Bhatt ki cuhdkani (भट्ट की चुड़कानी /Kumaoni savory of Black Turtle Beans)

 चुड़कानी भात चुआ का साग 

Black Turtle Beans are known in India by many names. In Uttarakhand it is called Bhatt. It is very rich source of Vutamins B6, B12, Folates, Omega 3, Omega 6, many minerals and micronutrients. Being rich in Proteins and low on carbs and fats it helps alleviate type 2 diabetes. It is also very good for heart patients and high fiber content helps in digestion. 

Bhatt in Uttarakhand is used to make Bhatt ka Jaulaa, Bhatt ke Dubke, Ras-Gude Chudkani and dry roasted to be eaten as snack. 

Chudkani is a thick dal / soup made by roasting Bhatt and then cooking. 

Recipe follows. 

Nutritional value of Chudkani made from 100 gm black beans  (approx.) 

Energy : 210 calories 

Proteins : 11.74 gm

Carbs : 25.7gm

Dietary fibers : 9.1 gm

Fats : 1.0 gm

Cholesterol : 0 

Sugar : 0.37 gm

Sodium : 470 mg 

Potassium : 377 mg 

Iron: 2.10 mg

Calcium : 27 mg 

Magnesium : 70 mg 

Phosphorus : 140 mg

Zinc : 1.2mg

Rich in Vitamins :

A

B1

B2

B3

B6

Preparation Time : 5 minutes max 

Cooking Time : 30 to 40 minutes 

Servings : 5 Medium size servings

Ingredients Required For Making Bhatt ka Chudkani (Thick soup of Black Turtle Beans) :

Few ingredients of Chudkani 

• Black Turtle Beans : 100 gm. 
• Rice flour : 4Tespoons 
• Cumin seeds : 1 Teaspoon 
• Dry Red Chilli : 2 
• Asafoetida : 1/4th Teaspoon 
• Turmeric: 1/4th Teaspoon 
• Red Chili Powder : 1/2 Teaspoon (optional) 
• Salt: 2 Teaspoons or to taste 
• Ghee / clarified butter /cooking oil : 1 Teaspoon 
• Wate

Directions For Making Bhatt ka Chudkani:

• Wash Bhatt (black turtle beans) nicely and pat dry them with a kitchen towel /clean cloth. Keep aside. 
• Break red chilies into and remove all seeds. 
• In an iron wok take ghee (clarified butter) and heat on high heat. 
• Once the ghee is hot bring the heat to low and into the hot ghee put washed pat dried Bhatt (black turtle beans). 
• Bring the heat to medium and with constant stirring. After 3-4 minutes the seeds will start sputtering and slowly they will change color and beautiful roasting smell will start coming. 
• It will take max 5 minutes for Bhatt to get roasted. Remove them when they become too dark. Once out of hot wok they will keep cooking due to heat in them. 

Ghee Roasted Bhatt 

• In the hot ghee add cumin seeds, once the seeds splutter add chilli pieces and asafoetida. 
• Cook for 30 sec. The chilli pieces will change color and nice aroma of cumin, chilies, asafoetida will come from wok.

Cumin, red chili hing in hot ghee 

• Add rice flour and cook with continuous stirring till rice flour becomes golden brown. 

Rice flour roasted 

• Add roasted black turtle beans and mix nicely.

Roasted Bhatt added 

• Add

1. Turmeric 
2. Red chili powder 
3. and salt. Give a nice mix. 

Masala added 

• Add 250 ml. water and bring the heat to high. Keep cooking on high heat with constant stirring till water starts boiling. 

Water added and cooking on low flame 

• Bring the heat to low and keep cooking with stirring occasionally. 
• The material in the wok will start thickening. 

• Keep adding 100 ml. water as required (normally every ten minutes). Keep cooking on low heat. 
• Bhatt (black turtle beans) will start swelling in size in the process of cooking and will become tender. 

After 10 minutes 

• It will take atleast 25 to 30 minutes more for the Bhatt to cook nicely. 

Chudkani is ready 

• Add water according the consistency you desire.
• Adjust seasoning. 
• Add one teaspoon of ghee. Give a boil and switch off the heat. Cover the wok. 
• Let ghee flavor seep into Chudkani nicely for 5 minutes. 
• Take out hot Chudkani in serving bowl. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Chudkani and Saag 

• Serve delicious Uttarakhandi Bhatt ka Chudkani with hot steaming rice and any leafy vegetable. I prefer with green Amaranth( चु/चुआ /चवली चे पान) sabzi. 

Chudkani Rice and Chu saag 

• This thick soup of black turtle beans is actually a meal by itself.

