Avarekalu Bas Saaru

Its the AvareKalu season here and its considered a sin in my family if a single day passes without an AvareKalu dish being cooked.
Although I was not used to eating AvareKalu (Mocha Kottai) before marriage, I have learnt to give AvareKalu its space in my life after seeing how crazy the Kannadigas are about it.
Yesterday it was the turn of AvareKalu Bas Saaru to make its way into our home.
The recipe is quite simple. The end product is in 2 parts:

1. Saaru, a tangy thin soup somewhat like Rasam which is mixed with rice or eaten with Ragi Mudde.
2. Husili, which is a savoury dry side-dish made of the beans, somewhat like Sundal, to be eaten along with the above

Ingredients:

1. Tender AvareKalu (Hyacinth Beans) seeds - 2-3 cups
2. Onions - 3 or 4 medium sized. ( One smoked, others chopped finely)
3. Green chillies - 3 or 4 slit length-wise.
4. Garlic pods - 5-6
5. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
6. Coriander leaves - a handful
7. Asafoetida powder - 1/2 tsp.
8. Grated coconut - 1 tbsp.
9. Thick tamarind extract - 1/2 cup
10. Sambhar powder - 2 tsp.
11. Salt  - to taste
12. Oil - as needed

Procedure:

1. Cook AvareKalu with water and salt in a pressure cooker till tender. You can do it using separators while cooking rice.
2. Drain the water (stock of AvareKalu) into a vessel ( to be used for Saaru) and keep the AvareKalu aside ( to be used for the Husili)
3. For the masala for Saaru: Grind  together one smoked onion, 5-6 pods of garlic, a sprig of curry leaves, 2-3 strands of coriander leaves and a handful of the boiled AvareKalu.
4. To make the Husili: In a Kadai, heat oil, season with mustard seeds. Add slit green chillies, asafoetida powder, chopped onions, few curry leaves and saute till onions turn translucent. Add the AvareKalu and saute again for 2-3 minutes. Add grated coconut and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.
5.  To make the Saaru: To the stock of AvareKalu, add tamarind extract, sambhar powder and the ground masala. Let it boil. Lower the flame and boil for 5 more minutes. Temper with mustard seeds spluttered in oil.

Note: Since the AvareKalu has salt added to it while being pressure cooked, we need not add salt explicitly to the Husili or Saaru. Add more salt if required after tasting. 

Rava Idli

Ingredients:

1. Rava (Bombay rava/Upma rava) - 2 cups
2. Sour curds - 2 cups ( or as per requirement)
3. Eno fruit salt - 1 tsp
4. Mustard - 1 tsp
5. Asafoetida powder ( Hing) - 1/2 tsp
6. Chana Dal - 1 tsp
7. Grated ginger (optional) - 1/2 tsp
8. Cashewnuts - 10-15 (optional)
9. Curry leaves (chopped) - 1 sprig
10. Coriander leaves (finely chopped) - 3-4 sprigs
11. Green chillies ( finely chopped) - 2 or 3
12. Salt - to taste
13. Oil - 2-3 tsp.

Procedure:

1. In a kadai, heat oil and temper with mustard seeds. Add chana dal ( and cashewnuts) and fry on low flame till they turn light brown. Add the curry leaves and asafoetida powder.
2. Add rava to the above and roast it on low flame till you get a light aroma.
3. Remove from flame and transfer to another container. To this add sour curds, grated ginger, green chillies, coriander leaves, salt and stir well to make a batter of consistency thicker than usual idli batter. You may have to vary the quantity of curds added to achieve this consistency.
4. Set aside the batter for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile grease the idli plates and line them a thin tomato slice or coriander leaves or a pinch or grated carrot or a roasted cashewnut. This for garnishing and is optional.
5. Heat water in the cooker.
6. Just before ladling out the batter onto the idli plates, add a tsp of Eno to the batter and stir well. This must be done in the last moment.
7. Ladle out the batter onto the greased idli plates and steam for around 15 minutes like regular idlis.
8. Serve with aloo saagu.

Aloo Capsicum(/Bhindi/Beans)

Ingredients:

1. Potatoes - 2 big
2. Capsicum - 2 big
3. Oil - 2-3 tsp.
4. Jeera - 1 tsp.
5. Chilli powder - 1 tsp.
6. Dhania powder - 1 tsp.
7. Pav Bhaji masala ( optional) - 1/2 tsp.
8. Salt - to taste

Procedure:

1. Chop the potatoes and capsicum into half inch pieces.
2. Heat oil in a kadai and temper with jeera.
3. Add the chopped potato and saute for 2-3 minutes. 
4. When the potatoes are half-cooked, add capsicum and saute for 2-3 minutes more.
5. Add chilli powder, dhania powder, pav bhaji masala and salt and mix well.
6. Sprinkle a little water if required and cook with lid on. 
7. Stir it occasionally so that it doesn't get burnt.
8. Remove from flame when it is cooked to the desired level. Some like it when the potatoes are almost mashed and act as a binding agent, whereas some prefer it when the pieces are separate and cooked just right so that they can be bitten into.

