If you are using frozen beans, make sure it is at room temperature.
If using fresh ones, wash the beans and set aside.
Instant Pot Method
Add the rinsed beans to the Instant Pot and add 2 cups of water.
Set it in manual mode and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes and let the pressure release naturally.
Carefully open the lid and take about ½ cup of cooked beans. Let it cool for 5 minutes. Let the remaining beans be in the Instant Pot.
Now grind this ½ cup of beans along with coconut, ½ Tsp of cumin seeds, red chili, turmeric powder, rasam powder and hing into a coarse mix.
Set the instant pot in sauté mode and add the ground coconut mix, jaggery and tamarind paste to the cooked beans and mix well.
If required add more water. I just used ½ more cup of water. I just rinsed my mixer jar with that half cup of water and added it into the IP.
Add salt, curry leaves, and cilantro and let it simmer in sauté mode for 8 to 10 minutes.
In a separate tadka pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. As they start to splutter add it to the saaru and mix well.
And that’s it. Avarekalu Huli Saaru is ready. Serve hot with rice.
Stove Top Method
Cook the beans in your preferred way, either on the stove top or microwave or in a pressure cooker and until the beans are soft and tender. Make sure they are not mushy. Do not drain the water.
Set aside ½ cup of cooked beans and let it cool.
Now grind this ½ cup of beans along with coconut, ½ Tsp of cumin seeds, red chili, turmeric powder, rasam powder and hing into a coarse mix.
Heat a kadai or pan and add oil. Once the oil is hot add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and curry leaves. (If using onions add at this stage)
As the mustard seeds start to splutter, add the cooked beans along with water and the ground mix and combine them.
Then add the jaggery, tamarind paste and mix them all.
If required add more water. I just used ½ more cup of water. I just rinsed my mixer jar with that half cup of water.
Add the cilantro and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
Notes
Adjust the salt and spice as per your preference.
Instead of rasam powder you can use sambar powder.
Also, you can do the tempering with ghee.
If using onion in the IP method, transfer the cooked beans to a different vessel and do the tempering in the sauté mode and cook the onion. Then add the beans, ground mix, and the other ingredients.
Make sure the beans are not mushy. It has to be soft and tender. So do not overcook. In IP, manual 3 minutes is more than sufficient. In fact, you can do a quick pressure release after 5 minutes.
Adjust the water as per your consistency preference. If you want the saaru to be thick, either simmer for a long time or mix about one tsp of rice flour in 3 tbsps of water and add it to the saaru and then bring it to a boil.