Tips: 

• After washing Bhatt they should not be soaked it water. Pat dry them to reduce the surface moisture. Else they will not splutter. 
• While roasting washed Bhatt in ghee make sure they are roasted in medium heat. With continuous stirring to ensure 

1. Even roasting
2. Not burning off Bhatt 

• Once nice nutty roasted aroma starts coming from roasted Bhatt and they start turning brownish remove from heat. Cooking keeps on taking place once away from heat due to jot oil in the. 
• Do not add lots of water at one go, keep adding in small portion. 
• If in hurry once Bhatt chudkani is cooked for 10 minutes transfer it from wok to pressure cooker and cook till it gives one whistle (roughly 10 minutes). 

Suggested Variations:

• In the absence of iron wok, cast iron wok or any other thick bottom container can be used. But best taste comes when cooked in iron / cast iron container. 
• In the absence of rice flour, wheat flour can be used. 
• Though chudkani tastes best when cooked with ghee but mustard oil is second best choice. Rest your choice for oil you take for cooking. 

Bhatt ka jaulaa /भट्ट का जौला( Polenta of Black Turtle Beans)

Bhatt ka jaulaa / Black Turtle Beans Polenta with spicy salt mix. 

Black Turtle Beans/Bhatt are quintessential part of Kumaoni cuisine. In fact in the kitchen of Uttarakhand Bhatt (black turtle beans), Gahat (horse gram /Macrotyloma uniflorum), foxtail millet (maduwa/madwa/nachani),barnyardmillet (madir/manir/jhingora), are always present. These are used to make delectable dishes. Bhatt ka jaulaa /black turtle beans Polenta is one of them. 

The botanical name of Bhatt /kala ghevda / black turtle beans /karuppu is Phaseolus Vulgaris. It is also popular in Latin American, Canjun, Spanish, Portuguese cuisine. 

In kumaon Bhatt is used to make Dubke (डुबके), Rasg-gude (रस और गूदे), chudkani (चुड़कानी) for main course which are taken with steamed rice. 

Bhatt are also dry roasted till they splutter and are eaten as snack with spicy salt mix made by grinding herbs-salt-green chillies together. 

The nutty flavor of roasted Bhatt is amazing. 

Different people use different ratio of Bhatt and rice. I prefer Bhatt and rice ratio 1:1 or bhatt slightly more. Make it in iron wok /cast iron wok for authentic flavor and increased iron content in jaulaa. Polenta is a one pot wonder meal and this Polenta can be called one pot super food. 

Preparation Time : 

Soaking black turtle beans (bhatt) overnight 

Soaking Rice : 30 minutes 

Grinding Time : 5 minutes 

Cooking Time : 2 hrs (approx) 

Servings : 6 large servings 

Nutritional value of Bhatt Ka jaulaa (Made from 100 gm Bhatt and 100 gm rice) :

Energy : 261 calories 

Proteins : 11.74 gm

Carbs : 51.7gm

Dietary fibers : 9.1 gm

Fats : 1.0 gm

Cholesterol : 0 

Sugar : 0.37 gm

Sodium : 470 mg 

Potassium : 377 mg 

Iron: 2.10 mg

Calcium : 27 mg 

Magnesium : 70 mg 

Phosphorus : 140 mg

Zinc : 1.2mg

Rich in Vitamins :

A

B1

B2

B3

B6

Folates (B9)

Ingredients for making Bhatt ka jaulaa (Black Turtle beans Polenta) 

• Bhatt (black turtle beans) : 100 gm
• Rice : 100 gm.
• 2 Teaspoons Rice flour 
• Water for cooking 

Directions for Making Bhatt ka Jaulaa :

• Wash bhatt nicely. Take washed Bhatt in a big bowl and soak them in water for 6-8 hours. I soak them overnight if making jaulaa for lunch. 
• Wash and soak rice for atleast 30 minutes. If soaked longer it will do but donot soak it overnight. 

Soaked rice 

• Drain water from soaked Bhatt. Keep water aside, donot throw it. 
• In a grinder-mixer grind the soaked Bhatt to coarse thick paste, adding water in little amounts. 

Paste of Bhatt / black turtle beans 

• Keep remaining water for cooking. It is rich in nutrients. 
• Pulse soaked rice for a minute or two to break rice into small pieces. 
• Take a iron /cast iron preferably, in absence of iron /cast iron wok take any thick bottomed deep container for cooking. 
• Put soaked pulsed rice with 200 ml. water and start heating on high heat with occasional stirring. 

Soaked rice cooking 

• Once water comes to boil reduce heat to low and cook till the rice is semi cooked. It will take nearly 10 minutes. 

