Winged bean

Hindu Metroplus ,On the wings of beans

Ever since my introduction to our local vegetable vendor Rajathi ,my curiosity in seeking unusual produce has gone up a few notches. An early sunday morning drive to Vysial street,to,check out her wares has becoming a calming routine of sorts. Rajathi’s sacks and baskets are always filled to the brim. The bright greens look like they  captured a bit of the morning sun and are bursting with health.

As promised ,on one such morning ,she had kept aside an unusual veggie. She called it “sadhuram avvarakkai” in tamil. This was not a vegetable that I had seen at any other supermarket or grocers. Her tip was to make a simple south indian poriyal or a salad. Tempted by the bright green,I brought home a bundle. While pondering over how best to cook it,I let it sit  in the refrigerator. Two days later,I was filled with deep dismay to find it discoloured and completely wilted. Then came the realisation that this was a highly perishable produce and needed to be eaten fresh,in a day,at the maximum.

So much for our modern methods of preservation. It does not work with this particular veg !

I happened to describe this veg to my mum and aunts with the hope that they may shed some light on this ‘variety of avarrakai‘. Straight away they told me that my description sounded very much like that of the winged bean .They were right,the winged bean is also known as the asparagus pea and many other names in other countries. My twin aunts used to grow them in their garden with seeds sourced from Singapore. This vegetable is most popular in the Asian countries like Thailand,Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. How amazing that it is available fresh in our very own town. Rajathi never ceases to amaze me. The theory goes that many folk of the Chettiar Community from Coimbatore had homes in Malaysia. This could have resulted in them carrying back some of the indigenous vegetables of that area.  They,apparently  continue to buy this vegetable on a large scale from her,even today.

So,another trip was made to procure this winged bean and cook it immediately.  Knowing that it was popular in Thailand, I eagerly set about making a simple dish with Thai flavours. It was just perfect. The winged bean has a slight crunch to it which adds to the taste. It soaks up flavours very well. The coconut milk ,chilli ,peanuts and lemon complimented it beautifully. It turned to be rather special and definitely a dish that I look forward to making more often.

To clean ,the winged bean needs to be washed thoroughly as the ridges tend to catch the muck from the ground. Sometimes I find that the wings need to be trimmed. They do get a bit black at the edges.  All one needs to do is to slide the knife on the side and the winged part comes away effortlessly. The cross section of this veg looks so pretty,like a four point star. That’s why she calls it ‘sadhuram ‘which means square. The shape of this when cut adds to the visual appeal of the dish. Pickling this winged bean is also a good way of preserving it. A simple pickling of roasted fenugreek, red chilli powder,salt and lemon juice is tasty and keeps well refrigerated. This vegetable is seasonal. Known to be high in protein and vitamin A ,the winged bean is worth adding to your list of veggie must haves! The tender green ones supposedly have the best nutritive value .

I have requested Rajathi to ask the farmers to harvest them when they are tender and not when fully mature. She was amused to learn the English names and thanked me for telling her ! She patiently answers questions and greets new visitors with unconcealed enthusiasm. Two good reasons to visit her before the season ends are the clove beans and the winged beans. Do take advantage of the opportunity. Locally grown veggies that are delicious AND healthy !That sounds too good to pass up now doesn’t it !?