The farmers market in our neighbourhood is big on beans. Fresh beans of different colors, 15 to 20 of same size bundled together with a rubber band are offered for one dollar or dollar thirty cents. I have been eyeing these purple beans since the beginning of summer, and bought two bundles yesterday. With rich velvet like violet skin, they are weirdly attractive to me.
For tender beans, I snapped them to half-inch length pieces. Mature ones with plump seeds, I saved the seeds and discarded the tough skins. After snapping and shelling, two bundles came about two cups. I blanched the beans first (surprisingly purple paled to green), and did a quick saute to go with chapatis. They had strong soy bean like smell with somewhat flat taste and greatly benefited from generous amounts of goda masala seasoning. All and all, they made a decent curry for chapatis.
Purple Beans
Recipe:
2 cups shelled purple beans
1 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons goda masala
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon each – turmeric and salt
for popu or tadka:
1 tablespoon ghee and a pinch each- cumin, mustard seeds and curry leaves
1. Bring 2 cups of water to a rolling boil in a pot. Add the beans and cook them for few minutes until just tender. Drain.
2. Melt the ghee in a wide frying pan. Add and toast the cumin, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add and fry the onion to soft brown. Add the beans. Sprinkle the goda masala, turmeric and salt. Mix thoroughly. Reduce the heat to low and cover and cook for another five minutes or so.
Serve the curry hot with chapatis and a cup of yogurt.
Purple Bean Curry with Chapatis and Carrot-Cucumber-Mint Yogurt Raita ~ Meal Today
