Go Back

Avarekaalu Tovve / Thove (Hyacinth Beans / val Beans Dal)

Avarekaalu Tovve is served instead of a dal without any dals in it! spiced up and is served with hot rice and ghee for starting an elaborate meal like in festivals.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 6 hours 50 minutes
Servings 5

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Fresh Hyacinth Beans / Avarekaalu
  • 3 to 4 tbsp freshly grated coconut
  • 4 stalks Chopped coriander leaves
  • salt as required
  • pinch Hing (Asafoetida)
  • water as required

Seasoning

  • 2 tsp oil
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp channa dal
  • 1 tsp Urad dal
  • 3 to 4 Green chillies
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 stalk curry leaves

Instructions

  • Once the beans are taken out of the pods wash and soak it in water for few hours or over night.
  • In the morning discard and clean the soaked pods again in fresh water and drain them. Sometimes you can just keep them in the water as it helps when we dehusk the skin from the beans.
  • once the beans are dehusked, take them in a thick bottomed vessel add 1 and 1/2 quantity of water of the measure of the beans and cook in a low to medium flame, it won't take long for it to cook.
  • Keep an eye on it and stir now and then just to check if it doesn't get stuck to the bottom, if water is decreasing top it up with extra water for it cook until well done.
  • Once the avarekalu is cooked with a masher, mash few beans don't mash them all just a few this helps in thickening of the gravy.
  • Once done, switch of the stove. In a wok heat oil add mustard seeds when it splutters add chopped Green chillies and saute for a minute or two.
  • Then add cumin seeds and rest of the ingredients under seasoning and fry for a minute or so, until the dals change colour. Add this seasoning to the cooked Avarekaalu.
  • Add required quantity of salt, Hing and freshly grated coconut mix well and switch on the stove, if it is too thick thin it down with little water and allow it boil for a minute so, they are well combined and the dals get spiced up. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve it with hot rice a dollop of Ghee

Notes

This is made just with Avarekaalu usually, If you want you can add Tuvar Dal or any other Dal of your choice.  But, cook the dals and Beans separately otherwise Avarekaalu will become very mushy.
You can pressure cook Avarekalu but it will become very mushy and you will not enjoy the dish as you won't get a bite of the beans at all.
As amma makes it usually during the festival we don't add onion or garlic, if you like you can season them with onion, garlic, and even tomatoes.