Avarekai - Bottle Gourd Gasi

Avarekai/Field beans - Bottle Gourd Gasi /Thick Curry is one of the side dish you can prepare as a side dish. Gasi means thick curry.
We do not use any dal in Gasi. Here I have used Avarekai - Bottle Gourd and a Sweet potato.

Spices are freshly fried in coconut oil and the aroma is just awesome. This Gasi is One of the Udupi special curry.
Gasi is prepared using some pods/peas/cow peas or whole channa, ( black or Kabooli channa).  Dakshina Kannada , Udupi and Malenadu side this Gasi is well known dish.
I have used fresh fried spices and coconut. The fried ingredients are then grind with fresh grated coconut.
Avarekai is field beans.  It is a seasonal pod which grows well during the month of November to February. It is available plenty in the market since this is the season we get the best Avarekai.
Let us see the recipe now :

Things needed :

To Cook :

Avarekai : 1 Bowl (250 gr).
Bottle Gourd : 1 Bowl ( 1/2 of One medium size bottle gourd).
Sweet Potato : Boiled : 1
To Fry :
Channa dal : 1 Teaspoon
Urid dal : 1 Teaspoon
Red chilly : 5 to 6
Coriander seeds : 1 Tablespoon
Ingh /Asafoetida : A little
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8
To Grind : 
Fried ingredients
Fresh Grated Coconut : 1 Cup
To Add :
Ground coconut mixture
Salt : As required
Tamarind : A small marble size.
Turmeric powder : A pinch.
Seasoning done in coconut oil. (Mustard seeds, ingh, curry leaves).

Method :

1. Wash and peel off bottle gourd outer layer. Cut into small pieces.

2. Wash Avarekai pods and cook with bottle gourd. (Pressure cook). Cook sweet potato and remove its skin.

3. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add a tsp of coconut oil.
4. Add a tsp of channa dal and urid dal. Fry till they turn golden brown.

 5. Add red chilly and fry. Add coriander seeds fry slightly and put off the fire.

6. Add curry leaves and ingh. Mix all the ingredients well. Let it cool.
7. Grate coconut,  grind with fried ingredients and marble size tamarind. (Soak tamarind in little water so that it gets soft. Use the soaked water to grind). Keep this aside.

8. Keep cooked veggy on the fire. Add salt, turmeric powder and little water.
9. Boil for a minute. Add ground coconut mixture and boil for 3 to 4 minutes.

10 . Cut cooked sweet potato into small pieces. Add the pieces while gasi is boiling.

 11. Add seasoning and serve with any of the main dish.

12. We had Avarekai - bottle gourd Gasi for lunch. It was perfect and yummy.

Note :

Gasi can be prepared with any pods. If you are using dry pods, soak them at night and then cook in the morning. Adding more chilly is optional.
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4.

Avarekai Rava Rotti

ಅವರೆಕಾಯಿ /Field beans is a pod which is available during winter and its the season you get the best Avaekai. Here I have tried Rava rotti adding Avarekai and it is the yummy rotti and I assure you to try and enjoy.

All I used is  the normal ingredients, like Avarekai, onions, ginger, coconut, green chilly and Rava/Semolina.
It is one of the simple but yummy rotti that is good for breakfast, dinner or even as snack.
Rava /Semolina is filled with minerals and vitamins. It is a coarse powder of dhurum wheat.
Rava keeps you full for a long time because it is digested slowly. It takes care of your blood sugar and blood pressure.
Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients :

Rava /Semolina : Medium sized : 2 Cups
Curd : 1 Cup
Onions : 2 Medium sized
Curry leaves : Handful
Coriander leaves : Handful
Green chilly : 2
Ginger : An inch
Cooked Avarekai : 1 Bowl : 250 gr.
Coconut : 1 Cup
Salt : As required
Normal water : As required
Cooking Oil : 3 to 4 Tbs

Method :

1. Wash curry leaves, coriander leaves, green chilly and cut into small pieces.
2. Wash and cook field beans and keep it ready.

3. Remove the outer cover of onions and wash it, Cut into small pieces.
4.Remove the outer layer of ginger and wash it again. Grate it and keep it aside.
5. Grate coconut and keep it aside.
6. Take a big bowl and put all the ingredients like coconut, cooked field beans, grated ginger, grated coconut, salt, cut onions, coriander leaves and curry leaves.
7. Add rava/semolina and curd. Mix it nicely. Add required water and prepare rotti batter.
8. Let it be bit liquid consistency. It helps in making thin rotti. Leave the batter for 10 minutes.

9. Keep a dosa pan on the fire. Let the flame be very low. Heat and put a tsp of oil. Spread the oil around.

10. Take a handful of rotti batter and spread it around the pan as a circle shape.
11. After spreading the batter increase flame to medium. Let the rotti cook for a minute.

12. Turn the other side and cook. Crispy rotti is ready to serve. Prepare the rest of the rotti.

13. Serve with the side dish you have prepared.

14. Add ghee or butter on the top just before serving.

Note :

Let the batter consistency be little thicker than idli batter. It should not be very watery. Adding more chilly or any other ingredients is optional. Use of more oil is optional. Use of cooked Avarekai is better to add since use of raw field beans do not cook fast.
Time :30 Minutes.
Serves : 2 to 3 .

Avarekai - Palak Curry

Avarekai /Field Bean /Hyacinth Bean is a seasonal bean and is always a good habit to make use of seasonal vegetables and fruits. Here once again I have used Avarekai and prepared some yummy curry./Sambar/Thick curry.

