Chow Chow Bath: South Indian Breakfast

wellhealthorganic.com Chow Chow Bath: Chow chow bath, a delightful combination of savory and sweet flavors, makes for a satisfying breakfast, featuring rava bath and kesari bath.

Chow Chow Bath

• Preparation Time: 15 minutes
• Cooking Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Cuisine: Karnataka, South Indian
• Course: Breakfast

Ingredients:

For Roasting Rava:

1. 1 cup fine rava (160 grams, sooji or cream of wheat)

For Frying Cashews:

1. 1 tablespoon oil or ghee
2. 20 to 22 cashews

For Preparing Rava Bath:

1. ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
2. ½ teaspoon chana dal (split husked Bengal gram)
3. ½ teaspoon urad dal 
4. 3 tablespoons finely chopped onions
5. 3 tablespoons finely chopped capsicum (bell pepper)
6. 3 tablespoons finely chopped carrot
7. 3 tablespoons finely chopped tomatoes
8. 2 to 3 tablespoons frozen green peas
9. 7 to 8 curry leaves
10. ½ teaspoon sugar, or as required
11. Salt, as required
12. 1 teaspoon vangi bhaat masala
13. ¼ to ½ teaspoon red chilli powder (optional, for spiciness)
14. 1.5 cups water
15. 2 tablespoons ghee (to be added later)
16. 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves (cilantro leaves)
17. Few wedges of lime or lemon for serving

For Preparing Rava Kesari Bath:

1. 1.5 cups water
2. ½ tablespoon raisins
3. ⅓ cup sugar (60 grams), or adjust to taste
4. ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
5. A pinch of saffron strands
6. 1 to 2 pinch of turmeric powder
7. 2 to 3 tablespoons ghee (to be added later)

For Coconut Chutney:

1. ⅓ cup tightly packed grated fresh coconut
2. 2 tablespoons roasted chana dal (roasted Bengal gram)
3. 1 green chili, chopped
4. 3 to 4 tablespoons water for grinding chutney
5. Salt, as required

Also Read: Kanda Bhaji

Instructions:

Roasting Rava:

Heat a pan or kadai. Add 1 cup of rava and roast it until fragrant and crisp. Be careful not to brown the rava. This should take about 5 to 6 minutes on low flame. Once done, transfer the roasted rava to a plate and set aside. Reserve half of the roasted rava for savory khara bath and the other half for sweet kesari bath.

Frying Cashews:

1. In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon of ghee or oil. Fry 20 to 22 cashews until golden. Set aside.

Preparing Rava Bath:

1. Lower the flame and in the same pan, add mustard seeds, chana dal, and urad dal. Saute until golden.
2. Add onions and saute for a minute. Then add capsicum, carrot, tomatoes, and green peas. Mix well and add curry leaves.
3. Season with sugar, salt, vangi bhaat masala, and optional red chilli powder. Mix well.
4. Pour in 1.5 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Reduce the flame and add the roasted rava in batches, stirring well to avoid lumps.
5. Cover and cook on low flame for 3 to 4 minutes. Then add ghee, chopped coriander leaves, and fried cashews. Mix well and serve hot with lemon wedges and coconut chutney.

Preparing Kesari Bath:

1. In another pan, bring 1.5 cups of water to a boil. Add sugar, raisins, saffron strands, and food color extract (if using). Mix well.
2. Lower the flame and gradually add the roasted rava, stirring continuously to prevent lumps. Add ghee and cardamom powder. Cover and cook on low flame for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture thickens.
3. Once cooked, add the remaining fried cashews and mix well. Serve hot or warm.

Preparing Coconut Chutney:

1. Grind grated coconut, roasted chana dal, green chili, and salt with water to a smooth paste. Adjust water quantity as needed. Set aside.

Also Read: Cocoa Milkshake

Notes:

• Vangi bhath masala powder can be skipped or substituted with red chili powder for spiciness.
• French beans can be added along with other vegetables.
• Adjust sugar quantity in kesari bath according to taste preference.