Use the same procedure for Aloo Bhindi/ Aloo Beans. You might want to cut the beans/bhindi into 1 inch long fingers and the aloo also in a similar shape. While sauteing, add the beans/bhindi first and then the aloo.

Methi Matar Malai

This was supposedly my most favorite dish when I went to restaurants. That was the time when North-Indian food was "exotic" food, to be indulged in on most special occasions. Times and tastes have changed now, but somehow the memories of MMM came back to me a few days back and I decided to try it out at home. Then began the search for the recipe that most suited my signature. After a lot of tailoring, this one emerged.
The first time I made it, I was scared it might turn out a bit sweetish and I added loads of pepper to ward off my fears. What a disaster that was! It was perfect, except that the only flavor that stood out was pepper. :-P After the lesson learnt, here's the recipe without the pepper:

Ingredients:

1. Methi leaves - cleaned and chopped - 1 cup
2. Fresh green peas - 1 cup
3. Cashewnuts - 10-12
4. Poppy seeds (optional) - 2 tsp.
5. Green chillies - 3 or 4 ( depending on the desired spice level)
6. Ginger - 1 inch piece
7. Garlic - 4-5 pods
8. Cloves - 2 or 3
9. Cinnamon - 1/2 inch piece
10. Cardamom - 1 or 2
11. Fresh cream - 1 tbsp.
12. Milk - 1 tbsp.
13. Jeera - 1/2 tsp.
14. Salt - as desired
15. Sugar (optional) - a pinch
16. Oil - 2-3 tsp.

Procedure:

1. Grind together cashewnuts, poppy seeds, green chillies, ginger, garlic.
2. Powder cardamon, cloves and cinnamon.
3. In a kadai, heat oil and temper with jeera.
4. Add the green peas and saute till they are tender.
5. Add the methi leaves and saute for a minute. the leaves will shrink and give out a flavor
6. Add  the ground paste and milk . Add the powdered closes, cardamon and cinnamon.
7. Add salt and sugar and cook for around 5 minutes in the gravy. If it is too thick, add a little more milk.
8. Add fresh cream and switch off the flame.
9. Serve with rotis.

Grilled Potatoes

This is some experiment which turned out fine. Planning to improvise on top of this next time. I'm just penning it down so that I don't forget it the basic recipe.

Ingredients:

1. Potatoes - 2-3 medium sized, peeled and cut into 1/2 cm thick slices.
2. Clilli powder - 1 tsp
3. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Green chillies - 2
5. Dhania powder - 1 tsp.
6. Jeera powder - 1 tsp.
7. Garlic - 5-6 pods
8. Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
9. Salt - 1 tsp.
10. Oil - 1 - 2 tsp. (optional)

Procedure:

1. Grind together chilli powder, turmeric powder, green chillies, dhania powder, jeera powder, garlic, ginger and salt with very little water to make a slightly runny paste.
2. Spread the marinade liberally over the potato slices on both sides and microwave cook them for 3-4 minutes. The potatoes would be more than half-cooked by now. Also, the marinade would have dried and coated the potatoes very well.
3. Glaze the slices with very little oil (optional) and grill them in the oven for around 5 minutes.
4. Serve with a cheese dip.

Aloo Masala/Sagu

Ingredients:

1. Potatoes - 1/2 kg
2. Onions (cut length-wise)- 2 large
3. Green chillies (slit length-wise)- 5-6
4. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp.
5. Chana dal - 2 tsp.
6. Mustard - 1 tsp.
7. Oil - 1 tbsp.
8. Curry leaves  - 1 sprig
9. Coriander leaves - for garnishing
10. Salt - to taste

Procedure:

1. Pressure cook the potatoes, peel and mash them.
2. Heat oil in a kadai. Temper with mustard seeds.
3. Season with chana dal, green chillies and curry leaves.
4. Add chopped onions and fry till they become translucent. Add turmeric powder and salt.
5. Add the mashed potatoes and mix well.
6. Add a little water if required to maingain the paste-like consistency.
7. Garnish with coriander leaves.
8. Serve with dosa or puri.

Variations:

1. You could add grated ginger along with green chillies for flavour.
2. You could add grated coconut at the end for garnishing while using it as a filling for masala dosa.
3. You could add a little water and make a gravy-like consistency (sagu) when served with puri. Squeeze a bit of lemon to sagu for an enhanced flavour.

Gobhi Matar Dry

Ingredients:

1. Cauliflower - 1
2. Peas - 1 cup
3. Jeera - 1 tsp
4. Chilli powder - 1 tsp.
5. Dhania powder - 1 tsp.
6. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp.
7. Salt - to taste
8. Oil - 1 tbsp.

Procedure:

1. Cut the cauliflower into small florets.
2. Boil water in a vessel. Add turmeric and salt. Add the cauliflower florets to this and boil for 2-3 minutes. Switch off the stove and keep closed for around 5 minutes. Drain the water. The cauliflower would be almost cooked by now.
3. Heat oil in a kadai. Temper with jeera.
4. Add green peas and stir fry for 2-3 minutes till the peas become tender. Add the cauliflower florets, chilli powder, dhania powder and salt if required.
5. Toss it for 1-2 minutes and remove from flame.
6. Serve with rotis.

It tastes equally good if the peas are omitted and more cauliflower is used instead.