Varieties Of Beans
On a whim, as I sat down to write this broad bean recipe, I did a Google search on “how many varieties of beans are there”. The answer quite surprised me. According to Wiki, world gene banks hold about 40,000 bean varieties, although only a fraction are mass-produced! Wow, seriously!!? Wiki is a fund of information….some good to know…..others, meh….I will pass.
Broad Bean
Generally broad bean is also popular as fava bean. It is a delicacy in several parts of the world. Folklore however goes that this bean was considered bad luck. Imagine that! I have eaten these beans in a sweet-ish dish in Egypt, where our guide had pointed out that beans are one of the oldest and longest cultivated crops and they have found references to beans in ancient hieroglyphics.
Bounty for the day from the garden!
Easy To Grow
For the most part, this vine hardly needs any care. Especially during the months of January and February, it produces in abundance. It is easy to grow in the United States as well. Just make sure you provide it a tall and strong fence or trellis to creep up on. The vine is a vigorous grower and will produce prolifically.
Beans and flowers growing on the vine
Broad Bean Seeds
Undoubtedly, broad beans have a stronger flavor than regular green beans. Broad bean seeds (that are taken out of the pods) are more popular in western cuisines. They are either cooked when they’re fresh and green or they are dried and cooked in different recipes. Fresh broad beans are mostly used in salads because of their taste, texture and protein content.
Broad Bean Eggplant Sauté
Obviously, there are a variety of Indian recipes with this bean but this particular dish that’s cooked along with eggplant is one of my favorites. Eggplant complements the flavor and texture of broad beans when it is cooked this way. Blended ginger and green chilies add that extra dash of spice and flavor that makes this recipe so delicious. In particular, the seeds are really yum as the bean matures. My mom breaks off the ends of each mature bean (and discard), remove the strings, split the bean to remove the seeds and then chop the beans, sans seeds. The seeds and the chopped beans can then be cooked together, or you could save the seeds to add to another dish. Either way, the seeds are to die for!
Broad beans are rich in potassium, which can have beneficial effects on blood pressure. Eating foods rich in potassium is the best way of maintaining healthy potassium levels, rather than taking supplements.
While you’re here, check out some of our delicious sautéed veggie recipes:
- Carrot, Green Bean, Coconut Sauté
- Cluster Beans-Coconut-Ginger Sauté
- Snake Gourd Coconut Sauté
- Sautéed Asparagus
- Fresh Fenugreek Eggplant Sauté
- Easy Sautéed Green Beans
- Spicy Cilantro Ginger Eggplant Sauté
- Sautéed Asparagus
- Spine Gourd Sauté
- Sautéed Okra
- Easy Sautéed Tindora
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Broad Bean Eggplant Sauté
Ingredients
- 1/2 Pound Broad Beans
- 1/4 Pound Eggplant
- 1 Teaspoon Ginger - Ground
- 1 Chili Green Chili Pepper - Large, ground
- 8 Leaves Curry Leaves
- 1 Chili Dry Red Chili
- 1/2 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1/2 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 1 Tablespoon Urad Dal
- 1 Tablespoon Chana Dal
- 1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
- 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt - or to taste
Instructions
- Cut eggplant, beans and set them aside along with ginger and green chili pepper. If the beans are mature, you can pinch off the two ends, remove the stringy part, before chopping. Set seasoning ingredients( mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chili, urad dal, chana dal and curry leaves) aside in a plate or bowl. Blend ginger, green chili pepper in a blender and transfer to a bowl.
- Heat oil in a thick bottom pan. Saute the seasoning ingredients, add the blended ginger and chili paste and mix well.
- Add eggplant and beans, salt, stir well and leave a lid on; cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables soften.
- Transfer to serving bowl.
I think there may be some confusion over the identity of these beans, they don’t seem to be the same as the broad beans (aka fava beans) grown in other parts of the world. What we in the UK refer to as broad beans, and are generally known as fava beans in the US, have much plumper pods, have black markings on the flowers, and are not a climbing/creeping plant. Also we don’t usually eat the pods as well as the beans (although it is possible to eat the young pods – the mature pods are too tough and bitter).
There are some clear pictures of broad/fava bean pods and the plants & flowers on this site that might help to clarify things: https://www.plant-lore.com/broad-bean/, and a picture of the beans themselves here: https://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/international/european/british/puree-of-broad-beans
An internet search hasn’t entirely clarified for me what type of beans you are referring to in this recipe, this site (https://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Indian_Broad_Beans_15809.php) suggests lablab/hyacinth bean, does that sound correct to you?
Hi Saskia, first off, thanks for writing. You have done your thorough research! Are you a gardener? I checked your urls, and you are right. This recipe does use the Indian Broad Bean variety, which, it seems to me, belongs to a broader hyacinth/lablab family. You will find these beans in most Indian grocery stores.
I am a gardener, although not an expert! But I have grown broad (fava) beans, they are quite easy to grow in the British climate.
I have come across a few Indian recipes before which referred to “broad beans” but was never really sure what type of beans they were or what I could substitute them with. I haven’t seen them for sale in the Asian grocers we have here, but will keep an eye out!
They look a bit like runner beans (https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/runner-bean) so I wonder if I could substitute those in this recipe?
You can absolutely substitute any type of beans (even French Beans will work in a bind) in this recipe. I usually use tender fava beans only. If the bean has matured, I use only the seeds. The amount of time each variety of beans takes to cook may vary, so do be cognizant of that. Let us know how the dish turns out. Thanks for reading and responding.
Good combination
Thank you, Anjali!