Payathangaai , karamani , chowli or Long beans is a nutrient rich and powerhouse of natural fibre coupled with antioxidants and immune boosting properties.
A green vegetable widely used in India in various forms makes it the most sought after vegetable . As the beans reach almost 2 to 3 feet in length they are known as long yard beans . These belong to the cow pea family popularly known as lobia ,chowli or karamani .
The beans are thin ,long ,slender and very tender . They look very appealing to the eye when we see it and are stocked up as bundles since they are long . Very easy to cook and it can blend in very easily with all sorts of seasonings and flavorings . Normally prepared as stir fries, steamed and used in salads or mild vegetable stews .
It is good to incorporate the payathangaai in your day to day meals as it is rich in fibre and also potassium, magnesium, vitamins C and A .
A vegetable which is heart friendly due to potassium content and gut friendly due to fibre content. The fibre content prevents constipation and the potassium present in the chowli helps to maintain the BP and in turn helps and protects the heart.
The magnesium, zinc ,vitamins C and A help in maintaining the over all cell growth in the body and helps in having a good metabolism due to the antioxidants present .
The recipe that I am sharing today is a very simple yet flavorful curry/stir fry made using karamani and very popular in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. This version is a no Onion No Garlic recipe but you may use finely chopped shallots for added flavor.
In Kerala, Onam Sadhya has payathangai thoran as one of the menu items and in Tamil homes ,this is made as a part of regular meals . Since it is a native bean like cluster beans and flat beans , karamani is widely used during Pithru Paksham (mahalaya Paksham) where we tend to consume only native vegetables.
The recipe uses very little oil and just 2 tbsp of fresh coconut for seasoning, making it a very healthy and diet friendly preparation.
Cooking Time - 10 mins
Complexity- easy
Serves - 2 to 3
Ingredients
2 tsp oil (coconut oil or any non flavored oil)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp udad dhall
Few curry leaves
Pinch of asafoetida
Salt to taste
To grind
2 tbsp fresh coconut
2 green chillies
1/2 tsp jeera /cumin
- Trim the top and end of the long beans and chop them finely. Wash well and keep aside .
- Coarsely grind the coconut, green chillies and jeera in a blender . We will use this for flavoring the poriyal/thoran.
- In a thick bottomed pan,heat oil and splutter the mustard seeds, udad dhall until golden brown followed by curry leaves and asafoetida.
- Add the chopped karamani, give a quick stir . Add the required amount of salt and add 1/4 cup water and cook covered for 7 to 8 min until the beans are cooked well and tender .There should be no water left in the pan .
- If at all you see some water is left, cook uncovered for a few more minutes until the water evaporates .
- Now add the coconut mixture, give a quick stir, cover the poriyal and turn off the stove. Let the stir fry rest for a few minutes until all the flavors are absorbed well into the beans .
- Transfer to a serving bowl and serve it with a choice of sambar rice, rasam rice etc .
