Cluster Beans delight/Gorikai Palya

Guar/Mattikaya/Cluster Bean/Gorkikai/Jawalikai is an interesting flavourful legume.
It is an annual legume crop that provides with a natural source of hydrocolloid.It is consumed as a bean, livestock fed and also in the form of manure in the fields. India is a very dominant producer of this crop. This is a common vegetable used in Karnataka aswell. My most favourite part of this bean is its color, rich bright green color especially the young beans.

Here is a classic recipe with cluster beans which can be served with plain rice or with any roti or eaten as it is. This recipe can be made dry or in a gravy form as needed. For all the people dont like green, once you taste this, you will never complain about eating green again...Looking forward for your comments..

Ingredients:

2cups chopped cluster beans (boil it and drain the water)

salt to tast

To grind:

1/2cup fresh grated coconut

4-5 green chillies

1tsp jeera

2tbsp channa dal soaked for 15mins in boiling water

a handful coriender leaves

To season

2tsp oil

hing, jeera, mustard, 1tsp urad dal, 1tsp channa dal, currey leaves, 2dried red chillies

Method
Grind all the 'To grind" ingredients adding little water to a fine paste. In a thick bottom pan, add oil and season with all the seasoning ingredients. Now add the ground paste and mix well in a low flame. Add little water if the paste starts to stick to the pan. Now close a lid and let it cook for 10mins. Then add the boiled cluster beans, salt and mix well and serve.

This can be eaten as it is and extremely healthy since it contains high protein and very little fat and sugar. It can be served in hot rice with a dollop of ghee or served as a curry with roti.