Avarekalu Huli/Saaru

Avarekalu Huli or avarekalu saaru is a delicious, tangy side dish made with avarekalu (hyacinth beans), cooked in a rich onion-tomato base, and seasoned with spices and herbs. It’s an excellent side dish with hot steamed rice, topped with a dollop of ghee and pickles on the side.

Being born and brought up in Karnataka, I have eaten quite a number of delicacies made with these beans; they are that versatile and add so much flavor to whichever dish they are put in. Avarekayi is essentially a winter vegetable however now it’s available throughout the year, thanks to freezing.

This recipe is my mother-in-law’s. I learned it from her and have been making this delicious huli for a couple of years now. It’s simple to make and requires basic ingredients and no blending. I have used frozen avarekalu to make this dish, but it’s best to get fresh ones. Read on to know how I make this delicious curry. Hope you try it and like it too!

Ingredients:

Pressure cooking:
250g avarekalu, frozen
500ml of water
1/2 teaspoon salt

Curry:
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 dried red chili, split into halves
Asafoetida, a pinch
A handful of curry leaves
1 small red onion, chopped
3 medium tomatoes, grated or finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon sambar powder(homemade or store-bought)
Water
A handful of chopped cilantro
Salt to taste

Directions:

Add avarekalu, water, and salt into a cooker and pressure on medium heat until two whistles. Turn off and allow pressure to release naturally.

Heat oil in a medium size cooking pot. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds, and allow them to pop and sizzle. Add minced garlic, and saute for a few seconds until aromatic, then add hing, split red chilies, and curry leaves.

Add chopped onion, saute until translucent, and add the grated tomato. Stir, cover, and cook on low-medium heat until tomatoes are soft and mushy. Add turmeric powder and sambar powder, stir, and cook for a minute until the oil separates. (we are not adding salt here since we have already added it to pressure cook avarekalu)

Transfer cooked avarekalu along with the water used for cooking it, into the cooking pot. Stir and allow the mixture to come to a boil. Adjust the Huli consistency and salt if necessary. Continue cooking for 3-4 minutes more on low heat allowing the flavors to come together.

Lastly, garnish with chopped cilantro and enjoy delicious avarekalu huli with hot steamed rice, topped with a dollop of ghee and pickles on the side.

Note:

Adding brinjal and/or potato adds more flavor.
Simply add 2-3 small brinjals and a potato, cut into 1-inch cubes and pressure cook along with avarekalu. Add them all together in the curry as mentioned in the recipe.

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Happy cooking, happy eating!