MENthya Soppu Avarekaalu Bhath

Menthya Soppu Avarekaalu Bhath is a spicy pulav with loads of flavours made using fenugreek leaves and flat beans. It is the season of Avarekaalu and almost everyone makes everything out of it. Avarekaalu upittu, Avarekaalu rotti, Avarekaalu usli, Avarekaalu bhath, Avarekaalu dose and people go to the heights of making Avarekaalu Paayasa and obattu. Basically four months we live on Avarekaalu.

Menthya Soppu Avarekaalu Bhath I learnt from my friend’s mom. I have always loved food with lot of masala, ginger, garlic. May be because at home my mom cooked food without garlic and too much masala. Hence I would always learn these spicy food from my friends and come home and try it on my father and brother 🙂 This is one such dish that has stayed in my recipe book ever since.

Recently we visited our friend’s farm where they have grown Avarekai and we had so much fun picking them. They were so fresh and we could smell Avarekaalu from a distance.

Avarekai = Whole Hyacinth Beans or Flat beans

Avarekaalu = Hyacinth Beans

Ingredients

1 bunch – Menthya soppy ( Fenugreek leaves)

1 cup – Avarekaalu (beans)

1 no – Onion, medium size, julienned

1 no – Tomato, medium sized, chopped finely

1 tsp – Jeera

1 inch piece of cinnamon

1 bay leaf

Salt to taste

2 cups – Basmati rice

1/4 cup – cooking oil

4 Tbsps – Ghee

To grind 

1/4 cup – Fresh coconut, grated

2 no – Green chillies

1 tsp – Pepper

1 tsp – Jeera

6 cloves of garlic

1 inch of ginger

1 inch piece cinnamon

3 to 4 cloves

1 no Cardamom

1 tsp – Turmeric powder

Method

Grind all the ingredients listed under to grind section into a fine paste using as much water required.

In a heavy bottom pressure cooker, heat oil and ghee together.

Add jeera, cinnamon, bay leaf and let it crackle.

Add onion and fry it till the onions are nice and golden.

To this add menthe soppy and fry for a couple of minutes and then add the Avarekaalu.

Cook for a couple of minutes over high flame.

Add chopped tomato and the ground masala to this and cook till the oil separates.

Add 4 cups of water and salt to taste. Let the water come to a boil.

Add washed rice to this and give it a good mix.

Let the water boil again. Cover the lid of the cooker and give it two whistles.

Let the cooker cool down. Turn the pulav onto a plate and mix it lightly so that the masala that has settled at the bottom is mixed well.

Mix it using a fork very lightly so the rice doesn’t break.

Garnish it with fried onions and bread pieces and serve it with raita.