Surthi Beans is available only during 2-3 months of year with the season typically running from October-January. It is available in plenty in places like Bangalore/Mysore/Hassan and not quite where I live (Manipal). Nevertheless this time around I got my hands on some while it was available and I am going to put up Avrekal Saru ( also see recipe for Melogra here). Toasting this one to the local Bangaloreans.

What you need to have:

1. Avrekalu/Surthi Beans – 1 cup

Fresh Surthi Beans/Avrekayi

Fresh Avrekalu

Ingredients of Wet Masala:

1. Surthi Beans seeds/Avrekalu(cooked) – 1/2 cup

2. Red Chilli – 2-3

3. Coriander seeds – 3 teaspoons

4. Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon

5. Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon

6. Fresh grated coconut – 2 teaspoons

7. Tamarind -A little

Ingredients of Wet Masala

What you do with what you have:

1. Peal the beans and remove the seeds. Cook it in the cooker till soft adding a little salt.

Cooked Surthi Beans

2. Place a spatula with a teaspoon of cooking oil in it on medium flame. When heated switch off the flame and fry red chilly in it. Add it while grinding wet masala. Cool cooked beans from step 1. Use half the quantity of cooked  beans and grind it with the wet masala ingredients in the mixer adding water in steps to a fine consistency. Ground wet masala is as shown in the image below.

Ground Wet Masala

3. Transfer remaining cooked half the quantity of Avrekai into a vessel and add the ground wet Masala to it. Add sufficient quantity of water to make it to a pouring consistency. Add required quantity of salt to it as well. Slit a green chilli and add to it and bring it to boil.

Surthi Beans saru being cooked

4. Place a spatula with 2 teaspoons of cooking oil in it on the flame. When heated add mustard seeds to it. When it sputters add red chilli, curry leaves and asafoetida powder to it. Season it to the dish. Also decorate it with chopped coriander leaves.                                                                                       

Ready to serve Avrekalu Saru

Note: One has to cook all the Avrekalu in cooker.But use half the quantity while grinding the masala and the remaining should be used in the dish.  All the masala ingredients should be ground raw except the red chillies which has to be fried.

How long it takes: 45 minutes

Number of servings: 4-5

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