Khara Bhath … the savory semolina porridge is the staple breakfast and teatime delicacy of Karnataka also known as Rava Upma in other Southern regions. Semolina is roasted and cooked with colorful vegetables to get the thick flowing porridge, icing on the cake is conventional tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves, Bengal gram and urad dal in mound of ghee (clarified butter). The pleasant, bright and sunny mornings are reveled with a steaming bowl ofkharabhath and a cup of home brewed filterkappi on the side, and my first introduction with this dish was much similar in one of the local brahmin cafes.
Last few weeks were quite demanding in nature at the professional front so the quest for simple, hearty and fulfilling breakfast choices are always on the priority. In our house weekday morning meals are a quick affair, grabbing breakfast in few seconds before we rush to our work destinations is an unpretentious ritual, anything that can be cooked with ease in the morning wee hours fits well in my routine.
In this specific category of haste and hurried breakfast, some dishes are always included Rava Idli, Khara Bhath, Dalia Upma or Whole Wheat Pancakes. While the Sunday supper story, n the contrary, is more slow and steady where each spoonful of Khara Bhath is savored slowly in between pages of newspaper and sips of tea/coffee. Each bite of the porridge is praised as the semolina melts in the mouth followed by the al dente vegetables and fine bits of tempering, all adding to the experience of enjoying the dish.
The lazy Sunday morning is spent around the table with our spoons grabbing for the second helping of Khara Bhath and eager for another round of tea/coffee. Over the years of stay in Southern India traces of local food culture is crystal clear on our lifestyle and so is the breakfast items like Rava Idli and Khara Bhath.
Hereby, with Khara Bhath there comes to an end the January theme of #thekitchendivas (endeavor to create a collection of recipes of Traditional Indian Cuisines in collaboration with a few bloggers who share the same passion of cooking) – Karnataka Cuisine, in the month of February there will be new series revolving around the monthly theme of Indo – Chinese.
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Khara Bhath
Khara Bhath … the savory semolina porridge is the staple breakfast and teatime delicacy of Karnataka also known as Rava Upma in other Southern regions.
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Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 cup Semolina
- 1 medium size onion finely chopped
- 1 medium size carrot finely chopped
- ¼ Cup peas fresh/frozen
- 1 green chillies finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
- ¼ teaspoon asafoetida
- 6 – 8 cashews sliced
- 5 – 6 curry leaves
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon chana dal
- 1 tablespoon split urad dal
- Salt as per taste
- 2 tablespoon ghee
- ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder
- 4 Cup of water
To be ground into powder
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 dry red chili
- ½ inch piece of cinnamon
- 2 cloves
- 1 teaspoon gram dal
- 1 teaspoon urad dal
To Garnish
- 2 – 3 teaspoon grated coconut
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 – 3 teaspoon of ghee
Instructions
- To prepare Khara Bhath first dry roast ingredients mentioned above under “to be ground into powder” in a pan over medium heat until aroma is released. Blend dry roasted in mixer to coarse powder. Set aside masala in a bowl until required.
- Dry roast semolina in a heavy bottomed pan over low to medium heat until light brown in color. Once semolina is roasted turn off the heat and transfer to a bowl.
- In a pan heat ghee over medium heat and roast cashew slivers until light golden in color. Transfer to a bowl and keep aside.
- In same pan add mustard seeds and let it crackle. Now add asafetida, cumin, gram dal and urad dal and fry until light brown.
- Add chopped green chillies, ginger garlic paste, curry leaves and fry for few seconds. Now add finely chopped onions and fry until they turn light brown in color.
- Now add finely chopped carrot, peas stir for few seconds. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add turmeric, salt, powdered masala to the vegetables stir and cook for a minute.
- Meanwhile boil water in a large bowl in the ratio of (1C rawa:4C water) until it comes to roaring boil.
- Now slowly add boiling water to the vegetable masala, stir and cover it. Let it come to a boil once.
- When the water comes to boil add semolina in small portions to boiling water and continuously stir it to avoid lump formation. After all the semolina is added to water cover it and cook for 2-3 minutes on low flame until semolina is completely cooked.
- Turn off the heat add lemon juice to khara bhaath and mix well.
- Transfer to serving bowls garnish with chopped grated coconut and fried cashew nuts and serve. Add a dollop of ghee on top before serving.
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The “Khara Bhath” is part of the endeavor to create a collection of recipes of Traditional Indian Cuisines in collaboration with a few bloggers who share the same passion of cooking. Here is the Pinterest Board collection of recipes.
You can find more Traditional Recipes from Karnataka by #thekitchendivas:
Saptige – Malnad Flat Beans Curry by Saffron Trail (http://saffrontrail.blogspot.in)
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Aditya Jain says
Good one hina … Looks delicious
pallavi says
hmmm……gotta try this
Ananya Tales says
Great post…
http://www.ananyatales.com