Avarekai Vada - Palav

Ready to Serve Avarekai Vada Palav

Avarekai is nothing but Field Beans and it is a seasonal crop. It grows plenty in Karnataka during winter months like November to February normally. People do prepare lots of food items using Avarekai. Avarekai is used almost every day in their cooking. It is dried in the sun and used as substitute to Toor Dal also.
Lets see some benefits of Avarekai or Field Beans.
They are good source of Vitamin A, B and C. These Vitamins help our body strong and healthy and protect against diseases. They alos make our body and teeth strong. They improve the immune system. It is also good for people who are suffering from diabetic. They help to normal the blood sugar level and gives energy. They are highly nutritious.They lower the cholesterol level. Field Beans are rich in fiber content and helps in proper functioning of our digestive system. They are rich in minerals like Iron, Manganese, Magnesium, Phosphorous, Copper and Potassium.
Avarekai Vada is easy to prepare and can be eaten as snack or along with lunch or dinner. Or it can be munched any time of the day.
Here I have just mixed Avarekai Vada with simple and plain Palav. It taste very nice with any masala rice. Just dipping them in Hot Palav turns the vada soft and adds taste to Palav.
Lets see the recipes now.

1. Avarekai Vada

Things Needed :

Avarekai (Field or Flat beans) :  2 Cups
Ginger : 1 Table spoon (an inch)
Green Chilly : 2
Pepper Pods : 6 to 8
Jeera :  1 Tea spoon
Curry Leaves : One Handful  (10 to 12)
Coriander Leaves :  2 to 3 Table spoons.
Salt : required .
Coconut : 2 Table spoons
Oil : 1 Cup

Method :

!. Remove the pods and soak it in water for 10 minutes.

2. Wash green chilly, coriander leaves, curry leaves and ginger. Remove the outer skin of ginger and grate it.

3. Now grind green chilly, ginger, pepper pods, coriander leaves and curry leaves with out water for 10 seconds.
4. Add field beans and grind it coarsely  (Do not grind them into paste) with little by little water. (only required water).

5. Remove from the Mixi jar and put it in a bowl. Add salt, jeera, grated coconut and mix it nicely and keep it aside.

6. Keep oil on the fire and heat. Take a small portion of the ground avarekai dough in hand.
7. Pat it on your palm and put it in hot oil and fry on medium heat. Fry on both side and remove from the oil.

8. Put them on kitchen towel so that extra oil is absorbed by the kitchen towel.
9. Serve them with any chutney or ketchup with a cup of coffee or tea.

Note : 

You can use channa dal instead of Avarekai. ( Field Beans ). You can add cut onions and garlic to the batter just before you start frying vadas. Adding coconut is optional. Do not add more water while grinding. You can add some besan (channa flour) if the dough turns watery. It may not taste the same.
Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 4 to 5.

2. Avarekai Vada - Palav :

Things Needed : 

Carrots : 2
Beans  :  1/4 Kig
Basmati Rice : 2 Cups
Avare Kai Vada : 8 to 10
Butter or Ghee : 2 Table spoons
Oil : 2 Table spoons
Green chilly : 2
Garam Masala : 1 Tea spoon
Coconut : 1 Cup
Cloves : 3 to 4
Ginger : 1/2 inch
Cinnamon : 2 small pieces
Salt : required
Pepper pods.
Jeera (cumin seeds) : 1/2 Tea spoon
Cardamom : 2
Cashew Nuts : 1 Handful

Method : 

1. Wash and  keep basmati rice for 10 minutes. (Remove the water from rice completely).

2. Wash carrot and beans and cut it in to small. Grate coconut and ginger and keep it aside.

3. Wash green chilly and coriander leaves and cut into small. Keep it aside. Crush pepper pods and keep it aside.
4. Keep a pan on the fire and put oil and ghee. Add cinnamon, cloves, jeera, cardamom and crushed pepper pods. Add cashew nuts.

5. Fry them nicely for 10 seconds and add carrots, beans and fry for 1 to 2 minutes. Add grated ginger and chilly.

6. Add basmati rice and mix all the ingredients nicely for 3 to 4 minutes. Put off the gas and then add garam masala.

7. Mix it again and put this mixture in the rice cooker or pressure cooker. Add required water.  ( I cup rice = 2 cups water).

8. Add coconut and salt. Mix all the ingredients nicely and cover it and cook. ( Rice cooker will be off once the palav is done).

