AVAREKALU BHATH

January/February is a season of pods in India... specially this year I am in Mysore and it is lovely time for the beans like AvarekaLu, Soppina kadalekai,Tograri kaLu.
It is almost next to impossible to avoid avarekaLu.. it is almost used in every dish... akkirotti,usli, bhath, uppittu (upma), avrekaLu saaru and of course the delicious avarekaLu sambar. This beans known as navy/flat/hyacinth beans in English has a unique fragrance and taste. here is one tasty recipe.
AVAREKALU BHATH
This is a variation of the famous Vangibhath. Bhath being rice gets the name of the vegetable used in it gets the name... methi bhath, capsicum bhath, vegetable bhath and what not....As mentioned earlier.. this season AvarekaLu is used in everything and so bhath isn't any different.

Ingredients:
One cup - Surti lilva papdi /avrekaLu (cooked)(known as Hyacinth beans or navy beans )

One large capsicum diced

two cups of rice

One lemon sized tamarind

MTR Vangibhath powder

1tbsp turmeric powder

one-two pinches of asafoetida-hing

three or four spoons of freshly grated coconut
2 tbsp oil

1 tbsp Mustard

1 tbsp cumin ( jeera)

1 tbsp Urad dal (black gram )

1 tbsp Chana dal (Bengal gram)

Few of Curry leaves

1-2 Dry red chillies

Salt to taste

Method:

Cook rice and let it cool.

Take 2 tbsps of oil in a pan,when hot add mustard seeds .

when they splutter add cumin, turmeric powder, chana dal, urad dal, curry leaves and asafoetida. red chillies Saute them till urad dal turns golden brown and then add the diced capsicum. Add some salt to taste and two to three spoons of vangi bhath powder.When the capsicum is done add tamarind water , grated coconut and the cooked AvarekaLu or beans (can be substituted peas).
Add cooked rice and mix them well till there is a lovely aroma.Taste for salt... Serve with fryums (sandige or happaLa )or raita.
Serve hot with raita or fryums.

MTR Vangibhath powder is one of the best powders which can be used for the bhath varieties.. however you can make the powder yourself with the following recipe I found good enough.

Vangi bath powder ingredients:
2 tbsp chana dal(Bengal Gram)

2 tbsp urad dal (Black Gram )

¼ tsp fenugreek (methi seeds)

1 tbsp dry coconut (copra)

6 red chillies or to taste

½ tbsp coriander seeds

½ tbsp cumin seeds

2 cloves

1 cardamom

1” Cinnamon stick

1/2 tbsp of oil

Vangi bath powder preparation:
Roast all the ingredients until they turn into light golden brown colour. Remove from flame and allow it to cool for sometime. Then grind it to a coarse powder. Allow it to cool, then store in an air tight container. Use as required. This will keep fresh for months in an air tight container.

CORN CAPSICUM PULAV and RAITA

I found this one of the easiest and tastiest to make. My girls love it.. In continuation with my earlier post I am writing down recipes of three more dishes .

CORN CAPSICUM PULAV
Ingredients
1 cup frozen or canned corn kernels
2 tbsp of Biryani or pulav masala( I used Badshah... shahi biryani powder)
1 capsicum sliced
1 sliced onion
2 cups Basmati rice, (washed and drained)
1 tbsp oil/ghee
2 tsp Jeera(cumin)
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves for seasoning.

Method
Defrost/wash corn kernels . In a deep bottom pan or cooker eat the oil.Add the Cumin seeds. Saute the cut onions and then add sliced capsicum when they are slightly cooked add the corn kernels. Stir well together. Add rice and stir- fry for a few minutes.Add salt to taste and Biriyani masala according to your liking. Add 2 cups water. Cover and cook on a medium heat or if you are cooking in a pressure cooker switch off after one whistle.
Serve hot after garnishing with coriander leaves.

JEERA ALOO
A lovely accompaniment made of potatoes , it is delicious with rice, roti or puri. It is very simple yet very tasty.. here is the recipe.

Ingredients
5 large size aloo/potatoes (Boil them in pressure cooker with salt and turmeric powder,cut them in one inch cubes)
4Tbsp oil
3 tsp jeera/ cumin seeds
1 tsp red chili powder
1Tbsp Coriander seeds
2 Tbsp jeera powder/roasted cumin powder
1/2 tsp dry mango powder (Amchur powder)
2 Tbsp fresh coriander leaves chopped
salt to taste
METHOD
Heat oil, add jeera in oil. Let it crackle. Then add salt / red chili powder /crushed jeera and coriander seeds / dry mango powder every thing in the oil. Stir for a second.
Then lastly add the cut potatoes and mix well. Add fresh coriander leaves.
Mix well. The dry masala will coat the potatoes well.

Cucumber Raita
This is an Indian side dish, Cucumber raita is a delicious accompaniment to any roast or grilled food.. particularly with Pulavs and spicy rice preparations. It's the ideal vegetable to serve on hot summer days, as it is cool and refreshing.
ingredients
1 large cucumber, peeled, grated.
salt to taste
Jeera powder(roasted cumin powder)
2 cups of natural yogurt
2 tbsp freshly chopped mint and coriander leaves
Freshly ground black pepper.
method.
Put the grated cucumber in a bowl .In another bowl stir the yogurt with a little water to make a homogeneous mixture. Mix the cucumber and yogurt together with half the mint/coriander and plenty of pepper and cumin powder Chill in the refrigerator until serving time. Add salt just before serving to avoid the raita getting all watery. I do give it a seasoning of mustard and red chilies when I serve it with South Indian rice preparations. but for the above pulav I preferred it without mustard.

Ciao for now..

Matar Masala.../ Peas in spicy gravy

Many wishes for a prosperous and happy New year.Of all ... I was busy for the past one month with kids at home. Just a simple update with the Matar masala I made with puris for the New years day lunch... will update the other dishes slowly..
With friends over for lunch , we had been partying on the 31st night and had no vegetables other than cucumber, couple of onions, tomatoes and potatoes.But then within minutes I had a menu with only these few things....... I didn't dare to cook south Indian food... the lady of the family we had invited was a proficient in south Indian dishes... so had to cook something in north Indian style so that even if it went wrong they wouldn't notice much....(thank god everything went well).
Puri with Jeera aloo and Matar Masala
Corn and Capsicum Pulav with papad
Cucumber Raita
Rice and Rasam
Curd Rice
Kesar and Badam Lassi which was delicious even in a super shortcut method.
so for first of the series....Here is the recipe for
MATAR MASALA
Ingredients
Dry peas... 1/4 kilo
3 tomatoes
2 onions
2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
oil - 2 tbsp
cumin seeds
turmeric powder
salt
jeera powder
dhania powder
garam masala powder.

Tasty Peas; MATAR MASALA

Method:
Soak the peas overnight. Boil them with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder and keep aside. Make a paste of the onions and tomatoes.In a deep frying pan, heat two spoons of oil.Add cumin seeds turmeric, then add two spoons of ginger garlic paste and saute it for a minute or two... then add the tomato onion paste. let it cook till the tomato and onions cook well, change in colour to golden brown with aroma... add salt (to taste), the masala powders .Add some water.. you can add cream to make it tastier. then add the peas and let it cook in the masala for about 10 minutes... close the pan while cooking..
Serve with a dash of lemon and garnish with coriander.

Hope you will try this and let me know how you like it.... or if you have made any changes to make it tastier would love to hear from you.....