Winged Bean

by Sheela Rani Chunkath

I love visiting Auroville, the Mother’s experiment in International living to promote peace, because I always come across something unusual; from the mundane to the exotic.

I dropped in at the Pour Tous store where vegetables from the local farms are brought in, most of which are organic. I stumbled upon a vegetable that I rarely see in Chennai, the bearded bean, the winged bean or thadi avarai as it is known in Tamil. Its scientific name is Psophocarpus tetragonolobos. It is a crunchy vegetable which makes an excellent salad. Just chop it in ½ cm slices, add a liberal quantity of lime juice, salt and a few tiny pieces of green chilly. It tastes delicious and I usually have it with sambar sadam. Many south Indians love it as an accompaniment to curd rice. The vegetable having a very benign taste can be modified as you would, you can add chat masala, mayonnaise or pep it up with feta cheese or you can if you like drop it in the juice of mahali kizhangu has also many therapeutic qualities. It is an excellent antioxidant.

I got a huge quantity of winged beans, distributed it to friends and relatives, got a jar of mahali kizhangu juice from my sister soaked a pieces of the thadi avarrai in it and am generally enjoying my acquaintance with thadi avarrai. It is great for weight watchers as it is low in calories and can be a substitute salad. And as it is disease resistant. It is pesticide free. The winged bean is nutrient rich with almost parts of the plant being edible, the leaves, flowers, the seeds and the tubers. We have not really exploited the potential of this plant.

A lady with whom I was having a conversation said she cut the vegetable into small pieces and sautéed it like ladies’ fingers.

Since the bean is rich in copper it is extremely good for the heart. It is an excellent source of fibre, vitamin C, vitamin A and minerals. It is also rich source of protein and B complex vitamins.

It is easy to grow from seed and can be grown in backyards and terraces. It is a prolific yielder and gladdens the heart of the gardener. As it is pest resistant, management is simple.

Yet another concoction that I love is elandai vada made from small jujube fruits – Ziziphus jujuba. The one now we get in the market are the bigger ones and taste like pears or apples. The small fruits which have everything from anticancer properties to anti-obesity properties was once a favourite of school childrenin Tamil Nadu. Outside most Government schools you will see a vendor selling these jujube fruits along with mangos, groundnuts, small gooseberries.

The way I love to eat elandai vada, where the fruit is crushed by hand (along with the seeds) and added to roughly pounded red chillies, tamarind, salt and asafoetida. The mixture is taken and made into small round cakes and sun-dried.

Once sun-dried it can be stored in bottles. It is a great appetiser with anti-oxidant properties. It is also said to prevent diabetic neuropathy and to reduce anxiety.

Next time I visit Pour Tous in Auroville, I hope to see the small variety of jujube fruit and may be also come across some forgotten or rarely used vegetable or fruit.

--- The writer is retired Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu. She can be reached at Sheelarani.arogyamantra@gmail. com. Earlier articles can be accessed at http://arogyamantra.blogspot.com/