9. Once the palav is done just open and arrange the vadas in circle and cover with little palav. ( Keep the rice cooker switch off).

10. Let the vadas be in the rice cooker along with Palav for 10 to 20 minutes. Now shift the Palv with Averekai Vada to a serving dish.

11. Serve Palav + Avarekai Vada with any raitha .

12. It goes well with any chutney too.

Note :

If you are using pressure cooker it should not be more than 8 to 10 minutes. (cooking time). Then put off and wait the pressure to be down. Remove the lid and then arrange and insert vadas in Palav and close the lids and leave it for 10 minutes and then serve the Palav.
Adding more spices is optional. Adding coconut is also optional. ( I have added). Adding more oil or ghee or butte is optional. You can use onions and garlic. ( Add it while frying). You can use any variety of rice to prepare Palav..Use water according to the requirement.
Preparation and cooking time : 40 minutes.
Serves : 4 to 5. 

Basale - Bajji Chilli Spicy Curry (Malabar Spinach)

Ready to Serve Basale -Bajji Spicy Curry

Basale - Bajji Chilly Spicy  Curry is a spicy gravy dish and we can have them with chapatis, rotis, poori, dosa, idli and with plain rice.
As the name says it is bit spicy and of course you can adjust the spices according to your bud taste.
Here I have used Basale , Mangalore southe and Bajji Menasina kai ( it is known for its Bajji Menasina kai bonda).
Basale ( Kannada Language) is also known as Malabar spinach a healthy leaves. Basella alba is an edible perennial vine. It is found in Asia and Africa and used as a leafy vegetable. It is also known as vine spinach, red vine spinach, creaping spinach, climbing spinach, buffalo spinach, Malabar spinach and Ceylon Spinach.

In India it is known in different names like, Pui Shak in Bengali, Poi ni Bhaji - Gujarati, Basale Soppu in Kannada ( Karnataka). Vachi Bhaji or Vauchi bhaji in Konkani, Vellicheera - Malayalam. In Marati it is known as Mayalu and Poi Saaga in Oria, Kodip Pasali -Tamil, Bachhali - Telugu and Basale in Tulu.
Let us see the benefits of having Basale Soppu in our diet.
Basale ( Malabar Spinach) is very low in Calories and fats. It contain good amount of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They are good source of fiber that found in the stem and leaves and ease the constipation and bowel movements. They contain Vitamin A and good for protection of lung and oral cavity cancers.They contain Vitamin C and B - complex vitamins. They are also good sources of minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium and copper.
Lets see the recipe now.
Basale - Bajji Chilly Spicy Curry do not contain Onions or Garlic.

 

Things Needed : 

Basale leaves : 2 Cups
Mangalore Southe kai : 1 Cup
Bajji Chilly : 2
Coconut : 1 Small Cup (2 to  3 Table spoons)
Jeera (Cumin Seeds) : 1/2 Tea spoon
Red Chilly (Byadagi Menasu) : 3 to 4
Tamarind : small marble size
Oil : 1 Tea spoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Urid dal : 1/2 Tea spoon
Ingh : a pinch
Turmeric Powder : a pinch
Curry leaves : 5 to 6
Coriander Leaves : 1 Table spoon
Salt : to taste;

Method :

1.Wash and Cut Basale, bajji Menasu, Mangalore Southe kai ( mangalore cucumber ) and coriander leaves.

2. Keep a pan on the fire and put cut basale soppu (Malabar spinach), southe kai pieces, turmeric powder  and cut green chilly pieces.
3. Add a cup of water and  cook till they are soft.

4. Grate coconut and grind it with jeera, tamarind and red chilly. Remove from the mixi jar and keep it aside.

5. Add the ground mixture once the vegetables are soft. Add salt and mix it well.

6. Bring it to boil. Add water if required.

7. Keep a small pan on the fire and heat. Add a spoon of oil and mustard seeds, urid dal.

8. Let the mustard spurt. Add curry leaves and ingh. Mix it well and put off the gas.

9. Put this fried mixture to cooked Basale Bajji Chilly Spicy Curry. Add coriander leaves and mix it well.
10. Serve with the main dish with little ghee.

Note : 

You can add any vegetable along with Basale leaves. You can also add onions while cooking (Optional). I have not added. You can add a spoon of soaked rice while grinding. It gives thickness to the curry. You can add lemon juice instead of tamarind. You can also add 1/2 tea spoon of garam masala powder to the curry. ( I have not added).

Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 2 to 3.