Semi cooked rice 

• Add Bhatt paste and 200 ml water and mix nicely. 
• Bring heat to high and keep stirring not allowing anything to settle at the bottom. 

Bhatt paste and water added to semi cooked rice 

• Once the whole thing starts boiling bring the heat to low. 
• Now starts process of cooking on low heat, stirring and adding water in small amounts.

Bhatt paste and semi cooked rice cooking together 

• Keep cooking for atleast for an hour more adding water 100 ml at one time and stirring it so that contents do not settle at the bottom and get burnt 
• Keep scrapping the sides also while stirring so that deposit on the sides do not become dry and hard. 
• By and large in one hour cooking almost 750 ml. water will get used. 

After almost an hour 

• The rice and beans paste will be cooked soft and nice. Rice grains will be broken nicely. 
• Add 2 teaspoons rice flour and mix nicely. 
• Add 1 teaspoon salt and 50 ml. water. Cook on high heat for 2-3 minutes with continuous stirring. 

Creamy textured Bhatt ka Jaulaa 

• Salt is added in less amount because in kumaon Bhatt jaulaa is eaten with Chatpata lahsuniya namak (spicy salt mix) made by grinding salt-garlic/duna-green chilies-fresh coriander leafs. 
• If one wants then after switching off heat spicy salt can be added according to the taste and then covered to cool. No cooking to be done after adding spicy salt mix to preserve raw taste of garlic-green chilies - coriander leafs. 
• Switch off the heat and cover the wok nicely. 
• Black Turtle Beans-rice Polenta / Bhatt ka jaulaa is ready. 

Bhatt ka jaulaa /Black Turtle Beans Polenta 

• Heat before serving. 
• Enjoy Bhatt ka jaulaa with spicy salt mix. I love besan ke Dubke (plain kadi) as accompaniment with jaulaa along with lahsuniya chatpata namak. 

Bhatt ka jaulaa with spicy salt mix 

Chatpata Lahsuniya Namak (Spicy Salt Mix) :

• Salt:  5 teaspoon
• Garlic : 5 medium size pods 
• Green Chilies : 3-4 depending upon their hotness and your tolerance to spice
• Coriander Sprigs : 5-6
• Clean all ingredients (except salt) wash and pat dry them. Roughly chop them. 
• In a grinder-mixer take salt and Chopped ingredients. Pulse till nice smooth paste is obtained. Do not add water. 
• Alternately mortar-pestle can be used to make salt mix. I prefer mortar-pestle. 
• Enjoy the chatpata lahsuniya namak (Spicy salt mix) with jaulaa. 

Tips: 

• Preferably take small grain rice. 
• If rice is long or thick grained then pulse the soaked rice to break the grains to smaller pieces. Do not overdo pulsing else paste will be formed giving glugy texture to jaulaa /Polenta. 
• Rice and coarse paste of beans should be slow cooked to give nice soft uniform Polenta. 
• Donot add lots of water at one go, add 100 ml or so at one time, stirring is very important. 
• Do not add salt before whole thing is cooked else milk of beans will get split. 
• Cooking rice first to release it's starch is important, the starch mixes with milk of Bhatt paste and avoids it from splitting. 

Suggested Variations :

• Rice:black turtle beans can be changed to 1.5:1 instead of 1:1.
• Required amount of chatpata lahsuniya salt can be added once the heat is switched off. 
• 3-4 teaspoons of ghee (clarified butter) can be added in four installments of one teaspoon while cooking Polenta. This will increase the creamy texture of jaulaa /Polenta and add flavor to it. I do not add it to keep jaulaa /Polenta fat less. 
• Some people do not like raw flavor of garlic so garlic can be avoided in spicy salt. 
• In kumaon duna / garlic chive (a herb of uttarakhand) is used along with greeny chilies. Along with garlic chives coriander springs are not required. 
• In many households small grinding stone (sil - batta /सील - बट्टा) are yet used. Spicy salt mix is yet made on it in kumaon. 

Jawas Podi/जवस पोड़ी/Jawas chutney (spicy powder mix of flaxseeds)

Jawaspodi (Spicy powder mix of Flaxseeds) 

Flaxseeds (jawas) are those super food which is rich in vitamins, Micronutrients, water soluble fibers as well as water insoluble fibers. They are rich in minerals like copper, magnesium and calcium. 

Much needed omega-3 fatty acid and anti oxidants are richly present in them. So there is no doubt that Flax seeds are super food. 

Flax seeds are helpful in management of cholesterol and type 2 diabetes. 

Flax seeds combined with ground nuts, sesame seeds, garlic enhance not only taste but adds lot more nutrients. 

This spicy powder mix is quite popular in western and Southern parts of India. 

