Valor beans, potatoes, peas, methi and muthia curry

I read a comment today that there is a song for every mood.  Whilst that’s true, I also believe that there is a dish for every mood.   I know exactly which dish will cheer up which member of my family -and which dish will upset them!!   Valor beans (Dolichos Lablab or Hyacinth bean), potatoes, peas, methi with muthias  curry  is a dish which used to be my father in law’s favourite.

Valor beans have a slightly bitterish taste so they are usually cooked with another vegetable like potatoes, peas or even aubergines. They are also used in a traditional dish called Undhiyu, a Gujarati dish.  Recipe for Undhiyu here.

Ingredients to serve 6

(you can adjust the amounts of vegetables according to what you have in the fridge):

• 1 cup fresh valor  (Dolichos Lablab or Hyacinth bean)
• 3 medium potatoes – washed and diced.
• half a cup frozen peas ( Allow extra cooking time if using fresh peas)
• half a cup of fresh or frozen chopped methi (fenugreek)
• 10 muthias (muthiyas) (you can use more if you like)- Recipe for muthias (muthiyas) is here
• one cup of canned chopped tomatoes
• 3-4 cloves garlic which should be really crushed finely
• 1 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 teaspoon a mixture of cumin and mustard seeds
• salt to taste
• chilly powder to taste
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoons of sugar or jaggery
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

Method:

 

1. Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan with a lid.  Add the mustard and cumin seeds to the hot oil and cover until the popping stops.

2.. Lower the heat and add the potatoes, peas, valor and methi.  Stir well and add the garlic, salt, chilly powder, turmeric powder and sugar.

3. Add one cup of water and stir and allow to cook for 10 minutes.

4. Check that the potatoes and valor have softened. If not – allow five more minutes.

5. Add the muthias to the curry and allow it to cook for five minutes. The muthias will start to absorb all the flavours of the curry.

 

6. Add the tomatoes and lemon and allow the curry to simmer for a few minutes until it gets to the consistency you like.

7. Try and be gentle when stirring your curry so you can see all the vegetables when the curry is cooked.

8. Serve the curry with rice or khichedi and any of the Indian breads such as chapattis or parathas.