Avarekaalu Gojju

Avarekaalu, the fresh field beans is the most awaited winter produce in and around Bangalore. Come December, every kitchen is flooded  with avarekalu preparations, ranging from breakfast dishes to desserts. In fact, 'thindi beedi' aka eat street in V.V.Puram which has become a focal point for street food in Bangalore in the recent years hosts an annual 'avarekayi mela'. It has been a hit among patrons, which showcases avarekayi delicacies. 

Here are some of the recipes I have posted previously featuring avare kaalu aka fresh field beans.

Avarekayi chivda

Avaraekalu dose

Avarekalu idli

Avarekayi melogara

Hitakida bele huli

Today, I thought of posting a gojju recipe using avarekaalu. Gojju, a sweet and spicy gravy made with some select vegetables or even fruits is a side dish from Karnataka. A special spice powder goes into the preparation and is commonly prepared at homes or even served at functions / festive meals in the region. I have made this gojju following the traditional method but I have seen preparations online using tomato, onions and other spices.

Here are some of the gojju recipes I have posted previously.

Bendekaayi Gojju

Drakshi Gojju

Ginger Gojju

Hagalakayi Gojju (Version 1)

Hagalakayi Gojju (Version 2)

Lemon Gojju

Limbe Hannina Gojju / Lemon Gojju

Pineapple / Ananas Gojju

The preparation is quite simple and don't be put off by the long list of the ingredients given here. Some go into tempering and some for grinding. Try this if you haven't earlier and you would not be disappointed. A large batch of gojju pudi can be prepared in advance and stored, which makes this gojju preparation, a quick and easy one. 

Ingredients for spice powder / gojju pudi:

1 tbsp. Bengal gram / split chickpeas / chana dal
1/2 tbsp. skinned black gram / urad dal
1 tbsp. coriander seeds / sabut dhaniya
3 red chilis, spicy variety
2 Byadagi red chilis
1 tsp. white sesame seeds
1/4 cup grated, dry coconut

Ingredients for gojju:
1 tsp. oil
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
2 pinches asafetida powder
1 sprig of curry leaves
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Jaggery to taste (I used 2 stevia packets.)
1 cup water
2 tbsp. thick, tamarind pulp or to taste* 
1/2 cup avarekaalu
1/4 cup gojju powder

* Use tamarind to taste

Preparing spice powder:
* Toast Bengal gram and skinned black gram separately in a sauté pan till they turn reddish and remove. Add coriander seeds to the pan and sauté on low flame till they turn a few shades darker. Similarly toast sesame seeds, methi seeds and chilies for a few seconds.

 

* Cool the toasted ingredients and grind into a fine powder adding coconut. (Oil can be used to toast the spices but I skip it.)

Preparing gojju:

* Soak a big lemon sized tamarind in water, in advance. Squeeze The tamarind well using fingers to collect the thick pulp.  

* Heat oil in a kadai/pan and add mustard seeds. When the they start to sputter, add asafetida powder and curry leaves. Then add the avare kaalu / fresh field beans, turmeric powder, salt and about 1/2 cup of water. Cook until the avarekaalu turn fork tender. (Avarekaalu can be cooked in advance in a microwave with a little water.)

* Then add the gojju powder, tamarind, jaggery, and about a cup of water (or as needed). Stir well and let the mixture cook on medium flame. Check the flavor and adjust the seasonings, if any needed.

* Let the mixture come to a boil. Lower the heat setting and cook until the gojju thickens.

* Serve it warm with rotis / rice.

This is going to be my contribution to this week's Blogging marathon, with the theme 'Winter Produce'. Check the page link to see what other marathoners are cooking.

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Peanut - Onion Chutney

Peanut based chutney is one of the common chutneys prepared in south Indian homes besides the coconut chutney and roasted gram chutney. The thick, creamy and richly flavorful chutney goes well with breakfast dishes like idlis, dosa, upma, pongal and such. 

Peanuts that are roasted on low heat until the rawness is gone is used in this chutney. The low heat is the key here. If peanuts are roasted on high flame then only the skins get blackened faster but the peanuts still would taste raw. The chutney doesn't taste good when the peanuts are not roasted well. The roasted peanuts are cooled and then usually skinned by rubbing between the palms, before getting used in the chutney. It is absolutely fine if one wishes to skip this step and use them with the skin intact. Peanuts can be roasted ahead and stored to use later. Or if using store bought skinned peanuts, these steps can be skipped altogether which makes the chutney making a quick and simple task.

Peanut chutney is made in many versions. I usually stick to the basic one that needs just roasted peanuts, green chilies and salt. Many add garlic too to this chutney. Coconut, ginger, cilantro, tamarind can go into this chutney as well. Here is a version that one of my sister-in-law prepares using fried onion. She adds sautéed onion at the end while grinding but I add directly to the chutney. An extras step to the basic version but adds flavor to the chutney. I served dosas with peanut chutney and ginger - tamarind chutney. 

Ingredients:

2 - 3 tsp. oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. skinned black gram / urad dal
1 tsp. split chickpeas / chana dal
1 sprig of curry leaves
1 onion, finely chopped

1 cup roasted and skinned peanuts
2 green chilies or to taste
Salt to taste
1 cup water

Directions:

* Heat oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds, black gram and split chick peas. Stir once and when mustard seeds start to splutter and split chickpeas start to turn reddish, add curry leaves and onion. Sauté on low flame until onion turns translucent. (Or the sautéing of onions and tadka can be done separately.)

* Grind peanuts, green chilies and salt together adding water, finely or slightly grainy, depending upon one's preference.

* Transfer the ground peanut chutney to a bowl and add the sautéed onion mixture. Mix well and serve as a side dish to south Indian breakfast dishes like dosa, idli, or upma.

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