Breakfast Series: Hyacinth Beans/ Avarekalu / Mochakkai Masala Cheese Toast

Hyacinth beans / cowpeas / avarekalu / mochakka / vaal / lima beans...has a very special stance in Bengaluru, why? There are many coined stories around bengaluru associated with the beans. Here's a famous story, we've heard as kids how the name bengaluru existed.

Story: “Bentha-kaal-uru,” in Kannada language literally translates as “town of boiled beans.” Legend has it that Veera Ballala II, a famed king of the Hoysala dynasty, went astray during one of his hunting expeditions and stumbled upon a run-down dwelling with an old woman in it. Much to his delight, the woman served him some customary boiled beans. Contented by the offering and the hospitality he received, the Hoysala king named the place “Benda-kaal-uru,” which caught on over time, finally leading up to the name Bengaluru or Bangalore.

According to Hindu customs here in south Hyacinth beans is widely used during festivals many traditional families follow this ritual of preparing the beans as offering to god.

From September to march we have a steady supply of fresh hyacinth beans which we process and use it in stir fries and in place of dhal. Many families would also dry the beans and store it in airtight container until use.

Bengaluru residents enjoy these beans to the fullest and for the past eight years a local condiment store located at VV Puram /food street of Bangalore hosts the largest varieties of Avarekalu dishes at a 10 day dedicated food festival for avarekalu. One can find chinese to baked goodies and even ice creams consisting of hyacinth beans, the protein rich festival is a must visit if your in the city between last week of December till first week January.

I've always enjoyed the combo of baked beans and bread my thought was to incorporate these beans instead of baked beans inside a toast. We enjoyed the flavors and taste of the beans and sandwich it was a perfect match. Here is a Toast recipe to this city of Boiled Beans aka Bentha-Kalu-Ooru aka Bangalore aka Bengaluru.

Recipe Video...😀

Ingredients:
200 Grams Hulled Avarekalu / Mochakka / Cow Peas
1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Onions
5 Sprigs Curry Leaves Finely Chopped
3 Green Chilies Finely Chopped
1/2 Inch Ginger Grated
1 Tsp Cumin
1/2 Tsp Chilly Powder
1/2 Tsp Black Pepper Powder
1/4 Tsp Asafoetida
1 Tbsp Noodles Masala Or Garam Masala
Cheese Spread or Mayo as required
Cheese Singles as required
2 Tsp Ghee
Oil as required
1 1/2 Tsp Salt...

Ketchup and Mayo to serve...

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Basics of Indian Cooking: Shell and Hull Hyacinth / Lima / Broad Beans 🌻 🌻 🌻 swipe🍃 🌻 🌻 🌻 Across India, hyacinth beans are used in many recipes shelled, hulled, dried, coarse ground, In local dialect Kannada hyacinth beans are referred as (avarekalu). In Tamil Mocha Kottai which is added to upma (avrekaalu uppittu) Rice / Akki rotti, Stir fried with Potatoes. The outer membrane of the seeds are soaked and hulled after shelling, the inner soft beans is used for a variety of dishes. This form is called hitakubele / Pidukku, which means "Hulled hyacinth bean. Many places across Tamil nadu, karnataka and Andhra these beans are hulled and used in meat curries, vegetarian curries, spinach curries and rotis, which enhances the flavor and taste of the dish. Blog Link: https://vidyascooking.blogspot.com/2019/03/basics-of-indian-cooking-shell-and-hull.html 🐝 🐝 🐝 Follow me on Social Media: https://www.zomato.com/vidyalakshmi https://twitter.com/vidyascooking https://www.facebook.com/vidyascooking/ 🌸 🌸 🌸 Detail Video on YouTube English Channel: https://youtu.be/EtKdeZHVGlE 🌷 🌷 🌷 Subscribe to me on Youtube Tamil: https://www.youtube.com/user/Tamilvidu009 🌾 🌾 🌾 Like + Comment + Follow for more videos/blogs posted regularly. Thank you so much for supporting me on Social Media. 🙏 🌿 🌿 🌿 #Vidyascooking #Vidyastravel #Reviews #Recipes #Foodtasting #avarekalu #mochakottai #hyacinth #Nammabengaluru #bengaluru

A post shared by Vidya Lakshmi (@vidyascooking) on Mar 17, 2019 at 8:01pm PDT

How to Hull Hyacinth beans detail blog with Video

Let's Prepare the Filling:
Heat a wok with 2 tsp ghee on medium flame.

Add all the dry spices and fry on low flame setting for few seconds.

Add finely chopped onions, curry leaves, grated ginger and chilies and fry for a minute.

Add the hyacinth beans and 1 1/2 cup water stir well and add salt stir cover and cook on medium flame until mushy.

Once the beans has cook and if there is moisture place on high flame allow the moisture to evaporate.

Remove the cooked beans from flame.

Let's Toast:

Spread the cheese spread on both the slices of bread.

Spread the hyacinth beans masala in a even layer, place a cheese single and other slice of bread.

Prepare a bunch of these sandwiches and reserve before toasting.

Heat a tawa on low flame spread 2 tsp oil and place the prepped sandwich one at a time and fry till golden brown on both sides we can apply extra oil to fry the sandwiches.

Once the sandwiches have fried slice in half and serve with ketchup or mint chutney or mayo...Enjoy 😊

Tip: We can hull the hyacinth beans and cook it with just salt and freeze it until use.

Hyacinth beans can be used instead of dhal in many recipes.

Hyacinth beans can be used in soups as thickener

We can avoid cheese spread and cheese in this recipe and use mint chutney instead.

Ragi bread, Multi millet bread and even Methi bread taste excellent in this recipe.

Since the beans masala is not soggy the bread remains crispy we can pack for school, office or picnic lunch.

The bean masala itself stores well. Place it in a airtight box refrigerated until use...