The annual Avare Bele Mela, underway at VV Puram, is where you should head to, to buy piles of fresh, farm-sourced avarekalu (hyacinth beans) and sink your teeth into delicacies made from it. For 10 days, the area around Sajjan Rao Circle and Thindi Street will pull out all stops to celebrate the humble avarekai. Event organisers, Sri Vasavi Condiments, have reportedly roped in over 200 farmers from the Magadi area (on the outskirts of Bangalore) to participate in the mela. A winter speciality, avarekai will be available by the heaps, at the mela, for you to take home. Stalls all across VV Puram’s famed Thindi Street will also serve up street food made from avarekai. There’s Hithkabele (avarekai beans without their skin) honey jalebis, jamoons, and holige for your sweet tooth. But before you order the sweet dishes, you can chomp on dosas, upmas, vadas, idlis, and curries made from the bean.
Note: The venue for the mela has still not been decided due to some permisson issues. Watch out this space for the updated venue.