Butter Beans Egg Curry, Hitkavare Motte Saaru.

         Karnataka people wait impatiently for Avarekai season because Avarekai is available in plenty only in the month of December &January. They are so fond of Avarekai delicacies.                                             Though there are many Avarekai recipes, here I am preparing Hitkavare motte saaru. Hitkavare means skinned Avarekai is soaked in water for overnight and light translucent cover is removed by lightly pressing and squeezing Avarekai. We are using only the seeds and not the outer  pod to make the curry.  It is a delicious lingering butter beans and egg curry in coconut base "garam masala tastes absolutely  great with avarekai ". I  prefer cooking whole avarekai don't want to discard  the fibre content i.e the outer translucent cover.  but Hitkavare mixes up well with eggs so I give it a try once in a while.
                     I have given in detail preparation of egg curry In my previous recipe. Here I have added one main seasonal ingredient Hitkavare.
                  I want to tell you before hand don't use cooker to cook Hitkavare no need for it. If you pressure cook, Hitkavare pods will be broken . they become creamy and mashy you cannot enjoy with chapathi and Dosa.
                  I will stress it  again,  don't pressure cook hitkavare and never over cook them.   

                      Time taken
      Preparation     20 minutes
      Cooking            25  minutes

     Total time         45  minutes  

       Cuisine          Karnataka    

       Recipe           Mother in law     

       Author         Suma shekhar                        serves         4

             Ingredients           

Hitikavare            2cups
Eggs                       4
Onion                    1big chopped
Vegetable oil        2 table spoon
Salt                         to taste                  turmeric               a pinch 

      Grinding ingredients        

Grated coconut                1 full cup
Red chillies                       8-10
Coriander seeds              1 spoon
Ginger                                1"
Garlic                                  8 pods
Clove                                   5
Cinnamon                          1/2"
                         

                          

Avarekai 

Hitkavare 

Procedure 

* Dry roast red chillies and coriander seeds.   

Grinding ingredients

*Grind coconut +dry roast chillies coriander +ginger+garlic+cloves +cinnamon, make smooth paste adding water if necessary. 

                                             

                                     

*Heat oil in a medium sized non stick pan. Saute onion in it till light brown. 

*Add hitikavare with 2 cups of water close the lid cook for 12 minutes  in medium flame.

Cooked Hitkavare 

*stir in ground paste, cheque for consistency add turmeric powder,  salt.

*Bring the curry to the desired consistency, curry will be watery in this stage                                                     *when the curry begins to boil break eggs far apart into curry when the curry begins to boil vigorously  the eggs will disintegrate.                                        *curry thickens further when the hitikavare melts and eggs get fluffy.

*cover and simmer for 10 minutes.masala smell will disappear and eggs will be cooked both at the same time.
*Delicious Butter beans egg curry is ready. serve with chapathi, poori, dosa and rice.

Butter beans egg curry.

Meenu Gassi-Fish Curry Malnad style.

       

                      Fish protein is a good protein.it is easily digestible and fish oil is useful in reducing bad cholesterol . Bad cholesterols are Triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein. Fish oil which has Omega 3 fatty acid is used as a medicine. People who eat more fish suffer less from heart diseases or stroke. Eskimos whose diet contain more fish suffer less from heart diseases and are more healthy.
              Fish oil contains vitamin A and vitamin D. Vitamin A is necessary for eyes. it prevents eye diseases like night blindness, abnormal dryness of eyes  (xerophthalmia ), softening of cornea (keratomalacia)
                Vitamin D is also called cholecalciferol is necessary for strong bones, healthy skin, healthy digestive system and for body calcium.
                    Malnad is a region of Karnataka state in south India. Malnad covers the western and eastern ghats, roughly 100 km width. It is a hilly terrain and comes around the heavy rainfall belt. 
                       Many small and big rivers take birth in Malnad river basins back water of the reservoir's are the natural breeding centres of fresh water fish. Inland water fish like Kadla, Rohu,  Gowri, Suragi, kuchchu meenu etc are accessible to Malnad people.                                         Pisciculture is also fast growing in Malenadu to meet the losses occured due to calamities. 
                     Many scenic tourist places are here and Malnad people are known for their hospitality. Fish meals are the major attractions for tourists here.
                      Here I am giving one recipe of authentic fish gravy "meenu gasi". Malnad people don't like garam masala like cloves and cinnamon in their fish meals. Reason may be they want to relish the dominant taste of fish. cumin coriander seeds, tamarind juice are the common main ingredients for fish cooking.         
                                                    Preparation time       15 minutes    
Cooking time               15 minutes       

Total time                    30 minutes     Serves                           2                               Utensils used              medium size                                                 non stick pan                       

                 Marination for fish is always important, whether it may be fry or curry because fish gets  cooked quickly and becomes delicately soft there will not be enough time for fish to absorb salt and spices so half an hour marination  is mandatory.     

    Ingredients for marination 

Freshwater fish      4 pieces 
Chilli powder          1 tea spoon

Salt                            1 tea spoon      

Turmeric                  a pinch

Tamarind juice       3 table spoon

            Ingredients for curry 

Tomatoes 2           small cubes

Onion        2           small cubes

Coconut oil            2 table spoon
Red chillies            8
Cumin                     1/2 tea spoon
Coriander seeds    1 tea spoon 
Ginger                     1" inch
Garlic                      8 pods
Dry coconut           1 bowl
Salt                         1 tea spoon

                     Procedure 

  
*Blend dry coconut +cumin+coriander  seeds+ginger+garlic+red chillies in a blender, add water just enough to make  it smooth paste, don't bring it to dripping consistency.      

Blending ingredients 

*Heat oil in a pan saute onions till it                         becomes  light brown. 

*Add tomatoes saute till soft.

*Add ground ingredients and saute well  for full 5 minutes so that raw smell of masalas disappear, masala saute in sufficient oil changes its texture to aromatic bright red. 

*Now add desired amount of water to pan to bring it to curry consistency. Salt and turmeric powder should be added in this stage, stir well keep the flame medium. 

*Slide marinated fish pieces into the curry slowly only when first bubble appear. 

*let the fish curry boil for 5minutes with closed lid. Flip the fish carefully and cook for 5 more minutes. turn off flame. Fish won't take much time to cook. 

*fish curry is ready serve with rice, roties. 

Note : folks certify infused tangy tamarind  fish curry as best. But kids refuse to eat that sour curry. So I suggest beginners to use just 2-3 tea spoons of tamarind juice. And believe me friends your kids will surely enjoy this thick, rich, well marinated fish curry.