This vegetable is very popular among both rural and urban citizens of India. It has a slight bitterness which makes it different from most other vegetables. It’s made differently in different states and this one is popular in Maharashtra. People in many parts of Maharashtra use ground roasted peanuts in many vegetables and curries. Peanuts are a great source of protein and combined with a vegetable, wheat roti or millet bhakri, it ensures a more complete nutritional profile at each meal. It’s taste and health brought together.
Recipe: Darshana Muzumdar
Serves 2 or 3 people as part of a traditional meal.
Ingredients
- 150 gms gawar beans
- 75 gms (1/4 cup) peanuts (adjust as per taste)
- 1 medium sized onion (optional)
- 5-8 large cloves or 10-5 smaller cloves garlic
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 2-3 green chillies (adjust as per taste)
- 1 tbsp groundnut oil
- Salt to taste
Method
- Wash the gawar beans and remove the head and tail of each one. This is usually done with the fingers instead of using a knife.
- Break the beans into smaller pieces shorter or longer as per your preference. Again traditionally no one uses a knife to do this. Keep this aside ready to use.
- Dry roast the peanuts on medium heat and grind them to a coarse powder. Keep this aside ready to use.
- Chop the onion, garlic and chilli separately and keep them all ready to use.
- Heat the oil in a thick bottomed steel pot or kadhai (wok) on medium heat and add the cumin. Sauté it till it becomes slightly brown and releases its flavour. This may take only a few seconds.
- Add the green chillies and garlic, and sauté them till the garlic releases its flavour.
- Add the chopped onion and sauté it till it becomes translucent and soft.
- Add the gawar beans and salt and mix it well. Add some water, and cook it on low to medium heat for around three to five minutes till the gawar becomes soft.
- Add the roasted peanut powder and mix well.
- Serve hot with rotis, rice and a pulse dish.
For the Whole-Food Plant-Based (WFPB) version:
- All you need to omit from this recipe is the oil.
- Keep all the ingredients ready as above.
- Put the chopped onion in a thick bottomed steel pot, add salt and half a cup of water. Cook on low to medium heat till the onion becomes soft and translucent.
- Heat an iron tempering ladle on medium heat and add the cumin. Roast it till it releases its flavour and begins to pop. Transfer this to the onions. Also add the chopped green chillies to the onions and continue cooking it all on low to medium heat.
- Put a couple of drops of oil in the tempering ladle and add the chopped garlic. The oil prevents the garlic from sticking to the ladle and burning. Sauté the garlic till it becomes lightly golden brown. Transfer this to the onions.
- Add the gawar to to the onions, add more water if necessary, mix it all well and cook till the gawar becomes soft.
- Add the ground roasted peanut powder and mix well. Serve hot with rotis, rice and a pulse dish.
