Avalakki Bisi -Bele Baat

Ready to Serve Avalakki Bisibele Baat

Bisibele baath is a full meal dish and it does contain rice, dal, vegetables and spices normally. Bisi means hot, bele is dal and baath is some rice dish. It is well known dish of Karnataka. People just love this dish and prepare using peas or legumes according to the season and the available vegetables or pulses. Bisible baat is anytime favourite dish of many. They do prepare for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is easy to pack it for office goers or traveling.As I said earlier bisibele baath contain a whole lot of vegetables, dal and rice, the person will not feel hungry for a long time. It does contain loads of minerals, vitamins and carbohydrates. It gives loads of energy.

Here in this recipe of " Avalakki Bisi Bele Baat ", and I have used Awalakki (beaten rice of flattened rice or poha or awal) instead of rice. Some how I do not feel comfortable eating rice in the morning. Avalakki is always light and healthy. There is a little twist in preparing bisibele baat here. Vegetables, dal, Mango chutney (instead of coconut and tamarind) and bisibele baath powder are used. Mango chutney adds to the taste.  .

Let us see some benefits of having dals and legumes or lentils and Avalakki (Poha) in our diet.

Beans or peas or legumes are natural source of protein. They are high in fiber, low in fat and easy to digest. They are also rich in vitamins (A, B, C and E). They contain calcium, iron and potassium. They are rich source of dietary fiber. They help to control blood sugar levels, ease digestion and control high cholesterol.
Avalakki or Poha is packed with iron and eating poha regularly can prevent iron deficiency of anemia. They are good source of Carbohydrates. They are needed to help our body, store energy and perform various other functions. Intake of carbohydrates from healthy source is vital and Avalakki is one of the healthy source. They are good for diabetes. They are also low in gluten.
Avalakki Bisi Bele Baath do not contain any onions or garlic, and we can prepare this dish for any festival or feast, special days or fasting time. It also can be ideal for kitty parties or get together parties.

Things Needed:

To Cook :

Thick Avalakki (Flattened rice or Poha): 2 Cups
Toor Dal : 3/4 Cup.
Peas : 1 Cup
Carrots : 2
Capsicum " 1

Spice :

Bisibele baath powder: 2 to 3 Table spoons
Mango chutney : 1 Small cup
Salt : according to the taste

Seasoning :

Mustard Seeds : 1 Tea spoon
Urid dal : 1 Tea spoon
Oil : 2 Table spoons
Ghee : 1 Table spoon
Ingh (Asafoetida): a pinch
Curry leaves : One handful
Cashew Nuts : 2 Table spoons.

Method :

1. Wash and pressure cook toor dal , fresh peas (or frozen) and keep it aside.

2. Wash and cut Carrots and capsicum. Cook carrots and capsicum with little water till they are soft.

3. Prepare mango chutney using 2 to 3 table spoons of cut mango ( I used totapuri ) and 3 table spoons of fresh coconut gratings with 1 green chilly and a pinch of ingh.keep it aside.

4. Wash and soak Avalakki (flattened rice) in 1/2 cup of water.

6. Now keep a big pan on the fire. Put cooked vegetables, cooked dal, peas.
7.Add pinch of turmeric powder and salt. Let it cook for a minute.

8.Add mango chutney and bisibele baat powder. Add 1 cup of water and mix it well. Let it cook nicely for 2 minutes. Stir in between.

 9. Add soaked Avalakki. Mix it well.

10. Now keep a small pan on the fire. Add oil and heat. Add mustard seeds, urid dal and let the mustard splutter.
11. Add cashews and fry nicely till they turn golden brown. Add curry leaves and ingh. Fry them for 10 seconds.

12. Add this seasoning to the avalakki bisibele baat and shift avalakki bisibele baat to a serving bowl.
13. Add a table spoon of ghee and mix it well.

14. Serve with some potato chips and a cup of curd.

Note : 

You can use left over mango chutney but do not use the stale chutney. It may turn food poisoning. Using more vegetables are optional.
Adding onions or garlic is purely optional. You can also use dry peas. (batani or vatana). Wash and soak them for over night or 6 to 8 hours before cooking. You can use tamarind pulp instead of mango chutney. Using more ghee is also an optional.
I have used home made bisibele baat powder. Using MTR or Mayyas bisibele baat powder is an optional. Eat and serve when it is hot. It may turn thick with in small time. Adjust water while cooking.You can use Moong dal instead of Toor dal.
Total time : 40Minutes 
Serves : 4 to 5 .

