Avarekalu Saaru or Avrekalu Huli is a winter delicacy made with cooked hyacinth beans in a delicious gravy made from coconut, coriander and red chillies.
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Avarekalu Saaru is a cherished delicacy from Karnataka, made with tender hyacinth beans, coconut, and tomatoes. The foundation of this flavorful dish, whether it’s called saaru or avrekalu huli, is a rich blend of coconut and aromatic spices like cumin (jeera), fenugreek (methi), coriander seeds and dried red chilies, which together create a unique and aromatic base for the curry.
This dish is known by different names in various households—some refer to it as avarekalu saaru, while others call it avarekalu huli. The term huli is often used due to the inclusion of tamarind or tomato as a souring agent, lending a tangy flavor to the dish. On the other hand, it is called saaru because of its thinner, more broth-like consistency, in contrast to the thicker, richer texture of huli.
Ingredients for Avarekalu Saaru
What is the difference between Avarekalu and Hithkiddu Avarekalu?
When you shell the pods, you get Avarekalu. These beans have a skin on top of them which adds a lot of fibre. When you remove the skin, it’s called Hithkiddu (hith-kidh-dhu) Avarekalu. I am told by my aunts that removing the skin help with digesting the bean better. You also have less to chew. They also cook faster without the skin. Both beans taste great and work well in this recipe.
How to make Avarekalu Saaru | Avarekalu Huli
The first step is to cook the avarekalu. I prefer to buy shelled avarekalu since it saves all the time. Avareklau stores well in the fridge for up to a week.
Take 1 cup (180-200g) of the beans, rinse it and add it to a small pressure cooker. Add about 1/2 cup of water, a pinch of turmeric and a pinch of salt.
Close the lid and let the pressure cooker release 2 whistles. Turn off the flame and let the steam come down naturally.
While the pressure cooker is settling, you can prepare the masala.
Place a small pan on low-medium flame. Add the methi seeds, coriander seeds and jeera. Roast until the spices get aromatic. Transfer the ingredients to a plate. Next, add the dried red chillies to the pan and roast it until crisp. Turn off the heat and transfer to the same plate. Allow it to cool down.
Add the cooled ingredients to the mixer jar along with grated coconut and a tomato. Nati tomato has a more sour taste as compared to hybrid tomatoes. If you are using a hybrid tomato, add a piece of tamarind too. This is optional.
To this, you can also add some of the cooked avarekalu to give the gravy some ‘body’/thickness. Grind all the ingredients to a smooth paste with a little water.
Place a kadai or pot on low to medium heat. Add a teaspoon of oil and allow it to warm up. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Once the curry leaves calm down, add the prepared avaraekalu masala to the pot. Add a little water to make sure that the gravy is not too thick. Add 1/2 tsp salt and mix well. Check for salt levels.
Allow this masala to simmer on a low flame for 7-8 minutes. Stir it in between so that the masala doesn’t settle in the bottom. Once the raw smell of the spices goes away, you can add the cooked avarekalu along with the water and give a mix.
While adding the water along with the avarekalu, ensure to not add too much water. The gravy might get too thin.
Allow the Avareklau Saru to simmer for a couple of minutes and turn off the heat.
Serving Suggestions
Serve avarekalu saaru along with hot rice and ghee, or you can even eat this dish with dosa or chapathi.
Storage and Shelf Life
Avarekalu saaru can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days int he fridge. After that, reheat only once and consume it all.
If you live in a city with warm temperature, it’s best to put it in the fridge after 3-4 hours. It might go bad since any dish made with coconut tends to go bad with exposure to heat.
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Recipe for Avarekalu Huli
Avarekalu Saaru | Avarekalu Huli
Ingredients
To Prep
- 250 g Avarekalu with or without skin
- ¼ tsp Turmeric powder
For the masala
- 3-4 Dried Red chillies adjust according to taste
- 2 tbsp Coriander seeds
- 1 tsp Jeera
- ½ tsp Methi seeds
- 3 tbsp Grated coconut
- 1 Tomato
- Tamarind small piece (optional)
For the main dish
- 1 tbsp Cooking oil (groundnut oil)
- ½ tsp Mustard seeds
- 2 sprigs Curry Leaves
Instructions
- The first step is to cook the avarekalu. Add the shelled beans into a container with water and add a pinch of turmeric powder. Place it in a pressure cooker with an inch of water in it. Close the lid and allow for 2-3 whistles. You do not need more than that to cook avarekalu.
- While the pressure of the cooker is coming down, prepare the base masala.
- Place a small pan on low-medium heat, and add the coriander seeds, methi seeds and jeera. Roast until you get the aroma of the spices. Once done, transfer it to a plate.Now add the dried red chillies and roast them until crisp. Turn off the heat and transfer the chillies to the same plate. Allow the ingredients to cool down.
- Once cooled, add the roasted ingredients to a mixer jar. Now add the grated coconut, tomato and tamarind (if using) as well. Now, take out the cooked avarekalu from the cooker and add 2-3 tbsp of the cooked avarekalu to the mixer jar. This will help thicken the masala while grinding. Grind all the ingredients to a smooth paste. Add some water if the masala gets too dry. The ground masala must be a thick paste.
- Now, place a deep pan or pot on a low or medium flame. Add a tablespoon of groundnut oil. Once the oil is hot, add mustards seeds and let it sputter.Next, add the curry leaves and saute for a few seconds.
- You can now add the coconut masala to the pan. Add half a cup of water. Give it a mix.
- If you are eating it with rice, you will need a relatively thinner gravy texture. So adjust the water accordingly. If you are eating the saaru with chapathi or dosa, you can keep the gravy slightly thicker. Add ½ tsp salt and mix well. Allow the gravy to simmer on a low flame for 7-8 minutes. Keep stirring in between to ensure the gravy does not stick to the bottom.
- Once the raw smell of the spices goes away, add only the cooked Avarekalu to the gravy. If you see that the gravy has thickened, you can add the water that the beans have cooked in.
- Allow it to simmer for a two – three minutes and turn off the heat. Your Avarekalu saaru is ready to be eaten with rice, roti or dosa.