In Karnataka most of the houses do use this Avarekai almost everyday during this Avarekai Season. So One more recipe of Avarekai is here. The Avaekai pods are very fresh and the curry which I made curry which turned Yummy. Avarekai - Palak  side dish and goes well with almost all the main dishes.
I have used fresh Avarekai, Palak, fresh coconut, fresh spices.

Things Needed :

Avarekai / Field Beans : 1 Big Cup
Palak Leaves / Spinach : Big Bundle
Methi Seeds /Fenugrik Seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
Home made spice powder : 1 Tablespoon
Tamarind : Small marble size.
Coconut : 1 Cup
Salt : As Required
Turmeric powder : A little
Seasoning with Mustard seeds, coconut oil, ingh and curry leaves.

Method :

1. Remove the pods and wash it and keep it aside.

2. Clean and wash Palak Leaves and cut into small.
3. Pressure cook, 1/4 teaspoon of methi seeds,  Avarekai and Palak Leaves for 6 to 8 minutes.

4. Grate coconut and grind it with tamarind and home prepared spice powder.

5. Keep a pan on the fire and put cooked avaekai , palak mixture.
6. Add Salt, turmeric powder and little water. Let it boil for 2 minutes.

7. Add Ground coconut masala and mix it well. Boil for another 2 to 3 minutes.

8. Now shift Avarekai - Palak Curry to a serving dish.

9. Add mustard seeds, ingh and curry leaves seasoning to the curry and serve.

10. We had Avarekai - Palak Leaves Curry for lunch as one of the side dish.

Note :

You can use rasam powder instead of home made powder. Adding onion or garlic is optional. I have not added either onions or garlic. Use of any cooking oil is optional. Use of some vegetables adds to the energy and health. No need to add any dal to the curry.
Time : 30 Minutes. 
Serves : 3 to 4 

Home Made Spice Powder : For 1 time . 

Methi Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Coriander Seeds : 1 Tablespoon
Channa dal : 1/2 Teaspoon
Urid dal : 1/2 Teaspoon
Cinnamon : Very small piece
Red chilly /byadagi chilli :  5 to 6
Curry leaves : 5 to 6
Ingh/Asafoetida : A pinch
Dry roast one by one and dry grind it once it is cooled.

Avarekai - Jolada Rotti

Avarekai /Hyacinth Bean /Field Bean is still available in the market. It is a seasonal pod and it is loaded with proteins, vitamins and minerals. Avarekai - Millet rotti is nice to have for breakfast or snack or for dinner.

In Avarekai season this bean is used in almost all the dishes. People do make use of this pod and it is loved by many many people.
I have used Avarekai, Millet /JOla flour, carrots, lots of coriander leaves and Cucumber Sasive.
You might wonder why to add cucumber sasive to rotti. You can try this and then you will really agree with me. It adds softness to rotti, the aroma of cucumber is really nice when you are eating this rotti.
I had this cucumber sasive which is made for lunch. We call this dish as sasive because mustard seeds are added while grinding coconut, chilly and cucumber. Then the ground mixture is mixed with thick curd. Seasoning with coconut oil and mustard seeds with ingh and curry leaves adds heavenly taste to this curry. This Cucumber - Sasive is normally served in the beginning of the lunch as one of the side dish.
No ONION OR NO GARLIC ADDED TO THIS AVAREKAI - JOLADA ROTTI.
Let us see the recipe.

Things needed :

Cooked Avarekai/ Hyacinth Bean : 1 Cup
Jola /Millet flour : 2 Cups
Medium size Rava / Sooji : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Cucumber Sasive : 1 Small Cup
Coriander leaves : 1/2 Bundle ( Small bundle ).
Carrots : 1 to 2
Fresh Coconut : 2 Tablespoons
Curry Leaves : 1 Handful
Ginger : Grated : 1 Tablespoon
Salt : As required
Oil : 3 to 4 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Take a big bowl and add millet flour, rava, grated carrots, cut coriander leaves, salt and cooked avarekai. Wash and remove the outer layer of ginger, wash it again and grate it.
2. Add cucumber sasive, grated ginger and required water to it. Mix it well and leave it for 5 minutes.

3. Keep the tava on the fire and put 1/2 tsp of oil on it. Spread it nicely.
4. Let the flame be very low. Take a handful of rotti batter and spread it on the tava slowly.

5. You can spread it as thin as you like. Sprinkle little oil on the top.
6. Spread the batter on the tava as thin as you want. ( With the help of Spatula /Mogocho kai).

7. Sprinkle little more oil and cover the rotti. Cook on medium and low flame.
8. Turn the other side slowly and cook for 1 to2 minutes.

9. Avarekai - Jola /Millet Rotti is ready to serve. Serve with the side dish you have prepared.

10 We had this rotti with chutney powder, ghee/butter, pickle on the top.

Note :

Wash carrots and remove the outer layer, before you grate carrots.
Wash green chilly, coriander leaves and curry leaves nicely before you cut it.
Wash and cut green chilly in to small.
Use of cucumber sasive is optional. You can use grated cucumber and curd instead of sasive.
Use of rava is optional. Adding rava helps the rotti to be crispy and tasty.
Adding cooked avarekai will be soft and crunchy. Do not add un cooked avarekai to the batter. It does not taste good and avare kai will not be cooked properly.
Time 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4.