Ever since I met Rajathi the vegetable vendor, my curiosity for unusual produce has gone up. Sunday morning drives to Vysyal Street, to check what she has that day. is a calming ritual these days. Rajathi’s sacks and baskets are always filled to the brim, sometimes with unusual veggies. The greens look like they have captured a bit of the morning sun and are bursting with health.
This Sunday, she had ‘sadhuram avvarakkai’. I had never seen this vegetable before. Rajathi suggested I make a simple South Indian poriyal or a salad with it. Tempted by the bright green, I brought home a bundle. While trying to make up my mind about how best to cook it, I let it sit in the refrigerator. Two days later, I was dismayed to find it discoloured and wilted. I learnt that this is a vegetable that ought to be cooked fresh. Modern methods of preservation do not work here.
I described this vegetable to my mum and aunts, hoping they knew something about this variety of avarrakai. They said it sounded very much like the winged bean. They were right. The winged bean is also known as the asparagus pea. My aunts grew them in their garden from seeds sourced from Singapore. It is very popular in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.
How wonderful then that it is also available fresh in our very own town. The beans probably found their way here thanks to the Chettiar community who had homes in Malaysia. They may have carried the vegetable back to Coimbatore from there. According to Rajathi, they continue buy large quantities of this vegetable from her, even today.
I made another trip to procure this winged bean, and this time cooked it immediately. Knowing that it was popular in Thailand, I set about making a simple dish with Thai flavours. It was just perfect.
The winged bean has a slight crunch to it which adds to the taste. It soaks up flavours very well. The coconut milk, chilli, peanuts and lemon compliment it beautifully.
The beans need to be washed thoroughly. Sometimes, the wings need to be trimmed. They do get a bit black around the edges. All one needs to do is to slide the knife on the side and the winged part comes away effortlessly. The cross section of this vegetable looks so pretty, like a four point star. That’s why she calls it ‘sadhuram’ which means square. The shape adds to the visual appeal of the dish. The winged bean can be pickled too with a simple mixture of roasted fenugreek, red chilli powder, salt and lemon juice. It is tasty and keeps well in the refrigerator.
Nutritious This vegetable is seasonal. Known to be high in protein and vitamin A, the winged bean is worth adding to your list of veggie must-haves! The tender green ones have the best nutritive value. Rajathi was amused to learn the English names and thanked me for telling her about them.
She patiently answers questions and enthusiastically greets new visitors. Two good reasons to visit her before the season ends are the clove beans and the winged beans. Do take advantage of the opportunity. Locally grown veggies are tasty and healthy.
(Read more about food on Shanthini’s website www.pinklemontreerecipes.com)
