The ancient Indian practice of
Ayurveda advises the habit of
Ritucharya ‘eating according
to the season’. But today’s
globalized world and advances
in food preservation technology,
chemical-induced growing in off
seasons make available fruits
and vegetables all through the
year
This has led the present
generation to less appreciate
seasonal produce and the
delicacies made from them. But
let’s accept the truth, we all love
food and the urge to explore
new places and cuisines.
Eating what’s in season is
perhaps the best way to
explore and appreciate every
kind of food. Seasonal foods
and regional cuisines give us
a wealth of knowledge about
the rich and diverse geography,
climate, culture, traditions, and
of course the food culture of
the region, be it cuisines, spices,
vegetables and the usage and
method and technique in the
recipe to derive the best taste
and nutrition. In that sense,
every state reflects a wide
variety of seasonal delicacies
and so no matter where you
travel in India, you are not going
to be disappointed!
Talking about winter foods,
every region or state has its
regional winter specialties
whether it’s lapsi (Rajasthan/
gujarat), kadhi (many parts of
North India), gajar ka halwa,
Undhiyu (Gujarat), tukpa (North
east and Himalayan region),
nolen gur Sandesh (West
Bengal), makki ki roti, sarson
ka saag (Punjab), raab, milagu
rasam (Tamilnadu), beetroot
thoran (Kerla) or avarekai dishes
of Karnataka.
There are innumerable articles
about winter foods of India.
However, I have noticed that
winter foods of Karnataka
hardly get any mention. Being
a Kannadiga, I thought of giving
a peek into the winter foods of
my state.
Let me begin with one bean
that every Kannadiga, no matter
which part of the world he lives
in, craves for and relishes -- the
Avarekai or Hyacinth bean.
According to me, it is one of
the most versatile bean, which
finds its way into every possible
dish -- be it saaru (rasam),
sambar, bisibelebath, chitranna
(lemon rice) idli, dosa, rava
(sooji) uppittu, pongal, rotti,
ghee rice and kurma, usli, the list is endless. Well, if you think
it stops here, then you are in
for a surprise. Several dishes
are made by peeling off the
skin of the avarekaalu such as
hitkidhbele (peeled) saagu,
hitkidhbele kootu. And then
there are deep fried varieties
of snacks that you can munch
in the evenings with your chai
or coffee, the hitkidhavare
mixture, being the most
famous. There is something
for the non-vegetarians as
well, hitkidhbele kaima gojju,
hitkidbele mutton/chicken saaru
to go with idli and dosa.
Why is avarekalu so sought
after? How do you choose
the best variety? Although its
available all year round, what
makes the winter avarekalu
special. To understand this, you must
familiarize yourself with the
term ‘sogadu’. Sogadu refers
to the quality of the bean that
is harvested in December when
the winter is at its peak, and
it gets misty, and when the
bean is at its best, in terms of
size, aroma and flavour. These
seasonal goodies come with a
whole lot of health benefits and
are a rich source of vitamins and
minerals.
Do you know in a popular
locality called V. V. Puram in
South Bengaluru, a fair is held in
its name? It’s called the Avarekai
Parishe. An entire street (which
in fact is called ‘tindi beedi’ or
food street) of shops sell over a
100 different types of avarekal
delicacies for almost 10 days.
People from all over Bengaluru
visit this street to relish the food.
This, along with the Kadalekai
Parishe (groundnut festival),
held a couple of weeks earlier
is the most awaited street-food
festivals of Bengaluru.
These seasonal produces are
cooked with various Indian
spices with special mention
of fresh ginger, black pepper,
cumin and asafetida among
others to make tasty, flavourful,
digestible food to mitigate
the vata which can affect
digestion for some people.
So, the wisdom of using these
spices and incorporating these
wholesome beans in season
makes them very special.
Apart from avarekai the other
very special produce of the
season, which makes its way
into every household is the
Togrikai. Bassaru and uppusaru
- a rasam made typically with
greens, and togrikalu are best enjoyed with Ragi mudde or
Ragi balls. Togarikai easily
blends with any recipe, be it a
soppu palya or a sambar.
Just add a fistful of this kai into
any recipe and it gives a very
unique and subtle flavour to
the recipe.
Other seasonal specialties
include the alsande kalu or
butter beans which when added
to saagu, vegetable kurma,
ghee rice, pulav renders a
unique taste. It is rich in protein,
vitamins and minerals.
Winter is the best season
to enjoy all kinds of greens.
Be it palak (spinach), methi
(fenugreek), dantu (Amaranth),
harive, kirkire soppu, sirkh
harive, kempu harive, anne
soppu (water spinach), hongone
soppu and kasi soppu. Anne
soppu and hongone soppu are
a winter specialty of Mysuru and
Bengaluru region.
These are incorporated in the
various regional recipes and
cooked with very minimal ingredients and spices infusing
a burst of flavours.
During these times, when
fastfoods and packaged foods
are taking over our dinner tables,
it’s important that we spend
time and energy recreating our
ancestral cuisines and passing
on the know how to our youth.
Sticking to the earth’s seasonal
growing routine helps us create
sustainable eating patterns.
Sustainable eating and seasonal
eating go hand in hand as they rely more on natural resources
and environmental conditions.
Seasonal and sustainable
eating is not only good for the
environment, it is also the way
for a healthier and happier life.
So now you know the winter
specialty of Namma Karnataka.
Make sure you try out some of
these recipes before the winter
ends. Next time you think about
winter foods, do not forget
avarekalu and togarikalu.
