Quickest bisi bele bath | Pressure cooker bisi bele bath | Cracked wheat bisi bele bath

This is a diabetic friendly bisi bele bath as it is made with cracked wheat (godhi nucchu or daliya) instead of the rice. It's also one of the quickest one pot meal. It's nutritious, healthy and a complete meal by itself.

Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Serves:3-4 

Ingredients:
Broken wheat - 1 cup
Pigeon pea dal / Toor Dal - 1/2 cup
Mixed Vegetables - 2 cups (Carrot, beans, green peas, potatoes, chow-chow, beets), refer notes
Surti lilwa/avrekalu : 1/4 cup
Tamarind - small lime/lemon sized
Jaggery - According to taste, optional
Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida: 1 big pinch
Salt - According to taste
Homemade bisi bele bath powder: About 1/4th cup
Oil: 2 tsp

Ingredients for tempering (Tadka):
Peanuts - 1 table spoon
Cashew Nuts - 4-6
Ghee - 2 table spoons
Red Chilly - 1, broken
Curry Leaves :4-6 nos, torn
Mustard Seeds: 1 tsp
Asafoetida: a big pinch
Bell peppers/capsicum - 1 finely chopped (Optional)

Method:

Wash the broken wheat and toor dal together in running water. Drain the water from the mixture and let it soak for about 10 mins.

Meantime soak the tamarind in the hot/warm water. We need the extract of the tamarind. (PS: The other item in the photo is the jaggery syrup or brown sugar syrup).

(PS: 1. Soaked Tamarind, 
        2. Jaggery syrup
        3. Bisi bele bath powder
        4. Turmeric
        5. Salt
        6. Asafoetida)

Heat oil in the pressure cooker. When oil is hot, add the broken wheat and toor dal. Saute the broken wheat and dal for couple of minutes. 

To that add the chopped vegetables, surti lilwa, and mix well.

Add about 5 cups of water to the pressure cooker. 

Add the salt, tamarind extract, jaggery, asafoetida, turmeric powder and the bisi bele bath powder to the cooker. Mix well. 

Close the pressure cooker lid and cook the mixture on a  medium-high heat for 4 whistles. Turn off the heat and let the pressure release. It'll take a minimum of 15 mins for the pressure to release. 

Meantime prepare the seasoning. Heat ghee (clarified butter) on a small pan/wok. When ghee is hot, add the mustard seeds, followed by peanuts. Saute the peanuts on a low-medium heat. When peanuts turn golden brown, add the curry leaves, asafoetida and the bell peppers. Saute the bell peppers till they turn soft yet crunchy. 

Release the pressure from the cooker and pour the seasoning over the cooked bisi bele bath. Mix well and serve. (Refer notes)

Notes:

• I add about a tbsp of finely chopped beets (beetroot) to get a rich color to the bisi bele bath.
• If the cooked mixture is too hard, add a cup of boiling water, mix well and cook again for a couple of minutes.
• I use the ratio 1 cup of broken wheat + lentils to 3 cups of water. Half cup on the higher side wont hurt.
• If you are using the Instant pot, first saute as usual in saute mode. Then turn it on in manual mode (sealing postion ON) for 11 mins. Tada!

Avarekalu uppittu | Hyacinth Bean Upma | Akki tari uppittu

At my mom's place avrekalu upma is synonymous to akki tari upma (rice rawa upma). My mom never makes avrekalu upma with the normal rava/semolina. Although, rice rawa upma is not my types, I still eat it because I love avrekalu!

I have mentioned here the method of making rice rawa. Idli rawa & rice rawa are not always the same. Idli rawa is made with parboiled rice while rice rawa is with raw rice. The raw rice rawa is what is used for making this upma. I have occasionally found the raw rice rawa in the Indian Stores here.

Preparation Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Serves: 2

Ingredients:
Rice rawa: 1 cup
Avarekalu/Hyacinth Beans: 1 cup (I used the frozen ones!)
Oil: 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Urad dal/ Black gram dal: 2 tsp
Cashew nuts: 1 tbsp, optional
Curry leaves: 4-6 nos, torn
Red chilies: 3-4 nos, non spicy variety!
Water: About 2.5 cups
Salt: As needed

For the garnish:
Ghee: 1 tsp, optional
Grated coconut: 2-3 tbsp, fresh or frozen

Method:
Heat a broad pan. Add the rice rawa & saute till the rice rawa gets warm. Turn off the heat & let it cool.

Keep the water for boiling.
Thaw the hyacinth beans/avarekalu.
Heat oil in a saute pan. When oil is hot, throw in mustard seeds, cumin seeds. When the seeds crackle, add the urad dal & cashew nuts. Allow them to turn golden brown. 

Throw in the broken red chilies & curry leaves. Wait till the curry leaves become crisp.

Add the avarekalu & boiling water to the pan. Add the salt & let the water boil again. 

Add in the rice rawa (little at a time) to the boiling water & keep stirring. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
Fold in the mixture & cover it with a lid. Let it cook on a low heat for 3-5 mins

Pour in the ghee, coconut & mix well.
Serve it hot with pickle or chutney powder.

Notes:

• Rice rawa need not be roasted like the Bombay/upma rawa. 
• If you use the idli rawa instead of the raw rice rawa, the upma becomes a little sticky. 
• Hyacinth beans could be replaced with frozen peas.
• If you are using fresh avarekalu, then pressure cook it with a pinch of salt for 2-3 whistles.