red cowpeas and then stir fry it with few spices which will make it so yummy and rich in flavors.
I didn't soak the red cowpeas or vanpayar in advance for this recipe, as also cook this for some more time once it is cooked in pressure cooker.
You may soak it in advance for about half an hour if needed.
This dish is a dry side dish which can be used with rice and simple moru curry or pulissery for lunch or dinner or you can use it as a side dish for breakfast or dinner along with chapathi, dosa or puttu as a dry side dish made of healthy healthy and yummy cowpeas.
You may also enjoy this stir fry as it is as it is very healthy with lots of nutrients, and also rich in fibers and protein. Cowpeas is a good plant based source of protein especially for vegetarians and vegans.
So here is how you can make this cowpeas stir fry following this vanpayar mezhukkupuratti recipe Kerala style.
How to make Kerala style vanpayar mezhukkupuratti?
We use the following ingredients to make Indian Kerala style vanpayar mezhukkupuratti.
ingredients to make Kerala style vanpayar mezhukkupuratti
1 cup red cowpeas dried (adzuki beans, vanpayar)
¼ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
3 cups water
Spices Used
2 teaspoons garlic crushed or 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon red chili powder
2 teaspoons garam masala powder
For Seasoning
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
5 dry red chilies broken
1 string curry leaves
Step by step instructions
Wash and transfer the red cowpeas (vanpayar) to a pressure cooker, cover with lid and safety valve and cook in medium heat for about 3 to 4 whistles or about 10 to 12 minutes.
After 12 minutes of cooking, switch off the stove and wait for the cooker to cool down.
Once the pressure cooker is cooled enough, open the cooker and see if the peas is cooked enough and soft.
Drain the remaining water and you can save this water if you like to use it any soups or stews as this is a good broth which is filled with nutrients.
Or else you can discard the water and just keep the cooked dry cowpeas.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.
When the mustard seeds splutter, add the broken red chilies and curry leaves, fry for a few seconds.
Add the cooked cowpeas and saute for about a minute.
Add the salt and garlic, mix well and stir fry the mixture for about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add all the remaining spices - turmeric, red chili powder and garam masala powder, mix well and saute for another 2 minutes.
Red cowpeas stir fry or vanpayar mezhukkupuratti is ready to be served!
Below you can get the recipe for Kerala adzuki beans recipe in detail.
Kerala Vanpayar Mezhukkupuratti - Adzuki Bean Stir Fry Indian
Ingredients
- 1 cup red cowpeas dried (adzuki beans, vanpayar)
- ¼ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- 3 cups water
Spices Used
- 2 teaspoons garlic crushed or 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 2 teaspoons garam masala powder
For Seasoning
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 5 dry red chilies broken
- 1 string curry leaves
Instructions
- Wash and transfer the red cowpeas (vanpayar) to a pressure cooker, cover with lid and safety valve and cook in medium heat for about 3 to 4 whistles or about 10 to 12 minutes.
- After 12 minutes of cooking, switch off the stove and wait for the cooker to cool down.
- Once the pressure cooker is cooled enough, open the cooker and see if the peas is cooked enough and soft.
- Drain the remaining water and you can save this water if you like to use it any soups or stews as this is a good broth which is filled with nutrients. Or else you can discard the water and just keep the cooked dry cowpeas.
- Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.
- When the mustard seeds splutter, add the broken red chilies and curry leaves, fry for a few seconds.
- Add the cooked cowpeas and saute for about a minute.
- Add the salt and garlic, mix well and stir fry the mixture for about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add all the remaining spices - turmeric, red chili powder and garam masala powder, mix well and saute for another 2 minutes. Red cowpeas stir fry or vanpayar mezhukkupuratti is ready to be served!
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