thecookscottage

Butter beans/ Double beans/ Lima beans- Indian style

I have always loved butter beans or double beans as they are generally known here. There are no common names for this pulse besides borboti (Beng) and sem(Hindi), which are generic names for beans and this is because the bean was introduced into India either via the Far East (Burma beans/Java beans) or Africa ( Madagascar beans) from its place of origin ie. from Central and South America
Cultivars of the Phaseolus lunatus L. grow well here, even though they are not indigenous. The most common ones sold are the double white variety, the brown variety called Sultani and the speckled variety. Both the bush and pole type grow here and flourish at heights of 1200M-2200 M. Like the Madagascar bean they are larger than the Lima bean which belongs to the same family.
All types of lima or butter beans should be soaked well before cooking, at least 12 hours, and then washed well after soaking.They must also be cooked well. At least two hours if cooking from the dry state. Wild lima beans can be poisonous because of their high cyanogens which can be reduced only through soaking and cooking for a long time at fairly high temperatures.They should not be eaten raw neither sprouted.
Double beans can lead to a lot of hot air as that folk song from the American South "Butter Beans " proves..and in these days of global warming .... well I won't elaborate. Most Indian cooking calls for the use of ginger when cooking lentils and legumes. And I have done the same with this lima bean recipe.

Ingredients
150 gms butter beans/ double beans
2 "ginger sliced into circles
1/2 tsp turmeric/ haldi
1 walnut sized piece os tamarind soaked in 1/2 cup hot water and then strained

1 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp rai / mustard seed
6 cloves of garlic chopped
1 sprig of kari patta /curry leaves
Pinch of salt

Wash and soak the beans for at least 12 hours. If you live in a cold place soak it in hot water. Wash well after soaking and drain off all the water. Add two cups of fresh water to the beans, sliced ginger and the turmeric and pressure cook for 2-3 whistles at high pressure. Take the cooker off the fire and let the heat reduce. Remove the weight.Fish out the ginger slices and discard. Now mash a few of the beans on the sides of the pan or in a blender to make the gravy a bit thicker. Add the tamarind pulp and continue to simmer on low heat.

Heat a teaspoon of oil and add the mustard seed. When they pop add the chopped garlic and fry till golden brown. Now add the curry leaves and saute for ten seconds. Pour the seasoning over the beans and let it cook together for 5-8 minutes. Add salt to taste.

Plain Moong Dal-Soup for the Soul

Two weeks ago we had a houseful of friends. The daily menu was the simple vegetarian fare we usually have. Now I am getting requests for the recipe of the the standard dal we ate.

So here it is ...also put into the fast and furious section as it is one of those 15 minute meals with the addition of some veggies and served with a white or brown rice.You just don't need anything else. Enjoy Mahen, Suchitra, Alastair and Poonam.

Nanda's Dal

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup moong dhuli hui /split mung bean husked
• 1 chopped tomato
• 1'' piece of ginger sliced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp haldi
• 2 1/4 cups water

Cook in pressure cooker with the water for 1 whistle.

• 2 tsps ghee/ clarified butter
• 1/2 tsp rai/ mustard seed
• 1/2 tsp jeera
• ! green chilli chopped
• 3 garlic finely minced
• 1 small onion chopped

Fry the above ingredients in the ghee and when lightly browned add to the cooked dal. Add a sprig of kari patta/curry leaves and cook together with the dal for 5 minutes. Adjust the salt according to taste.

Serve with rice or chapathi.

Simple Moong Dal

Reminds me of this saying:

"Dhan Dar ne ghee, ne jumta ne jee'

Plain rice, lentils and ghee- Blessings on those who eat it.- Gujerati Proverb

Stuffed Mixed Dal Paratha- Mixed Lentil filled Flat Bread

A paratha is a wonderful thing; a bit like a sandwich it can be filled with all sorts of things and make a one dish meal. More restaurants are opening up here with just parathas on the menu.

I recall that in Kodaikanal the miniscule restaurants along the one main road that exists there, serving quite awful food to the hungry students of the big residential school close by. The inside information was that the safest thing to eat was the cheese paratha, served hot by one of the joints they called a restaurant. They did not have other variations . Keeping ingredients fresh was a problem. Most of them were expensive, having been trucked up the long, winding and sometimes treacherous ghat road. Vegetables were likely to be bad by the time they were served up. Especially if it was not the tourist season when the village became as dead as a dodo, with its few residents and starving students wandering about disconsolately in the mists, in search of a good meal. Eventually everyone would end up at the paratha place. Safe to eat, hot and filling.

I always think the younger Earl of Sandwich pretty enterprising to use his title to market the most upmarket of sandwiches. We should have a Maharaja of Paratha. He would be well employed in working out new variations on the theme. How about a Maratha Paratha? It should do well in Pune.

Meanwhile many of us have our own versions of parathas, not simply the standard methi, gobi, and alu types. Here is my friend Subhasini's great recipe for lentil filled paratha. It makes 8 plump ones, 5" in diameter, and a fabulous one dish dinner.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp ghee
1/2 tsp salt
Water

1/2 cup channa  dal / Bengal gram
1/4 cup toor dal
1/2 " piece of grated ginger
Pinch of haldi

I onion chopped fine
1 green chilli minced
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
Juice of 1/2 lime

1/2 tsp ajwain /thymol seeds
2 tbsp ghee or oil

Combine wheat, salt ghee and water to form a ball of dough. Knead for 5minutes. Keep aside covered with plastic or damp cloth

Drain Lentils

Combine the lentils , turmeric, grated ginger and 1 cup water and cook for 2 whistles in a pressure cooker or over the fire till just done.Drain off any extra water.

Frying onions

Heat 1 tbsp ghee and fry the onion, chilli and ginger garlic paste.

Sprinkle ajwain

When done add the lentils to the fried ingredients, the lime juice , sprinkle the ajwain and mix well.

Make 8 balls of the dough and roll out into a circle about 3 " in diameter.

Smear ghee on circle

Smear a bit of ghee on the circle

and place a spoonful of the mixture in the centre.

Sprinkle wheat flour on filling

Sprinkle some dry whole wheat flour on top and

Form a ball

and then form into a ball by gathering the edges up together. Twist the pointed end and press back into the ball.

Roll out paratha

Press flat between palms and roll out the stuffed ball into a 5" circle.

Ghee on tava

Put a spoonful of ghee on the heated tava and slap the paratha onto the tava.

After a few minutes when it has formed brown spots on one side, turn and cook the other side . Smear a little ghee on the edges of the paratha as it is cooking. When the dough is cooked remove from fire and keep warm wrapped in a cloth or paper napkin till all 8 are cooked.

Serve with yogurt/ dahi, raita or any vegetable.