Green Mochai Puli Kuzhambu | Mochai Chenakizhangu Puli Kuzhambu | Field Beans Gravy with Elephant Yam

This post is in my drafts for over an year now :D Now don't go 'Ohh my' so fast.. I have some more drafts that dates back to 3 years as well ;) Sometimes I feel the pic is not good, sometimes I feel the recipe is not up to the mark, maybe the measurements need a lil more fine tuning ;) So whatever the reason maybe, I am working on it and at the earliest planning to clean my drafts. Either rectify the issues or discard the draft and start fresh. Let's see how great it goes :)

So today's recipe is one with fresh field beans. I was very skeptical about cooking with this bean as it was the first time I was seeing the fresh variety though I have had the dried bean so many times during my childhood days :) But my mom convinced me (over phone) that they too taste great if made into a puli kuzhambu (tangy gravy with tamarind) with elephant yam.. And I didn't think twice. I had the yam too handy.. So went ahead and made this lip smacking gravy. It is easy to prepare and uses the pantry staples. Do try if you get hold of some fresh field beans and let me know how you liked it :)  

Serves: 2-3 persons

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 20 mins

Cooking Time: 30 mins

I Used:

Green Mochai/Green Field Beans	-	⅓ cup
Chenai/Yam (diced)	-	½ cup
Onion (sliced)	-	1 medium sized
Tomato (quartered)	-	1 medium sized
Red Chilly powder	-	3 tsp
Coriander powder	-	3 tsp
Turmeric powder	-	¼ tsp
Asafoetida	-	½ tsp
Tamarind	-	A small lemon sized
Grated Coconut	-	¼ cup
Salt	-	As Needed

To Temper:

Oil	-	1 tbsp
Mustard seeds	-	¼ tsp
Curry leaves	-	2 sprigs

The Way:

1. Soak tamarind in ½ cup warm water for 20-30 minutes. Then extract the pulp and keep aside

2. Remove the mochai (field beans) from the pods just like you de-shell the green peas

3. Grind the coconut in a mixer jar along with little water to a smooth paste and set aside

4. Clean and cut the yam into 2 inch cubes. Also slice the onions and chop the tomato into 8 pieces

5. Now take the field beans, cut yam, sliced onions and cut tomatoes in a kadai or clay pot that you are going to use to make the gravy

6. Add red chilly powder, coriander powder (or sambar powder - refer notes), turmeric powder, asafoetida and salt. Add 1 cup of water as well

7. Mix together and switch on the flame. Allow it to boil and then lower the flame and cook it covered for 5 minutes

8. Now open the lid and add the tamarind juice. Allow it to get cooked in low or medium flame. This will take around 10-12 minutes

9. When the beans and yam are cooked, add the ground coconut to the gravy and mix well

10. Allow it to blend in the gravy and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Once the gravy has reached the desired consistency and the flavours have mixed in well, switch off the flame

11. In a tadka pan, heat oil. Splutter mustard

12. Add the curry leaves and switch off the flame. Add this tempering to the gravy and mix well

Serve with steamed rice and a stir fry of your choice.

Notes:

• Instead of red chilly powder and coriander powder you can add 2-3 tbsp of sambar powder. It will be more flavourful. Or you can add 2 tbsp of sambar powder, 2 tsp of red chilly powder and 2 tsp of coriander powder as well

• While grinding coconut, you can add a tsp of fennel seeds or poppy seeds as well. If then take care to boil the gravy well so that you do not get the raw smell of the fennel seeds 

• If yam is not available you can try with raw banana/plantain as well or maybe skip yam altogether. But yam does impart a earthy flavour to the tangy gravy. Do not skip if you can get hold of some

Cheers,
Chitz