Podi basically means powder. In Maharashtra it is called chutney. Dry powder can be stored in airtight container in fridge for as long as three four months, but one should make sure it does not come in contact with moisture at all. 

Flax seeds powder mix (Podi /chutney) can be taken as side dish with steamed rice-daal /roti-sabzi or with stuffed Paranthas. I even enjoy it with Dosa) Idli. 

Preparation Time : 10 minutes (peeling garlic) 

Cooking Time : 30 minutes (roasting seeds) 

Grinding Time : 10 minutes 

Servings : 255 gm (approx) 

Nutritional value of 225 gm Flaxseeds spicy powder (Jawas Podi Jawas)Chutney) : (approx. Values) 

• Energy : 800 cals 
• Fats : 82 gm 
• Carbs: 50 gm
• Proteins: 42 gm
• Cholesterol: 0 
• Sugars: 7.25gm 
• Fiber: 40 gm (20 - 40 %water soluble, 80 —60 %water insoluble) 
• Sodium: 15 mg 
• Potassium: 570 mg
• Micronutrients copper, Sulphur, Phosphorus magnesium,calcium, antioxidants 
• Vitamins B1, A, D 
• Omega 3 fatty acid 

Ingredients Required for Making Flax seed powder mix (jawas Podi /chutney) 

• Flax seeds: 100 gm
• Ground nuts : 50 gm 
• Sesame seeds : 50 gm
• Garlic : 50 gm (approx.) / 15-20 medium size pods
• Red Kashmiri whole chilies : 4-5
• Whole Red chilies : 3-4/to taste 
• Seedless Tamarind : 10-15 small pieces or to taste 
• Salt : 2 teaspoon / to taste 

Direction for making Flax seeds powder mix (jawas Podi/ chutney) 

• Break whole chilies and remove seeds. 
• Roast Flax seeds on low heat with constant stirring to make sure even roasting. 
• While roasting Flax seeds you will see that after some time oil starts oozing and covering seeds. This is normal thing to happen and indicates that seeds are nearly roasted. 
• When Flax seeds start spluttering nice aroma will start coming. Immediately remove Flax seeds from hot pan and transfer them to a plate. Hot seeds will keep cooking due to  hot oil in them. 
• While Flax seeds are cooling dry roast ground nuts on low heat to light brown. Transfer roasted nuts to a plate to cool so that their peel can be removed. 
• Dry roast on low heat sesame seeds to light brown. Seeds will splutter indicating their readiness to be removed from heat. 
• Dry roast chili pieces on low flame till they become crisp and change color but make sure they don't burn off. Burnt chilies spoil the taste of Podi. 
• Remove the brown cover (peel) of roasted ground nuts. 

Roasted Ingredients and salt 

• Place 
• Roasted Flax seeds 
• Roasted Ground nuts
• Roasted Sesame seeds 
• Roasted Red Chili pieces 
• Roasted Red Kashmiri chili pieces 
• Roasted Garlic 
• Salt 
• Tamarind in a mixer and grind them to powder. 
• While grinding the roasted ingredients the mixer and the ingredients in it will warm up. Stop in between to let it cool. 
• The oil from seeds and nuts will give lovely texture and flavor to the powder mix /Podi /chutney. 
• I prefer finely powdered mix. Some people like little coarsely powdered. So do as per your liking. 
• Flax seed powder mix /Podi /chutney is ready. 
• Store it in airtight container and keep in fridge. The oil may go rancid in few months if not stored in cool place. 
• I prefer storing it in two three small airtight containers so that only one is opened at a time till it finishes rest of tjw Podi is stored safe in containers. 
• Make sure moisture does not come in contact (wet spoon) while taking out Podi from container. 
• Enjoy this healthy, Nutritious, tasty Podi as side dish with dal-chawal /roti-sabzi/parantha/dosa /Idli or sprinkle little on pakoras. Permutation combinations are endless. 

Jawaspodi (Spicy powder mix of Flaxseeds) 

Tips: 

• Always do roasting of ingredients on low heat and do not over roast them. Over roasting will spoil the taste, flavor and destroy nutrients. 
• Roasting on high heat will not give that nutty flavor and may cause burning of ingredients. 
• While grinding the mixture stop the mixer in between to cool the ingredient and container. 

• Check the hotness of chilies before adding. 

Alternate Suggestions :

• Garlic though adds flavor and goodness to Podi but if one wants it can be avoided. 
• Flaxseed meal may be an alternative to Flaxseeds but without roasting that nutty flavor will not come. 
• Dry roasted coconut pieces (upto 50 gm) can be added along with other ingredients. 

Jawaspodi /Jawas chutney