Kannada cuisine cannot be complete without using Avarekaayi.  Known by many names like flat beans, field beans, hyacinth beans, Surti Papdi, Val etc. it is used for making endless varieties of dishes like Saaru, Sambar, Saagu, Usli, Upma, Curry, Kurma, Gojju, Rotti, Pongal, Pancake, Pulao to name a few. Heavenly to our tongue and healthy to our tummy is Avarekayi Uppittu a typical winter breakfast, prepared chiefly using broken rice and avarekaayi that add value and variety for nutrition and taste.

 Dish Type:  South Indian Rice Variety 

Preparation Time:  10 min

Cooking time:  20  min

Serves:  6 persons

Ingredients

For cooking:

Avarekaalu         500 gms (pressed ones i.e., deseeded from the pod)

Water                   750 ml

Salt                         1 tsp

For seasoning:

Oil                                     50 ml

Mustard seeds                  ½ tsp

Cumin seeds                      ½ tsp

Pepper corns                     ½ tsp (coarsely crushed)

Green chilli                         4 nos. (slit)

Curry leaves                       1 sprig

Ginger                                 ½” pc (grated)

Turmeric pwd                      A pinch

Broken Rice                        500 gms

Salt to taste                        1 tsp approx.

Cooked avarekaalu

For garnishing:

Raw coconut                      ½ coconut (grated)

Coriander leaves              1 cup (fresh and fine chopped)

Directions:

Wash pressed avarekaalu , green chillies, curry leaves, coriander leaves and ginger. Drain out the water. Chop, grate or split them as mentioned above (under “Ingredients”). Keep them aside.

Cook avarekaalu with water and salt in a pressure cooker upto 2 whistles.

Heat oil in a kadai. Add mustard seeds. When it crackles, add cumin seeds and pepper corns. When they splutter, add slit green chillies, grated ginger and coarsely chopped curry leaves, salt  and turmeric powder. Now add broken rice and fry them together for 6 to 8 min. Add grated coconut. Add the cooked avarekaalu along with the water used for cooking. Mix well. Adjust the quantity of water and salt at this stage. If more water is required, then add boiling water. Add fine chopped fresh coriander leaves. Mix well. Switch off the flame.

Shape them into balls with your hands made damp for making each ball. Arrange them on a greased plate and steam them in pressure cooker like idlis for about 10 min.

Switch off the flame. Let it cool a bit.

Akki Thari Kadabus are now ready. Serve them with a dash of ghee.

Choice of side dish: Coconut chutney, gojju, majjige huli.

Preferred side dish: Urad Dal Chutney

Chefs’Chat:

To make broken rice, wash rice thoroughly with water.Drain out the water completely. Dry the washed rice in shade by spreading it on a thin clean cloth. It takes 4 to 6 hours or more depending on the weather. Grind the dried rice coarsely to rava consistency.

Rice Rawa need not be roasted like Upma Rava. If Idli Rawa is used, upma becomes a bit sticky.