Fresh beans can be exciting, particularly Indian broad beans. Compared to green beans, they have a more prominent beany taste and the seeds inside are plump, meaty and mildly sweet like baby lima beans. Back in Andhra, it is a popular vegetable to grow. Backyards covered with these bean plants provide shelter from the hot sun; they not only enrich the soil with their roots(legumes) and also us – the plump beans are nature’s tiny capsules of proteins. Very nourishing and tasty. You can find Indian broad beans during spring and summer at local Indian grocery shops here in US.
Recipe:
20 to 25 Indian broad beans (pick plump ones)
2 ripe tomatoes and 1 onion – finely sliced
Make a paste
½ cup of roasted peanuts
1 tablespoon of tamarind juice
2 cloves and 1 small cinnamon stick
½ tsp of chilli powder and salt
¼ tsp of turmeric
1 tablespoon of powdered jaggery
(Take all these in a blender, add half glass of water and puree them to smooth paste)
For Popu or tadka
1 tsp of mustard seeds, cumin, minced garlic and curry leaves
Preparation:
Wash the broad beans. Take them in a plate, remove the ends and string them. Just pluck the end of a bean with your hand, and then pull downward; if a thick thread comes away, the bean need stringing, so do the same on the other side. The beans can then be sliced either using a sharp knife or with your hands. Cut or pluck them into small pieces.
Heat one teaspoon of peanut oil in a big pan. Add and toast mustard seeds, cumin, minced garlic and curry leaves. Add and saute onions and then tomatoes. When they are softened, add the cut broad beans. Stir in peanut-tamarind paste and another half to one glass of water. Cook them covered, stirring in between, on medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the beans are properly cooked. Have a taste and add salt and jaggery if needed.
Serve warm with rice or chapati and enjoy this classic sweet and sour, nutty and beany, Andhra curry.
Indian Broad bean curry and rice (Chikkudu kaaya kura and Annam) ~ Our lunch
Recipe Source:Amma
Hi Indira..I see a lot of peanuts in your dishes. Is that a common ingredient in Andhra kitchen?
Comment by Gini — March 7, 2006 @ 2:02 pm
hi indira, good to see u back. And gotta tell u this recipe is just perfect with reice or roti. I think the peanut sauce will be great with beans.I’ll surely lookout for this beans in the indian store next time i visit.Thanx for sharing the recipe.
Comment by Priya — March 7, 2006 @ 2:06 pm
Hi Gini, ‘Raayala Seema'(one of the three regions in Andhra), where I’m from, peanuts are the main cash crop. Peanut oil and peanuts are very common in our cooking.
Hi Priya.. Glad to be back. 🙂 If you try, let me know how you like it. thanks!
Comment by Indira — March 7, 2006 @ 2:08 pm
This is such a different preparation for me. In Maharashtra it is the Solapur region that uses peanuts/ groundnuts (main crop). I quite liked that taste so am going to try your version too.
Indira replies…
Peanuts are the main cash crop in several areas, interesting to know Solapur region is one of them. If you try, let me know how you like it, Thanks.
Comment by Ashwini — March 7, 2006 @ 3:47 pm
Indira:
I have never made chikkudukaya this way or even heard of someone else making it this way. Is it a Kurnool area thing? My mom always made a dry saute sort of curry with coconut in it. I never am able to find these in the Indian store. I will have to look harder.
Luv2cook
PS: I just started blogging a couple of days ago. Added you to my blogroll…
Comment by Luv2cook — March 7, 2006 @ 4:05 pm
We make this with in gravy with tomatoes and drum sticks or as just saute them a little and add coconut to it. Have you had just the beans without the outer
Comment by Sandhya pony — March 7, 2006 @ 5:20 pm
I wonder how i landed with half a comment. Ok, what i was trying say is that just the sauteed beans is also delicious. Man, we used have these beans almost every day in Summer in India. Thanks Indira for posting the recipe. I got all nostalgic and then started drooling…
Indira replies…
Plain sauteed beans and curry with plump seeds.. they are the best, aren’t they?
Nostalgic.. that’s also how I feel whenever I find these beans here in shops.:)
Comment by Sandhya — March 7, 2006 @ 5:37 pm
Hi Indira,
How r u? Your site is the best! MY fav I did try ur recipe it was gr8. I also tried your avacado chappati, brussel sprouts and ofcourse the wonderful Pappula Podi. I was late from work oneday, was confused what to eat had ur podi with rice and ghee and it was mindblowing.
Thanks for your wonderful tasty recipes and could u post of more of rice recipes.
thank you
Indira replies…
Hi Radha, Thanks for your compliments. I really appreciate it.
I read your comment about avocado chapatis. I agree. They are the best, very soft, tasty and easy to prepare. I’m glad all the other recipes turned out great.
Pappula podi with rice and ghee… yum:)
Comment by radha — March 7, 2006 @ 10:24 pm
Hi Indira – this sounds delicious! I assume you could substitute regular green beans if Indian broad beans are not available?
Indira replies…
Thanks Cathy.
Fava beans or wax beans are ok in this sauce but green beans, I’ve never tried this curry with them before. Beans with plump seeds are the best kind for this sauce.
Comment by Cathy — March 7, 2006 @ 10:42 pm
cool recipe Indira, a must-try one.
As usual your pictures makes me drool.
Indira replies…
Thanks!
Comment by Karthi Kannan — March 7, 2006 @ 10:53 pm
Hi Indira, welcome back! I missed you 🙂 as usual, lovely recipe and great pictures.
