Monday, February 22, 2010

Cluster bean fry / Matikaya karam


I never liked cluster beans much. But this dish changed my mind. The sweetness of the caramelized onions with the bitterness of the cluster beans is a perfect combination in this dish.

Some info on cluster beans : Cluster bean is a boon for diabetics. It is 90% fiber and helps in lowering the blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Commercially, matured cluster bean seeds are crushed and turned into flour known as guar gum. It is used as a thickening agent in food, paper and textile industries. The thickening power of Cluster Bean is more than 5 times that of Corn Starch.

Ingredients

Cluster beans – 1 1/2 lb
Onion – 1 finely chopped
Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp (optional)
Salt
Oil

Steps

1. Prepare the cluster beans and roughly break them into smaller pieces.


2. Put them in a processor and pulse a couple of times for a few seconds so that they are coarsely chopped but are not turned into paste.



3. Heat oil in a pan. Put the mustard, cumin, ginger-garlic paste and later the onions and fry a little.

4. Add red chilli powder, turmeric and coriander powder and mix well.



5. Add the bean mixture along with salt and mix well .



6. Fry them on medium-high till they turn brown. This might take about 30min. Keep mixing at regular intervals.


Serving ideas

Serve with hot rice or chapathis. This also tastes good in a sandwich.

Meal Today: Hot rice with matikaya karam and ulavalu
Tips

This dish requires more oil than others as it takes a long time to brown.

Scrape off the brown bits attached to the pan at regular intervals. It is where the taste lies. Also, after removing the contents to a bowl, you could put rice into the pan and scrape off everything from the pan. It really tastes divine.

The same recipe can be tried out with green peas.

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