Avarekalu Upma (Karnataka Style Avarekai Upittu) Recipe is a popular breakfast dish in Karnataka. The main ingredient added to this recipe is the avarekalu beans to make it crunchy, and the taste is heavenly—a healthy breakfast option for both kids and adults.
These beans are seasonal and mostly available during December and January. But these days, it's also available in Indian stores under the name 'Surti Papdi Lilva,' usually in the frozen section.
Traditionally, this upma is prepared using fresh avarekalu, but I went with the frozen packet as I couldn't get the fresh ones here. But I can assure you that taste-wise is not much of a compromise.
You can prepare this upma any time of the year when you have frozen one. However, I recommend buying the fresh beans in bulk and freezing them for later use.
You can find many uppittu or upma recipes on this website, like rava upma, semiyan uppittu (vermicelli upma), and Samai (Little Millet) Upma recipes.
Try this recipe from my blog if you are looking for MTR-style Instant Upma Mix. I have used Bansi Rava, but you can replace it with a fine sooji.
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What is Avarekalu called in English?
Known as "Hyacinth Beans" in English and not broad beans. In Karnataka, it's called Avarekalu and surti papdi lilva in Hindi.
How to Make Avarekalu Upma
Dry roast Rava in a Kadai until it turns golden brown and the raw smell disappears. Keep aside. Cook avarekai with salt in boiling water until it turns soft, and keeps aside. I used frozen avarekai, so I boiled it for just 5 minutes.
Heat oil in Kadai. Add mustard seeds, jeera, urad dal, hing, curry leaves, green chili, and saute for 30 secs.
Next, add the chopped onions and fry till it turns light brown.
Add boiled avarekai, salt, turmeric powder, vangi bath powder, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Now add 1.5 cups of water to the onions. After the water starts boiling, add roasted rava little by little and continuously stir to avoid lumps.
Cook covered for about 2-3 mins on medium-low flame. Add lime juice, coriander leaves, grated coconut, and mix well. Remove from stove and serve hot.
What to Serve with Avarekalu Upma?
Serve Avarekalu Upma/Upittu with coconut chutney, peanut chutney powder, and a cup of filter coffee.
Tips & Variations
- Do not burn the Rava while roasting it. Keep the flame medium and stir it constantly.
- Fresh avarekalu tastes much better than frozen ones.
- For variations, you can use bombay/chiroti rava (white-colored sooji)
- If you dont have vangibath powder then replace it with rasam powder or (red chili powder + coriander powder) or you can completely avoid it.
- Add more green chilies If you like spicy upma.
- Rava to water ratio should be 3:1 for soft and yummy upma.
- Tastes the best when served hot or warm.
Recipe FAQs
There's a huge variety of semolina/rava available in the market. The most commonly used are bansi rava and bombay sooji rava, which are readily available in Indian grocery stores or Amazon. I have used roasted bansi rava for this recipe.
Both kinds of semolina (rava) are obtained from wheat but different varieties. Bansi rava is darker in color than plain sooji rava. Both are coarsely ground forms of wheat, whereas sooji rava is a finer version of the two.
Bansi rava is quite popular in Karnataka and in many other South Indian homes. In northern and western India, rava is used to make halwa, kheer, upma, dhokla and is also added to bhatura and poori dough, whereas, in South India, rava is used to make instant rava idli, quick rava dosa, rava uttapam, kesari bath, pongal, and upma.
More Breakfast Recipes
- Restaurant Style Upma Recipe
- Mandakki Usli
- Vegetable Paniyaram
- Paneer Uttapam
- Palak Moong Dal Dosa
- Palak Paneer Paratha
- Veg Mayonnaise Sandwich
- Poha
- Bread Upma
- Neer Dosa
Avarekalu Upma (Karnataka Style Avarekai Upittu)
Ingredients
- measuring cup used 1 cup = 250 ml
- ½ cup sooji rava/semolina ( i used bansi rava)
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- ¾ or 1 cup avarekai (surti papdi lilva) (boiled and cooked in salted water)
- 1 teaspoon vangi bath powder ( i used MTR brand)
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin/jeera seeds
- ½ teaspoon split urad dal
- 1 green chili slit lengthwise
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- a pinch hing/asafoetida
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder(haldi)
- ½ teaspoon sugar (optional)
- 2-3 tablespoons oil
- 1.5 cup water
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves
- 2 tablespoons grated coconut
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- salt as per taste
Instructions
- Dry roast Rava in a Kadai until it turns golden brown and the raw smell disappears. Keep aside.
- Cook avarekai with salt in boiling water until it turns soft and keeps aside. I used frozen avarekai, so I boiled for just 5 minutes.
- Heat oil in Kadai. Add mustard seeds, jeera, urad dal, hing, curry leaves, green chili, saute for 30 secs.
- Next, add the chopped onions and fry till it turns light brown.
- Add boiled avarekai, salt, turmeric powder, vangi bath powder, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Now add 1.5 cups of water to the onions. After the water starts boiling, add roasted rava little by little and continuously stir to avoid lumps.
- Cook covered for about 2-3 mins on medium-low flame. Add lime juice, coriander leaves, grated coconut, and mix well.
- Remove from stove and serve hot.
Notes
- Do not burn the Rava while roasting it. Keep the flame medium and stir it constantly.
- Fresh avarekalu tastes much better than frozen once.
- For variations, you can use bombay/chiroti rava (white-colored sooji)
- If you dont have vangibath powder then replace it with rasam powder or (red chili powder + coriander powder) or you can completely avoid it.
- Add more green chilies If you like spicy upma.
- Rava to water ratio should be 3:1 for soft and yummy upma.
- Tastes the best when served hot or warm.
Nutrition
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