During Avarekai season my mom prepares various varieties ranging from simple snacks to sweets, and even in many breakfast and lunch varieties like Usli,saaru, curry, dal, rotti, upma etc.Not everyone would like these beans for the first time,I would say it is an acquired taste which was the same with me.I never liked it as a child and now I have few favorite varieties with them which I do not miss preparing with them during their season.
Even in Mumbai we do get good Avarekaalu and during the season I buy them in large quantity and try to store them in freezer for later use.I use them in various recipes if I want to add some extra flavor to it.These beans lends a different flavor and taste to the dish if added in moderate amounts.I usually add them in upma,rotti and sometime pairs up with brinjal or aloo in a curry.I am sharing a simple Upma recipe today using rice rava and these hyacinth beans.
Avarekalu Akki Tari Uppittu Recipe:
(Serves 2)
Ingredients:
1 cup Rice Rava
2 cups Water
1/3 cup tender Hyacinth beans(avarekalu)
1/4 cup grated Fresh Coconut
1 medium Onion,sliced(optional)
3-4 Green chillies,slit
4-5 Pepper corns,slightly crushed
8-10 Curry leaves
1 tsp Urad dal
1 tsp Chana dal
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tbsp Oil
1 tbsp Ghee
Method:
- Pressure cook the tender hyacinth beans for 2-3 whistles with salt until they are cooked.Drain them and keep them aside.
- Dry roast rice rawa for 2-3 mins ,it does not need to change its color.
- Heat oil and ghee in a kadai and crackle mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
- Add chana dal,urad dal and fry until they turn bit red in color.
- Add slit green chillies,curry leaves,crushed pepper corns and fry until the green chillies wilt.
- If you are using onions,add sliced onions at this stage and fry them well.
- Add cooked and drained hyacinth beans to it and fry well.
- Add 2 cups of water and cover it with lid and let it come to a boil.
- Add enough salt and roasted rice rava and stir it nicely and cover it and cook for 4-5 mins until the water is absorbed.
- Add grated coconut at the end and give a nice stir.
Serve it hot with Lemon Pickle/Avakai/Mango Thokku/Podi and sliced cucumber/chips.
Notes:
- The addition of onion is entirely optional,I like to add onions in upma and hence I added.It is your personal choice.
- You can even skip the addition of chana dal and urad dal in the recipe and just give simple tempering of mustard and cumin seeds.
- Green chillies can be replaced by red chillies or you can use both the chillies in the recipe.It is your wish.
- You can add chopped dill leaves for additional flavor.If you are adding them you need to saute them in oil before you add water to it.
- The quantity of hyacinth beans can be increased even to 3/4th cup- 1 cup which depends on your choice.
- You can follow the same recipe and replace rice rava with normal sooji or bansi rava and make regular upma.You can increase the water quantity to 2 1/2 cups if you want a soft upma.
