Avare Kalu ( ಅವರೆ ಕಾಳು ) Uppittu ( Avare Upma).

Ready to Serve Avarekai Uppittu

Avere kaalu is also called as field beans or flat beans. We get Avarekai during winter season. It grows well in winter and we get plenty during November to March. It is also one of the favourite beans of many people in Karnataka I can say. There are many dishes prepared each day during Avarekai season. Avarekai is fried and munched in most of the houses. There will be Avarekai Mela.(where you get all items prepared using Averekai and the fresh Avarekai also will be available from different parts of  Karnataka State.
We can prepare many type of dishes using Averekai as I said it earlier. Like wise Avarekai Chithranna, (rice item), Bisibele bath, rotti, Parota, curries, rasam and many more dishes.
Here is one such recipe that is Avare Kalu ( Kalu means crop or pod) Uppittu ( Upma) which is very favorite of many. 
I have not used any onions in this dish so it can be prepared for special and fasting days.
Avarekalu Uppittu can be enjoyed any time of the day. It is good for breakfast, as snack or even for dinner.
Lets see the recipe :

Things Needed:

Medium size Rava  ( Sooji , Samolina ): 1  1/2 cup.
Avare kaalu : 1 1/2  cup
Oil : 3 Table spoons
Ghee : 4 Table spoons
Coconut : 1/2 cup ( Fresh grated ).
Green Chilly : 3
Pepper pods : 5 to 6
Jeera (Cumin Seeds) : 1/2 Tea spoon
Ginger : a small piece
Mustard : 1/2 Tea spoon
Urd Daal : 1/2 Tea spoon
Channa Daal : 1/2 Tea spoon (optional).
Curry Leaves : 6 to 8 leaves
Salt : To taste.
Water 3 Cups.

 Method :  

1. Wash and cook Avarekalu in a pressure cooker for 8 to 10 minutes with 1/2 Cup of water.
2. Wash and cut green chilly, remove the skin of ginger and grate it.
3. Grate coconut and keep it aside. Crush or powder pepper pods.

4. Keep a big pan on the fire. Heat and put oil. Put mustard seeds, urd daal and channa daal. Fry on slow flame until mustard spurts

5. Add  curry leaves, grated ginger  and cut green chillies.

6. Add Rava and roast until the raw smell of rava disappears.  ( At least for 5 to 6 minutes). 

7. Add boiling water to Rava mixture and stir and mix well. ( Keep low flame while adding water). Add salt and cook for 2 minutes.

8. Add  cooked Avare kaai  and mix it well. Add fresh coconut and mix it slowly and put off the gas. 

9. Add ghee on the top and mix it again and shift cooked Avare kaai Upma  to the serving bowl.

10. Serve with a cup of curd with Avarekai Uppituu.

Note :

You can add salt to the cooked Avare kaai and cook it for few minutes so that it taste better. Roast  rava  on slow flame so that it does not get burnt. It should be roasted well .You can add cut onions just before adding rava. Adding more oil or ghee adds to the taste. You can also add more chilly to give a spicy taste. Adding pepper and jeera helps to digest the food easily.
Time : 40 minutes. (cooking Avarekai - 15 minutes. + cooking .
Serves : 3 to 4.

Puffed Rice....Laddu ( Puri Unde )

Puffed Rice Laddus are snacks and can have them at any time of the day.
Things Needed:
Puffed Rice  Flakes : 2 cups
Jaggery : 1/2 cup ( Powdered )
Ground Nuts : 2 Table spoons( Roasted)
Cardamom : 4 to 6 pods
Water : 1 Table spoon
  Method :
Powder  cardamom pods ( Remove the outer layer before powdering ) and keep it aside.
Roast the ground nuts and remove the skin and  keep it aside.
Keep a big pan on the fire and heat . Put jaggery and a  table spoon of water and let it dissolve . when it starts bubbling add Puffed Rice flakes and ground nuts and mix well and prepare Laddus. You can add a spoon of ghee while preparing Luddus to be  more tasty.

Note : The jaggery should not be very watery when you dissolve jaggary .It should not be so thick either.  Keep it on the low flame while preparing these Laddus.
You can also add dry fruits like  Almonds , Cashew and dry grapes.( Raisins). Altogether about 2 table spoons. ( Cut it into small pieces).
10 to 12  medium sized undes ( Laddus ) can be made.