Recipe for home made bisibele baat powder :

Dry roast one by one all these ingredients on low flame.
1/4 tea spoon of methi seeds, 2 table spoons of coriander seeds, 1 Table spoon of channa dal and urid dal (each 1 spoon), a piece of cinnamon, 4 to  5 cloves and 8 to 10 red chilly. Add curry leaves and ingh. Leave it for cooling and dry grind this roasted spices. Adding 1/2 Tea spoon of poppy seeds while roasting is optional. ( I do not add).

Kepmpu Harive & TondeKai Curry

Ready to Serve Kempu Harive & Tondekai Curry

Kempu Harive and Tondekai (Kannada words) are, red Amaranth leaves and Ivy gourd. Leaves are to be used in our diet at least twice to trice in a week. I especially like these amaranth leaves and prepare dishes very often. Kempu Harive (amaranth leaves) and Tonde kai (Ivy gourd) curry goes well with plain rice, chapatis, poori , roti, idli and dosas.
These amaranth  leaves and Ivy gourd is cooked with mild spices and added ground coconut. Toor dal is added to thicken the curry. 
Lets see some common name of Ivy gourd in Indian languages and its benefits in our diet.
It is known as Kunduru - Hindi, Tondli or Thindli in Marati. Kovai -Tamil, Kovakai or Kovai in Malayalam. Donda Kaya - Telugu. Telakucha in Bengali and Ban kundri in Oriya. It is known as Bimbika in Sanskrit.
Ivy gourd contain beta carotene. (Vitamin A). It is also rich source of protein and fiber. They are good for people who are suffering from diabetic. They can control the blood sugar level. They also help to come over constipation and bowel problems. They are used to cure asthma, bronchitis and jaundice. They are used for treating people who have high cholesterol level. Ivy gourd contain Vitamin A, Vitamin B- carotene, Vitamin C, Vitamin B1 and B2.
Kempu Harive & Tondekai Curry do not contain any onion or garlic. 
Lets see the recipe now:

Things Needed :

Kempu Harive soppu (Amaranth Leaves) : 1 bowl (2 small bundles)
Tondekai (Ivy gourd) : 1/4 Kg. ( 10 to 15)
Toor Dal : 1/2 Cup
Coconut : 2 to 3 Table spoons.
Rasam Powder : 2 Table spoons
Lemon or tamarind pulp : 1 Table spoon
Salt : as required
Turmeric powder : a pinch

Seasoning :

Oil : 1 Tea spoon
Jeera (cumin seeds) : 1/2 Tea spoon
Ingh : a pinch
Curry leaves : 6 to 8

Method :

1. Wash and cut Kempu Harive soppu and tondekai and cook them for 5 to 6 minutes. (till Ivy gourd is soft).

2. Wash and pressure cook toor dal and keep it aside.
3. Grate coconut and grind till paste with little water and remove from the mixi jar.
4. Soak a small marble size tamarind in hot water and squeeze out the pulp and keep it aside.
5. Now keep a big bowl or pan on the fire. Put cooked vegetables and cooked dal.

6. Add tamarind pulp, salt, turmeric powder.
7. Add ground coconut and rasam powder. Add water if required. Mix it well and let it boil nicely for 3 to 4 minutes.

8. Shift this curry to a serving bowl and add jeera, ingh, curry leaves splutter.

9. Serve with the main dish you prepared.
10. Add a spoon of fresh ghee just before serving.

Note :

You can use onions and garlic if you wish. You can also use lemon instead of tamarind pulp. Squeeze out one lemon extract and add it to the curry just before serving. You can add fresh rasam powder instead of bought ones. I used fresh rasam powder. Roast 1/4 tea spoon of methi, 2 table spoon of coriander seeds, 5 to 6 red chilly (byadagi), and 1/2 Tea spoon of jeera. Dry roast and dry grind to get the fresh rasam powder. Adding jaggery or sugar is also optional. ( I did not add any ). The consistency of curry is also optional. (Watery or thick). Using coconut milk adds to the taste. (Optional).
Time :
Preparation: 10 minutes.
Cooking time : 20 minutes 
Total time : 30 minutes
Serves :  3 to 4.