Like any other veggie, even most neglected high fibre, low calorie, nutrition filled Cluster beans also has many names like, Gorikayi, chavlikai, Guvar, Kothavarangai, Goru chikkudi etc. in different Indian languages.
It is a type of green beans, which is short, flat and little bitter in nature. It is a “power house of goodness” but neglected in-between all kinds of veggies.
Yes, it needs some other vegetable, dal or potato to enhance its taste or to tone down the bitterness. Here in this recipe, we use soaked Chana dal and little bit masala to enhance the taste and this recipe is handed down to me by my dear aunty who is a super human being.
It is a perfect side dish for any kind of Indian flat breads or with hot rice.
Ingredients:
Cluster beans – ½ kg
Chana dal – 1 cup
Onion – 2
Fresh Coconut gratings – 1 fist full
Seasoning:
Oil – 3 to 4 tbl sp
Mustard – 1 tsp
Red chillies – 2
Hing – ¼ tsp
Curry leaves – 1 string
For masala:
Green chillies – 6 to 7
Cinnamon – 1” piece
Ginger – 1” piece
Garlic – 8 cloves
Coriander leaves – 10 strings
Method:
-Wash, soak chana dal in water for half to one hour.
-Cut cluster beans in to bit size pieces after washing and removing both the ends.
– Cook soaked dal and chopped beans for 2 whistles in two separate vessels by adding very little water.
– Put aside one serving spoon of cooked chana dal and pulse remaining amount of dal.
– Dry grind all the items under masala and keep aside.
– Chop onions.
– Take one thick bottomed tawa, Put oil, splutter mustard, hing, red chillies and curry leaves.
– Add onion, turmeric and fry nicely.
– Add ground masala,required amount of salt and fry nicely.When its raw smell vanishes, add roughly ground dal and fry for a while.
– Lastly add cooked cluster beans and dal which we have kept aside.
-Cook this until water becomes dry and garnish with fresh coconut. Mix nicely and heat this mixture for a couple of minutes.
-Serve either with rotti, phulka or hot rice.