Indira replies…
really? ahh… thanks!:)
Comment by Saffron Hut — March 8, 2006 @ 8:59 am
Hi Indira, first of all, what a great blog this is. Next, a lot of south indian recipes call for jaggery. Can I use sugar instead? Will there be a drastic difference?
Indira replies…
Jaggery is famous for its Iron content but sugar works just fine. Not that much of a difference in taste.:)
Comment by Sukanya M — March 8, 2006 @ 11:45 am
Hi Indira
iam a silent visiter to this great food blog everday, its mindblowing, i am trying out some of your receipes, its great, your cooking style almost same as my hubby’s but he is from N.karnataka, thank you so much for the grate work
Shoba
Indira replies…
Thanks Shoba!
Comment by Shoba — March 8, 2006 @ 3:05 pm
Hi Indra !!!
Iam Priya from Minnesota.I have been visiting u’r site for quite sometime .Yesterday I tried U’r Pasta in Red Bell Pepper sauce recipe….It was too Good for words.My husband really loved it.I like the recipe because it was healthy too.People who are worried abt peanuts too ….actually the quantity per serving is not too much.
I loved it.
Regards
Priya
Comment by Priya — March 8, 2006 @ 3:40 pm
Sluuurrrrppppp….again.
My favourite curry. Just two days back I was searching on the internet to see what its called in english.
I also like the steamed and stir fried with tamarind version of it. My mom calls it chikkudukaya rava-pulupu kura.
Excellent vegetable with a flavour and taste so unique
Comment by Supriya — March 10, 2006 @ 1:53 am
hi indira,
visited your site after a long time. i like the way you present the ingredients, the recipes and the finished products. should pick up my lazy self and try some of them.
Comment by suresh — March 10, 2006 @ 6:04 am
Indira,chikkudu kaya is one of my favorites.Mee recipe version(with peanut)eppudu try cheyaledu .Ee recipe thappakunda cheysthaanu.Manchi recipe!
Btw,thanks for the mention for ‘nuvullu annam’ recipe in your blog treats.Appreciate it,Indira.
Indira replies:
Idi amma recipe, Sailaja. Chaala ruchiga vuntindi, tappakunda chesi chudandi. Bellam veyakunda vandina baguntindi.
I loved reading your post “Nuvvula Annam”. Thought I’d share it with my readers. Pleasure is all mine. 🙂 and Thanks.
Comment by Sailaja — March 10, 2006 @ 11:51 pm
This looks tasty and its going to be dinner today!
Indira replies:
If you try, let me know how you like it. Thanks.
Comment by deccanheffalump — March 16, 2006 @ 11:46 pm
Hi Indira,
Just tried your chikkudikaya kura for dinner. It was great. My husband used never appreciated the way I made chikkudikya before, but today he was very happy and satisfied with this recipe. Thanks for sharing it.
You know what these days, I make any new dish, my husband’s first question is :- Is this Indira’s recipe? You are part of our family. Every now and then I keep telling Indira asked me to do this or that 🙂
Keep up the good work of maintaining such a wonderful website.
Regards,
Aparna.
Comment by Aparna — September 15, 2006 @ 1:29 am
hi indira!
i have never tried such recepies.. It was really yummy and delicious.. My husband loved the dish very much.. Thanks for the recepie…
Comment by priya — April 24, 2007 @ 9:03 am
Indira,
Hope this finds you well. I just wanted to leave a note saying I tried this recipe last night — it is so delicious. I made it with fresh fava beans in-the-pod I found at the middle-eastern grocery. Since I lacked the patience and materials to blend the original spice-paste (which would have given the dish excellent texture) I mixed peanut butter, tomato paste, tamarind paste, clove and cinnamon powder and poured it onto the frying bean-onion mixture and pressure cooked it to 3 whistles. Nice comforting saucy dish — Thanks for a fantastic recipe 🙂
Dear AA,
I am happy to read that you had good experience with this recipe. I have yet to try with fava beans, now I can, thanks to your feedback.
Belated Thanksgiving Day greetings! Hope you had a lovely weekend.
– Indira
Comment by aa — November 24, 2007 @ 2:56 pm
Indira,
I am fan to your site, and have just tried this recipe. Came out good. Have a question, coconut+ Khus khus paste is good , but for which curries like what vegetable are suitable for this gravy? pls respond to my email, when you get chance.
Regards,
Janu
Comment by Janu — March 6, 2008 @ 10:38 am
Indira – I am a resident of Hyderabad and love to cook :). Just finished cooking your recipe and I loved it. Thanks for sharing this recipe. Would love to see many more such tasty recipes (my wife is definitely not complaining) 🙂
Comment by Wolverine — July 14, 2009 @ 4:44 am
Hi indira garu… i have tried many of ur recipies. urs guttiyankaya is a hit at my home. we hardly eat chikkudu… but at this time want to try this way.. but have a doubt.. the way u did it in guttivankaya in pressure cooker… will it work for the same for this also… pls reply..
many many thanx for ur recipies.
You could use a pressure cooker, but chikkudu will get cooked to very soft, become mushy, and the end result won’t taste that good. It’s better to cook chikkudu in a pan like mentioned in the recipe.
-Indira
Comment by Rajasree — February 14, 2011 @ 4:23 am
Hi Indira!
This recipe is wonderful. I never knew chikkudukaya could be made with gravy. It was a big hit with my family. Thank you very much.
Comment by Vyjayanthi — July 13, 2011 @ 7:33 am