Khara bath is one dish that never fails when it comes to breakfast. This semolina-based delicacy has been a staple of my Sunday meals for ages. It is a fairly simple dish that does not take a long time to prepare. Often, this steaming hot dish is ready before my coffee starts to cool down. It is just another type of comfort food that never lets me down.
Why Love This Recipe
- I love the nutty and mildly spicy taste of Khara bath.
- I always pair mine with coconut chutney as it cuts through the richness nicely.
- It takes me twenty five minutes flat to cook this dish.
- I suggest you try upma, suji halwa and rava kesari too for a similar experience.
The Ingredients:
- 2 cups semolina (suji)
- 2 tbsp cooking oil (or ghee)
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp chana dal
- 1 tbsp urad dal
- 1 piece onion (medium size, finely chopped)
- 10 pieces curry leaves
- 1 tbsp green chilies (finely chopped)
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup carrots and beans (finely chopped, pre-boiled)
- 1 piece tomato (large, finely chopped)
- Coriander leaves (a handful, finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
How to Make Khara Bath? (Step by Step Guide with Photos)
Step 1: Fry 1 tsp of mustard seeds, 1 tbsp of chana dal and 1 tbsp of urad dal in 2 tbsp of cooking oil or ghee for a few seconds on a medium flame. Then add 1 piece of finely chopped medium-sized onion. Fry until soft.
Step 2: Then add 10 pieces of curry leaves and 1 tbsp of finely chopped green chilies and fry for about 10 seconds. Mix 2 cups of semolina (suji). Fry until dry.
(Pro Tip: I usually check the semolina with my fingers whether it is sticky or not. If it is, dry roast a bit before adding).
Step 3: Boil 3 cups of water. While the water boils, mix 1 tsp of salt and ¼ tsp of turmeric powder to the suji.
Step 4: Add the hot water to the suji along with a cup of boiled carrots and beans.
(Pro Tip: I ensure the water is boiling hot because lukewarm will make the khara bath lumpy).
Step 5: Also add one large, finely chopped tomato, a handful of finely chopped coriander leaves and 1 tbsp of lemon juice. Mix everything nicely. Transfer it to a serving bowl.
Step 6: Your healthy and tasty homemade Khara bath is ready.
Add Creative Touches
- I toss in roasted cashew nuts sometimes. It gives extra crunch to the dish.
- I added grated coconut once at the end and it gave a noticeably richer finish.
- To make it heartier, I have added capsicum, peas and other veggies along with carrots and beans a couple of times.
Khara Bath Recipe Common Mistakes & Solutions
Q. The semolina still tastes raw even after I have added the water. Why?
A. I had experienced the same when I hurried through step 2 to proceed to the next step. Give it a couple more minutes over the heat until it starts to smell toasty.
Q. What are my carrots and beans still hard even after I have mixed everything nicely?
A. I learned this one the hard way. Make sure you cook them thoroughly before proceeding to step 5 as they won’t tenderize further.
Q. Why does my dish taste too sour even after I have followed all the steps?
A. It happened to me once. Make sure you adjust lemon juice depending on the amount of tomato added because both the lemon and the tomato are tangy and contain flavors of their own.
Recipe Card
Khara Bath
Ingredients
- 2 cups semolina suji
- 2 tbsp cooking oil or ghee
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp chana dal
- 1 tbsp urad dal
- 1 piece onion medium size, finely chopped
- 10 pieces curry leaves
- 1 tbsp green chilies finely chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup carrots and beans finely chopped, pre-boiled
- 1 piece tomato large, finely chopped
- Coriander leaves a handful, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Fry 1 tsp of mustard seeds, 1 tbsp of chana dal and 1 tbsp of urad dal in 2 tbsp of cooking oil or ghee for a few seconds on a medium flame. Then add 1 piece of finely chopped medium-sized onion. Fry until soft.
- Then add 10 pieces of curry leaves and 1 tbsp of finely chopped green chilies and fry for about 10 seconds. Mix 2 cups of semolina (suji). Fry until dry. (Pro Tip: I usually check the semolina with my fingers whether it is sticky or not. If it is, dry roast a bit before adding).
- Boil 3 cups of water. While the water boils, mix 1 tsp of salt and ¼ tsp of turmeric powder to the suji.
- Add the hot water to the suji along with a cup of boiled carrots and beans. (Pro Tip: I ensure the water is boiling hot because lukewarm will make the khara bath lumpy).
- Also add one large, finely chopped tomato, a handful of finely chopped coriander leaves and 1 tbsp of lemon juice. Mix everything nicely. Transfer it to a serving bowl.
- Your healthy and tasty homemade Khara bath is ready.
