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.