Khara Bath

Ingredients

for roasting rava

• ½ cup fine rava or 80 grams fine rava (sooji or cream of wheat)

for frying cashews

• 1 tablespoon oil or ghee (clarified butter)
• 10 to 12 cashews

for making khara bath

• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ½ teaspoon chana dal (split husked bengal gram)
• ½ teaspoon urad dal (split husked black gram)
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped onions
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped capsicum (bell pepper)
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped carrot
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped tomatoes
• 2 to 3 tablespoons frozen green peas
• 7 to 8 curry leaves
• ½ teaspoon sugar or add as required
• salt as required
• 1 teaspoon vangi bhaat masala
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon red chilli powder (optional) – to make the dish spicy
• 1.5 cups water
• 2 tablespoons ghee to be added later
• 2 to 3 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
• few wedges of lime or lemon while serving

Steps

roasting rava

1. Heat a pan or kadai, then add 1/2 cup fine rava or cream of wheat.
2. Roast, stirring often, until the rava or sooji grains are fragrant and look dry, separate and crisp. Do not brown them.
3. Roasting over a low flame takes about 5 to 6 minutes. Once fragrant, dry and crisp, turn off the flame and transfer the roasted rava to a plate; set aside.

frying cashews

1. In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon ghee or oil and add 10 to 12 cashews.
2. Fry over low to medium flame, stirring often, until golden, then set aside.

making khara bath

1. Lower the flame and add 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1/2 teaspoon chana dal and 1/2 teaspoon urad dal to the same pan.
2. Sauté the lentils and mustard over a low flame until chana and urad dal are golden; the mustard will have crackled by then.
3. Add 3 tablespoons finely chopped onion and sauté over a low flame for a minute.
4. Add 3 tablespoons finely chopped capsicum, 3 tablespoons finely chopped carrot, 3 tablespoons finely chopped tomato and 2 tablespoons green peas.
5. Mix thoroughly, then add 7 to 8 curry leaves.
6. Season it with 1/2 teaspoon sugar, adding salt as required.
7. Mix in 1 teaspoon vangi bhaat masala very thoroughly.
8. Add 1.5 cups water and mix thoroughly.
9. Bring the water to a boil over a medium flame.
10. Once boiling, lower the flame and add roasted rava in two to three batches.
11. Stir very thoroughly immediately after the first batch to prevent lumps.
12. Continue adding in batches, stirring very well after each addition.
13. Cover the pan with a lid and cook over a low flame for 3 to 4 minutes.
14. Open the lid and add 2 tablespoons ghee.
15. Add 2 to 3 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves too.
16. Mix thoroughly so the ghee is evenly distributed through the khara bath.
17. Mix in the fried cashews at the end.
18. Serve with lemon slices and coconut chutney.