Valache Birdhe or field beans curry
Hieloom recipe from the CKP community from the western coast of Maharashtra, India
Equipment
- Pan to cook the curry
- Blender to make a paste from the garted coconut
- Kitchen cloth to tie up beans for sporuting
Ingredients
- 1.5 Cup Vaal/ Field Beans - soaked, sprouted and skin removed - takes a few days
- 3 -4 Cloves Lasun/Garlic with skin
- 1 pinch Hing/Asafoetida
- 1 Kanda/Red onion - one small finely chopped for the pan
- 2 -3 tsp Dried Kokum 2 pieces or Tamarind (Chinch/ Imli) -tamarind paste OR dried tamarind soaked in water -remove the pips and use the gooey thick bits
- 1/2 tsp Jaggery
- 1 tiny pinch Mohri/Mustard Seeds
- 1 Pinch Cumin/Jeera
- 1.5 tbsp Oil
- 1 tsp Laal Mirchi / Red Chilli Powder
- 1/2 tsp Halad / Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Coriander powder
- 1 tsp Jeere/Cumin powder
- 1/2 fistful Fresh Coriander finely chopped to garnish
- 3 - 4 tbsp Grated coconut paste * see notes
- Salt as per taste
Instructions
- Soak the Vaal overnight, change the water in the morning and by evening if they appear puffed then wrap them in a damp cloth and set aside in a vessel with a lid to create an environment warm enough to allow them to sprout
- Remove sprouted vaal into a bowl and pour like warm water on them, stir with your palms to loosen the skin and many will float to the top, decant the water and remove all the rest of the skins and discard
- Heat the oil in a saucepan and dust some asafoetida and throw in the mustard and cumin.
- When the cumin seeds begin to pop, throw in the garlic with their skin on and smashed to flatten them and as they turn colour and release their aroma, add the chopped onion.
- When the onion turns a delicate pink add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and then add the vaal/field beans.
- Now add the turmeric, red chilli, coriander and cumin powders and quickly stir in enough water to cover the beans
- On a low flame cook with lid
- When the vaal is almost done, add the jiggery, coconut paste and the tamarind paste or the water from the dried tamarind which has been soaked or dried kokum soaked in water and when the vaal are done add salt and garnish with finely chopped coriander.
- Valache Birdhe or field beans curry is best enjoyed with steaming hot rice